Who gets the sofabed?
Nov 29, 2014, 8:25 pm
#76
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Sydney Australia
Programs: No programs & No Points!!!
Posts: 14,222
Nov 29, 2014, 8:43 pm
#77
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,580
A lot of this depends on the culture. In certain Asian cultures, the host is expected to offer anything and everything, and the guest is equally obligated to refuse. If OP and his friend were Indian, it might have gone like this:
"You can have the big bed."
"No, you can take it."
"You are my guest, please take it."
"No, but you paid for the room."
"Please, I insist."
"No, you must take it." (heads over to sofa bad)
(Pushes his friend off sofa bed and sits on it.)
This would go on for several minutes until one of them gave in and took the big bed.
In western cultures, which are more direct and to-the-point, this usually doesn't happen. In American culture, I would say that it would be polite to ask once, which OP's friend did. However, pushing the issue further would be rude.
"You can have the big bed."
"No, you can take it."
"You are my guest, please take it."
"No, but you paid for the room."
"Please, I insist."
"No, you must take it." (heads over to sofa bad)
(Pushes his friend off sofa bed and sits on it.)
This would go on for several minutes until one of them gave in and took the big bed.
In western cultures, which are more direct and to-the-point, this usually doesn't happen. In American culture, I would say that it would be polite to ask once, which OP's friend did. However, pushing the issue further would be rude.
Nov 29, 2014, 9:36 pm
#78
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: BRU, SIN, PEK
Programs: SQ TPP, LH SEN
Posts: 3,235
A lot of this depends on the culture. In certain Asian cultures, the host is expected to offer anything and everything, and the guest is equally obligated to refuse. If OP and his friend were Indian, it might have gone like this:
"You can have the big bed."
"No, you can take it."
"You are my guest, please take it."
"No, but you paid for the room."
"Please, I insist."
"No, you must take it." (heads over to sofa bad)
(Pushes his friend off sofa bed and sits on it.)
This would go on for several minutes until one of them gave in and took the big bed.
"You can have the big bed."
"No, you can take it."
"You are my guest, please take it."
"No, but you paid for the room."
"Please, I insist."
"No, you must take it." (heads over to sofa bad)
(Pushes his friend off sofa bed and sits on it.)
This would go on for several minutes until one of them gave in and took the big bed.
Nov 29, 2014, 10:25 pm
#79
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,669
See, that's the problem with human relationships, you try to help someone and you may end up getting in trouble, being taken advantage off, or the other person being ungrateful...Just let them go get and pay for their own room, and everyone is happy...
Nov 30, 2014, 8:29 am
#81
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,042
The friend brought it up first, who gets the sofa? This is just a buddy who is getting a freebie because OP already had a room. Wrong, wrong, wrong for friend to even ask. Being on the receiving end of a favor already, friend automatically should have taken the sofa bed. When friend asked, OP's instinctive courtesy kicked in without thinking to ask what friend preferred. For friend to take advantage of that to get the bed shows NO CLASS.
Nov 30, 2014, 12:08 pm
#83
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 2,379
Looks like you are agreeing !
BTW, we have regularly given up our master bedroom to guests. We do not ask them nor offer it...we just tell them where they are sleeping. If our guests are worth inviting to our home, they definitely worth the best bed room. Such is the culture in other parts of the world.
BTW, we have regularly given up our master bedroom to guests. We do not ask them nor offer it...we just tell them where they are sleeping. If our guests are worth inviting to our home, they definitely worth the best bed room. Such is the culture in other parts of the world.
Though you surely have to accept that it is not the norm to do so in places like the US/Western Europe - and that has nothing whatsoever to do with people from these regions being "impolite"?
Nov 30, 2014, 10:05 pm
#85
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
Then you have missed some opportunities of living closely in a very caring society.
Nov 30, 2014, 10:30 pm
#86
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: BRU, SIN, PEK
Programs: SQ TPP, LH SEN
Posts: 3,235
Dec 1, 2014, 3:39 pm
#87
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
hence from the childhood you are taught to respect the above.....if think this thru, it is teaching you to sacrifice, something sorely missed in these times of ME First.