How a Flushed Diaper Flooded a Hotel—and Why Kindness Got Me a Jacuzzi Suite Upgrade
Picture this: You're stranded in your company's hometown because your trusty truck decided to cough up its turbo gasket. The fix? A week at a local hotel you know all too well, conveniently parked next to an exit for those all-important smoke breaks. Four days pass, blissfully uneventful. And then—on day five—disaster strikes in a way you could never have predicted.
Suddenly, the air is thick with a stench that could only be described as "microwaved fish meets public restroom," and the carpet under your feet goes from plush to squishy. You step into the hallway, shoes making that ominous wet sound, and realize: something is very, very wrong. Twenty minutes later, the front desk calls. “Sir, we have an issue on the first floor. Someone flooded their room, and we are relocating everyone on that floor.”
You join a crowd of groggy, grumbling guests in the lobby, all schlepping their bags and speculating about the source of the catastrophe. What follows is a lesson in patience, perspective, and the secret, hotel life-changing power of simply being nice.
Diaper Disaster: A Flood of Epic Proportions
Let’s get straight to the point: someone, in a moment of what can only be described as heroic plumbing ignorance, tried to flush a diaper down the toilet. The result? A sewage tsunami that made its way under doors, into carpets, and up the nostrils of every guest unlucky enough to have a room on the first floor.
As u/LordBiscuits exclaimed, echoing the thoughts of many, “WHO THE [expletive] FLUSHES A DIAPER?!” And honestly, the commenters didn’t hold back on their disbelief. From stories of people flushing oranges and silverware to tales of diapers left in every conceivable (and inconceivable) place, it seems the hospitality industry has seen it all.
The smell, as described by the original poster u/Lucario_Stormblade, lingered for weeks—despite the hotel’s best efforts and at least a dozen cans of Febreze. As for the culprit? While justice (and cleaning fees) may have been served, OP could only confirm the olfactory aftermath: “It took them nearly two weeks (and about 12 cans of Febreze Air Effects) to get the smell of sewage out of the bottom floor, and the water cleaned up from the carpet.”
The Secret Superpower of Being Nice
But let’s zoom in on what happened next. Forty-odd displaced guests formed a line at the front desk, each one more annoyed than the last. The lobby buzzed with complaints: Why the smell? Why the wet carpet? Why me?
Instead of joining the chorus of outrage, OP did something radical: sat down, waited for the line to die down, and approached the exhausted front desk clerk with empathy and humor. The exchange went something like this:
Clerk: “Someone thought it was a bright idea to flush a diaper…” OP: “Ugh. People. Anyway, I’m one of the exiled, whatever you have available, I’m not picky.” Clerk: “Really? You aren’t picky?” OP: “Nope. You could put me in the broom closet for all I care.”
The relief was palpable. And here’s where the magic happened—the only room left was a jacuzzi suite. A little patience and understanding, and suddenly, OP’s exile turned into a bubble-bath-filled upgrade.
As u/jonny3jack sagely remarked in the comments, “Being nice doesn’t cost a thing. I don’t know why it’s so difficult for some people.” Others chimed in with stories of their own: upgrades at hotels and car rentals, comped drinks, and extra perks—all for the simple act of not being a jerk. One commenter even called kindness a “super power,” recounting how it had scored them comped meals and better service across a decade in customer support.
Service Workers Are People, Too (And They Remember You!)
The front desk clerk was so grateful for OP’s chill attitude, she remembered him days later at check-out: “Thank you again for not making a fuss over being relocated. Half of the guests that night were just awful.” The consensus from the hospitality veterans in the comments was clear: kindness doesn’t just get you better rooms, it makes you the bright spot in someone’s otherwise miserable shift.
As u/3_Lil_Birds1982, a former front desk agent, put it: “You were patient enough to not stand around in the long line, just staring those front desk clerks while grumbling/moaning/complaining... that agent probably had a room available that was not as nice, but she upgraded you to a luxury suite for your attitude. So good for you, keep that great attitude up.”
And for those wondering if being nice is a universal hotel hack, u/PonyFlare summed it up: “That’s the proper way to get that super awesome upgrade if it’s available: Keep your cool and be genuinely kind and understanding when things go wrong outside of your and the staff’s control.”
The Takeaway: Don’t Be a Diaper Flusher (or a Jerk)
The story’s deeper lesson? Catastrophes happen. Sometimes, through no fault of your own, you’ll find yourself wading through sewage in life (hopefully not literally). When you do, channel your inner zen, treat people with respect, and you might just find yourself soaking in a jacuzzi suite instead of stewing in frustration.
As u/saltporksuit’s mother wisely taught: “Being an asshole helps no one. Not you, not the employee, not anyone around you. Now being a patient, kind person? Helps everyone.”
So next time you’re faced with the unexpected—be it a flight delay, a flooded hotel, or a customer service snafu—remember: the broom closet is always an option, but the jacuzzi suite goes to those who keep their cool.
Have you ever scored a surprise upgrade or seen disaster turned into delight by a little kindness? Share your story in the comments below! And, seriously—don’t flush diapers. Ever.
Original Reddit Post: Well, that explains that… Yay…