Hotel employee mocks wounded vet
We bounced this story around last night between me, TSO and Old Trooper, but the only source we could find was iReport at CNN, the same place that told Ballduster McSoulpatch’s tale of woe about being discharged from the Army as a colonel for being gay. So you can see why we didn’t run with it last night. But today Fox News tells the tale about Staff Sergeant Chad Staples, veteran of the war in Iraq where he was wounded and paralyzed from the waist down when he shielded another soldier with his body.
So he was in a Best Western hotel when their elevator broke down. He called the front desk for help getting his bags and wheelchair down the stairs;
The hotel employee [Holly Oyerbides], Staples said, replied: “’What do you want me to do about it?’ She laughed at him.”
At that point, Staples said his son used a couple “poor word choices” by using two expletives.
“He said, ‘Are you [expletive] serious? I’m in an [expletive] wheelchair,’” Robert Staples said. “He then hung up the phone and then threw his bags and wheelchair down the stairs and slid down on his backside.”
Best Western representatives, in a statement posted Thursday on its website, apologized for the incident, citing a power outage that impacted the area.
See, the story sounded too far-fetched when we heard it last night without some more background, but everything led back to iReport.
I hope the little shit got fired, too. If she couldn’t help, she didn’t have to laugh and answer as she did. Oyerbides was over-employed, obviously, if she couldn’t treat the man with a small measure of decency.
Category: Support the troops
The fox news article has a picture. It looks fake.
This doesn’t sound right.
There is a retired SSG Chad Staples in AKO. Shows location as Ft. Bragg.
2007 article briefly describing SSG Staples’ wounds:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2457&dat=20070525&id=Ndk8AAAAIBAJ&sjid=Si4MAAAAIBAJ&pg=3269,2847513
Seems legit to me:
http://www.cbs7kosa.com/news/details.asp?ID=36562
US Army Wtf has been carrying the story for a couple days and is said to be in touch with SSG Staples and BW corporate as well.
I think maybe it looks fake because it’s an older picture — cammies are different — and he doesn’t have any rank on. It looks as if he’s too young to have put on any rank in the first place.
I’ve been following this for the last two days. I thought it was a he said/she said for a while.
“The owner of the Best Western hotel in Monahans confirms to the Monahans News this afternoon, that, some details in a CNN ireport claiming Staff Sergeant Chad Staples was mistreated at the hotel on Tuesday, are true.”
why would a hotel put anyone in a wheelchair anywhere but a ground floor. very poor planning and lack of foresight on BW’s part
“What do you want me to do about it” is not an acceptable answer for anyone who is doing customer service regardless of what is being asked (within reason). “I’m sorry that I can’t help you” would be OK, though I think the hotel should make some effort to accommodate any guest who needs help with a similar matter.
The reason why SSG Staples was not on a ground floor appears to be because he checked in to the hotel earlier than the posted check in time, and no ground rooms were available at the time. At least that is what I got from reading one of the news articles on this. Seems like a he said/she said type of thing. The clerk in her statement does not mention her laughing at or treating Staples the way he said he was, but why would he lie about it?
@9: I believe the BW was full and SSG Staples was ok with being put on the third floor.
There are a lot of people calling for a boycott of Best Western. I personaly don’t see the point of boycotting an entire franchise because one employee at one indipendently owned hotel was a douche.
Oyerbides denies doing anything wrong in her own statement:
“ I received a phone call from a guest in room 302. I answer the phone saying front desk can I help you. Chad in a mad voice states the elevator is not working. And then says I’m in a (explicative) wheel chair how am I suppose to get down. I then reply what can I do to help you. He then states are you (explicative) kidding me I’m in a wheel chair and hangs up. Then minutes later he comes down to the front desk…”
Link-http://www.cbs7kosa.com/news/details.asp?ID=36586
At this point I’m going to go with an undecided vote (despite the quote from the ownership in post 8 above, which seems like a fairly standard corporate response to controversy).
Stayed at a Worst Western once when moving cross country. Worst damn hotel I have ever stayed at, bar none.
This just gives me one more reason to never go back.
Gotta go with Twist in that it’s not fair to blame an entire company for the actions of one individual. However, others are right in their assessment that BW ain’t all that. I try to avoid the lower end chains in general when traveling.
There does not appear to be enough information at this point to make an informed decision.
I guess I’ll have to side with a few others at this point and wait, as it appears to be a he said/she said thing, with some stories seeming to change.
I’m wondering if there’s a recording of the conversation on the phone between Staples and the desk clerk.
Gotta go with the withholding judgment crowd so far. I suspect the truth lies somewhere between the statements made by Staples and Oyerbides.
