Are There Any "Apps" For This Guest Situation?

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Are There Any "Apps" For This Guest Situation?

John Carbone
Realtor · Gatlinburg · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 957 votes

Had a guest at a honeymoon cabin in the smokies notify me this morning that their boyfriend/husband just abandoned her on the trip. I didn't get into to many personal details since its not my business, but the crux of it was they needed to get 35 minutes into the major town to get a car rental before they closed at 12pm (and its closed on Sunday.) I tried handling the situation like I would if I was on a beach drinking my morning coffee. I had them check uber/lyft (no drivers), had them ask the car rental company for a ride (can't do it), call a local taxi (phone has been disconnected), called the cleaner (I'm doing a cleaning), called handyman (I'm with my kids at football practice.) Sure, it's not in theory my problem that they are in, but I need this person out of my property tomorrow morning. I have a new 7 day reservation checking in tomorrow at 4pm. So I ended up doing it myself. Just curious if I forgot of any "apps" that could have fixed this for me?

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Collin HaysBusiness Member
Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
4y
Quote from @John Underwood:
Quote from @John Carbone:

 If you were local and had time then it made sense to help them get out.


It is usually the right thing to do to help someone out.

[email protected]806-672-7102
SMOKY MOUNTAIN FALLS INC.51 Review
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  • Luke CarlPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Tennessee Florida · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    4y

    You literally went to the cabin and gave them a ride? I totally understand the hospitality and admire your efforts! Not worried about liability or the possibility that she’s actually an axe murderer? I hope this never happens to me 

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    1Reply
  • John Carbone
    OP
    Realtor · Gatlinburg · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 957 votes
    4y
    Quote from @Luke Carl:

    You literally went to the cabin and gave them a ride? I totally understand the hospitality and admire your efforts! Not worried about liability or the possibility that she’s actually an axe murderer? I hope this never happens to me 

    I did yes, what other options could I have? They had a ton of reviews on Airbnb. I guess I could have called the police tomorrow morning at checkout….?


    what’s my liability giving a ride?

    I have a $1600 reservation in there starting tomorrow.  

    1Reply
  • Collin HaysBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    4y
    Quote from @John Carbone:
    Quote from @Luke Carl:

    You literally went to the cabin and gave them a ride? I totally understand the hospitality and admire your efforts! Not worried about liability or the possibility that she’s actually an axe murderer? I hope this never happens to me 

    I did yes, what other options could I have? They had a ton of reviews on Airbnb. I guess I could have called the police tomorrow morning at checkout….?

     You did well, John. There are things in life far more important than counting money and our personal inconvenience.  We need more people like you.

    [email protected]806-672-7102
    SMOKY MOUNTAIN FALLS INC.51 Review
    WebsiteView Page
    1Reply
  • Ken Boone
    Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    4y

    @John Carbone Wow what a mess she is in.  So I don't know of anything else you could have done outside of getting a taxi.  I learned the hard way that there are no uber or lyft drivers in that area.  Several years ago we started kayak fishing the Little Pigeon River through Pigeon Forge.  We thought we would just call an uber whenever we decided to get off the river to take us back to our vehicle at our put in spot.  Sat for a couple of hours trying to get a taxi instead after we learned that there were no uber drivers.  My wife ended up calling our cleaner for us and they came and gave us a ride.  Since then, I found you can get a taxi but it normally takes several phone calls to get one lined up.  The last couple of trips we used Benz-taxi and they were able to pick us up on one occasion within 5 minutes of exiting the river and on another occasion within 30 mins of calling them.  Angel's taxi is another company that I can usually get someone on the phone but it seems that company needs to be scheduled a little ahead of time so I would try one of those taxi services.  If not one of those keep calling different taxi services.  I think that is really her only option.

    0Reply
  • Ken Boone
    Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    4y

    After I wrote I now realize I misread and that you took her yourself.  I am sure she and her family really appreciated that.

    0Reply
  • Leslie Anne Morris
    Real Estate Agent · Smoky Mountains, TN · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 984 votes
    4y

    This falls under the category sh*t happens. Maybe a biz opp for an entrepreneur for our market 

    1Reply
  • John Carbone
    OP
    Realtor · Gatlinburg · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 957 votes
    4y
    Quote from @Ken Boone:

    After I wrote I now realize I misread and that you took her yourself.  I am sure she and her family really appreciated that.

     I tried calling those taxi services and they couldn’t do it on short notice. It was around 10am and the only car rental place in Sevierville open on Saturday’s closed at 12pm, and being in gods country, nothing is open on Sunday. 

    I really didn’t see any other option for me with a guest checking in tomorrow. 

    Thanks Colin, I’d be lying though if I said I did it completely out of just being a good person. If I had Sunday open tomorrow I would have had her stay there and get more time to figure out her situation. This was an odd situation being such short notice and I really didn’t want to call the police on her at 10am tomorrow morning. 

