Unwedded bliss

September 13, 2007 at 10:56 am (Uncategorized)

I’m not allowed to stay at her guesthouse.It’s not because I’m coloured or because I’m one half of a mixed race couple. No, it’s because I’m not married.

My partner and I wanted to go away for some R&R so I had enquired about accommodation at a guesthouse in Yzerfontein. We wanted to get away a bit, just the usual R&R needed to stay sane.
So I sent out a few requests for quotes and availability, as one does. This is the response I received from one of the guesthouse owners:

“Dear Toby,
Yes I do have availability. The rate is R500 per night or R250 per person per night. Please note that we do not cater for unmarried people living together.
Warmest greetings
Guesthouse Lady”

At first I was shocked. She couldn’t really be serious, could she? Then I was amused. It was rather sweet.
Then I was annoyed – why couldn’t she have said so on her website so I wouldn’t have bothered asking?
Now I guess I just find it interesting that there’s someone running a guesthouse that doesn’t cater to unmarried people living together in 2007.

When a friend pointed out it’s better the woman said it now rather than when we rock up there, I took her point. I have the choice to not go now instead of being turned away at the door.
I respect the guesthouse lady’s beliefs and what she deems to be high morals and it’s obviously not discrimination of a hurtful kind so I can’t really be angry or disgusted.

Obviously we’re not going there and I’m not going to bother to reply to her email. The less said the better. I don’t want to offend her moral stance because she’s entitled to it even though I do want to point out to her that she should really make this fact known earlier.

I can’t help but wonder how many people they turn away though. Maybe that’s what I should ask…