believe it was 1976, 1st real job I had ( paying taxes etc.). Met a lot of different people, from all over the USA (for a 16 year old). And I was kinda on their level as far as treatment went. People would ask for me....one thing I learned real quick was that these people were here to do as little as they had to do. When conventions came into the resort I soon found out that along with the regular areas of the convention (meetings,golf, etc.) drinking was a main factor.
The nearest liquor store was like 15 miles down the road. I came up with the idea of going down there and loading my trunk up ( '62 Chevy Impala SS) you could fit a couple bodies in that trunk. You could buy beer at 16 but not booze, but the rules could be ignored by some back then. When the conventioneers would ask me where the closet booze store was I would smile and say "Follow me"....I would double the price of the bottle without any fuss....Made a bunch of $'s both on those sales and with tips when they left. I always set it up with the other 3 bellhops to work the shifts when the conventions would come in.
A guy I went to school with got a job through his mom (she was head of house keeping)...the cat was a doper like in the comedy movies....His mom asked me to find him one day ( he was a dish washer in the main restaurant)...I swear to God I found him standing up a sleep with his hands in the dish sink, water running.....He always talked about being the next Robert Plant...couldn't sing a note....but there has to be some talent going on being able to sleep with water pouring over you at a sink. And yes he got an early retirement from the restaurant.....His singing career? Who knows I've heard some pretty bad singers but he had the "look" of a rocker I guess.