    1Reply
  • Ken Boone
    Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    4y

    Yea i get it.  It was a big shock to me to find out the area had zero uber or lyft drivers.  

    1Reply
  • Leora Merrell
    Rental Property Investor · Member since 2019 · 276 posts · 235 votes
    4y

    I had a guest Uber/Lyft every where when they stayed at one of our cabins about 16 months ago. I had no idea it wasn’t like that anymore. 

    That was super nice of you. I’d like to think I’d do the same thing (but bring my husband with me😂). 

    1Reply
  • John Carbone
    OP
    Realtor · Gatlinburg · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 957 votes
    4y

    There was not a whole lot of time to do much thinking or planning. They had seven (5 star reviews as a guest), and I had them send me their car reservation which they paid $900 for. For added protection, the .38 special (this is Tennessee) was secured in the driver side door compartment. I know this type of stuff is probably common for our friend Paul in Coffeyville, but i'll gladly have this be a one-off situation. 

    2Reply
  • John UnderwoodPro Member
    Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    4y
    Quote from @John Carbone:

    Had a guest at a honeymoon cabin in the smokies notify me this morning that their boyfriend/husband just abandoned her on the trip. I didn't get into to many personal details since its not my business, but the crux of it was they needed to get 35 minutes into the major town to get a car rental before they closed at 12pm (and its closed on Sunday.) I tried handling the situation like I would if I was on a beach drinking my morning coffee. I had them check uber/lyft (no drivers), had them ask the car rental company for a ride (can't do it), call a local taxi (phone has been disconnected), called the cleaner (I'm doing a cleaning), called handyman (I'm with my kids at football practice.) Sure, it's not in theory my problem that they are in, but I need this person out of my property tomorrow morning. I have a new 7 day reservation checking in tomorrow at 4pm. So I ended up doing it myself. Just curious if I forgot of any "apps" that could have fixed this for me?


     If you were local and had time then it made sense to help them get out.

    2Reply
  • John Carbone
    OP
    Realtor · Gatlinburg · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 957 votes
    4y
    Quote from @John Underwood:
    Quote from @John Carbone:

    Had a guest at a honeymoon cabin in the smokies notify me this morning that their boyfriend/husband just abandoned her on the trip. I didn't get into to many personal details since its not my business, but the crux of it was they needed to get 35 minutes into the major town to get a car rental before they closed at 12pm (and its closed on Sunday.) I tried handling the situation like I would if I was on a beach drinking my morning coffee. I had them check uber/lyft (no drivers), had them ask the car rental company for a ride (can't do it), call a local taxi (phone has been disconnected), called the cleaner (I'm doing a cleaning), called handyman (I'm with my kids at football practice.) Sure, it's not in theory my problem that they are in, but I need this person out of my property tomorrow morning. I have a new 7 day reservation checking in tomorrow at 4pm. So I ended up doing it myself. Just curious if I forgot of any "apps" that could have fixed this for me?


     If you were local and had time then it made sense to help them get out.

    What other options would I have though? Would you call police next day at checkout?
    0Reply
  • Collin HaysBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    4y
    Quote from @John Underwood:
    Quote from @John Carbone:

     If you were local and had time then it made sense to help them get out.


    It is usually the right thing to do to help someone out.

    [email protected]806-672-7102
    SMOKY MOUNTAIN FALLS INC.51 Review
    WebsiteView Page
    2Reply
  • Paul Sandhu
    Investor · The worst town to live in, KS · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    4y

    I had the opposite thing happen to me.  Some guys girlfriend left him.  She took his truck and his credit cards and drove back to Alabama from Kansas.  The guy called me and wanted to know if there was a taxi service to take him to a major city an hour away.  He had cash and and wanted to buy a one way ticket to Alabama.  I told him there is no taxi service and you can't buy an airline ticket with cash.

    I ended up buying him a bus ticket and he reimbursed me.  I go by the next day to drive him to the bus stop and he is passed out and nothing of his is packed.  He missed the bus.  Take him to Wal Mart where he buys some luggage.  I told him to buy a prepaid credit card too because I want your azz out of here tomorrow.  He bought rolling luggage and walked to the bus stop.

    This is the same guy that got into a fight with another renter, and eventually they became friends.  One guy gave another guy a tattoo.

    1Reply
  • Paul Sandhu
    Investor · The worst town to live in, KS · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    4y

    Another guy was fooling around with his bosses wife.  The boss and his wife lived next door to the other guy.  The guy and the bosses wife were boyfriend/girlfriend many years before boss came into the picture.

    Cliffs: Fight, damage, police, arrest, giving a guy a bar of soap and a garden hose to take a shower, picking up said guys belongings while he is showering, driving him to a bus station.

    1Reply
  • Henry T.
    Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    4y

    TaskRabbit?

    1Reply
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