The reason the picture looks funny is because it was taken in Basic Training. At the time he went through, the woodland camo pattern was in effect. The picture is taken your second day of in-processing and is meant for mementos and for family. The picture is real and I have been in contact with my buddies who served with SSG Staples, this is a real story.
To back up what Retired said, SSG Staples is completely legit. I served in the same BN with him in the 82nd in Baghdad and was nearby when he was wounded.
Aa a disabled vet myself I am outraged at this incompetent desk clerk’s behavior. Those of you claiming this is “fake” need to read Sean2. Shame on the lot of you for dismissing this mistreatment of a man who put his life on the line for jerks like Holly and paid a heavy price for it. As W.C. Fields said “there is a fool born every minute.”
Umm, #21, who here exactly said that SSG Staples’ claim was “fake?” Who here is “dismissing” what happened to him? You seem to be barking up the wrong tree.
What is wrong with some wanting to wait until the exact story and investigation is complete before casting judgement? As far as we know it is a he said/she said case. When this news first broke, there was an almost mob mentality to crucify this clerk as well as Best Western in general without anyone wanting to wait to hear all sides. Is there something wrong with that?
What if it were the other way around? What if some hotel guest alleged bad treatment from a clerk that happened to be a war veteran? Would not these very same people then ask that everyone withhold judgment until all facts are known?
Of course I feel that SSG Staples story is solid and Best Western has not conducted themselves very well to say the least. But don’t accuse others wanting to reserve judgement as dismissing SSG Staples’ claims as fake.
22@ Concur.
I’ll give the story benefit of the doubt. SSG Staples should recieve an earned apology from Best Western and the jacked up overpaid clerk needs to go. I work around several severly wounded Vets and my heart is out to them for still wanting to contribute.
Gotta throw in with the “Let’s wait and see crowd”. I can’t imagine a clerk doing something like that to a veteran in these times but why would he lie knowing if it’s found out he’ll be keel-hauled?
@21: When Jonn, TSO, and I were bouncing this around, we were entertaining all possibilities including that this could, indeed be fake. I brought it to them first, because I only saw one original source (ireport) for all the stories when I googled looking for confirmation. My google-fu isn’t as good as Jonn and TSO, so I wanted to see if they could find another source.
With the rash of stories out on the interwebs that are fake, it would have been irresponsible to run with it without other sources. Anyone can say anything and contrary to a commercial on tv, there is no rule that everything on the internet has to be truth. Some people are probably still skeptical, because there are elements of it that don’t make much sense, however, with the reported “apology” from Best Western seeming to not deny the particulars, we can assume that the story is true, at this point.
That being said, I can understand your frustration, but don’t take it out on us.
My thanks to SSG Staples. As for BW, I’ve stayed in some very good ones with very nice helpful employees, I’ve stayed in ones I wondered if the health department knew were being used as Level IV bio-labs. I’ve only had I think 3 bad employees experiences, and one of those was my fault not actually the employees, too many hours behind the wheel not enough sleep or caffeine.
Point is, until all information is in make no comment that could show your a**, OT, Jonn, and TSO made the right decision to wait for confirmation.
Just a suggestion here guys, but USARMYWTF and the guys from StolenValor on facebook,and guardianofvalor.com confirmed this guys story like two days ago. They spoke with the Soldier and Best western before they ever posted it to the fans as they to were skeptical. They said they had the story for almost 24hrs before they published it and confirmed it was indeed true. Just a suggestion, but if you guys worked with those guys you would be a force to be reckoned with. I follow this blog as well as the others, and they ensure facts before they post. But thats just a suggestion from an old investigator. By the way the guardianofvalor site has at least a daily update on the story.
I’m from there Google news west 9 and you’ll hear his side. I know this girl everyone here does. Shea always been rude and has no heart.
..
And by the way, the FoxNews story….they got the info including contact for SSG Staples from those guys. According to army wtf and sv
And she’s gonna lie about it to cover her butt. When I heard this I knew right away it was something aged do. She thinks she’s better than everyone and now look. KARMA happened.
That site anon spoke about also has a picture of the Holly chic.
Interesting how people want to come to this website all huffing and puffing and questioning the professionalism, integrity, and conduct of TAH staff, all veterans who have served with honor and distinction in the military.
I really could care less what other websites have reported or done.
Holly Oyerbides
609 S James Ave
Monahans, TX 79756-4725
Age: 30-34
Associated: Donna L Oyerbides
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/10/disabled-veteran-says-hotel-employee-mocked-his-request-for-help/
Send her some fan mail.
That’s not her address anymore she’s lived on the 800 block of Calvin and the 600 block of Teresa. And has short hair now.