“I have the
European plague. I need a doctor.”
“Excuse
me?...”
“I have the
European plague. I need a doctor for the American plague.”
“I’m not sure
what you mean. What’s the American plague?”
“My child is
in the bathroom with the European plague. Can you bring the doctor for the
American?”
What was he
talking about?.... The exchange continued for some time until the light dawned.
This was the fourth occasion this has happened in over thirty years and 30,000
phone calls. The guest had phoned the front desk because his electrical devices
used European outlets which are different from ours. He needed an “adaptor.”
The clerk, not listening carefully, had heard “a doctor” and forwarded his call
to me.
But I was also
not listening carefully. It’s human nature to hear what you expect to hear, so
I assumed that the caller had a medical problem.
I had heard
“European plague” when he had said “European plug.” He had not said “my child
is in the bathroom” but “my shaver is in the bathroom….”
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