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[Freight]

Name: Freight
Hotel: San Jose Hilton and San Jose Marriott
Dates: Thursday, May 24 to Tuesday, May 29 (5 nights)
Rate: $175.00 or $100.00
Spaces Available: 3
Room Type: Standard - Dual beds
Smoking or Non-Smoking: Definitely non-smoking
E-Mail: blackfreight03@yahoo.com
AIM: blackfreight03

Details about me: I'm a 35-year old male who will be attending Fanime for the second time. I've gone to the Anime Expo from 1993 to 2010, and ALA 2011 and 2012, AM2, and Fanime in 2011.

My simple philosophy about rooms is that if you go, you should only have to pay the money requested and show up. I'll take care of getting the rooms squared away. In 2005, the Hilton at Anaheim said they were overbooked and I had to take a set of smaller rooms. I managed to talk them into giving us a suite parlor to replace one of the rooms for no extra cost.

I've also led a suite full of otaku at AX 2006, and I still look at that as the most fun I've had for a convention. If I can get enough people together to do that again at another hotel, I would do it in a heartbeat.

I'm bringing my Xbox360 with me. I have several games including the latest WB Batman games, UMvC3, Halo Reach and Anniversary, and I have Rock Band 3 with over 600 available songs.

I'm called a fair and attentive leader, and I will be available for any questions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - Updated 3/18/12

You have rooms in two hotels? Short answer is... yes. I have the number of rooms I needed, but the rooms went fast and I had to make a couple of short-term compromises. However, I am on a waitlist to move the Marriott rooms to the Hilton, and I have encouraging signs that it can be done.

What kind of roommates are you looking for? My keyword is "respectful". I do my best to make sure everyone is involved in the group if they want to be, but if not, that's perfectly fine. All I ask is that you do your best to be respectful of the people around you. If you're working on a cosplay, please clean up after you're done. If you're an early person, please dress in the bathroom to keep the accursed Sun out of people's eyes. If you're a late person, come in quietly so as not to disturb anyone else. Also, please don't do elevator parties. There's only 3 elevators and it would be better to have them running free.

Update: 3/18/12 - Are the rates per night or whole stay? Whole stay.

When would payment be due? I ask that payment be sent about a month prior to the convention. This gives me time to turn payments into cash for the hotels, as well as weed out any last second drop-outs. Besides, it makes it easier to keep other people's money separate from mine until necessary.

How do you like payment? I prefer checks or money orders. If cash is sent in the mail and the postman loses it, it's lost for both you and me. Checks or money orders can be traced by the sender, or cancelled and retrieved, if necessary.

Do you accept Paypal? I avoid it unless I have no other choice. After a certain amount each month, Paypal starts taking out a percentage for processing. It doesn't sound honest to ask for "$175 plus 3% for processing," right?

What do we do about food? I attended Fanime last year, so I have a good idea of where to go and who to order from for a good evening. I'll set up a list and ask you if you can make it to a non-mandatory group dinner for everyone to sit, meet, greet, and relax.

I am also offering a $30.00 buy in which I use to pick up snacks like chips, pretzels, water, Kool-Aid, and other simple snacks, as well as garbage bags, bars of soap, shampoo/conditioner, and couple of odds and ends. With that buy in, you'll also get 4 boxes of Pocky, and 3 bottles of Ramune for your personal use.

I'm a girl and I don't want to room with guys. Not a problem. I have two girls only rooms currently set up. Please PM or e-mail me about these rooms, and I'll give you the details.

I'm under 18... Can I still go? Sure. I'll take people as young as 14, but if you are between 14 and 17, I HAVE TO SPEAK TO YOUR PARENTS FIRST. This is non-negotiable. It sounds very over-bearing, but if you're a minor, you lie to your parent/guardian about where you are, and you're found with me and/or my friends, that's a potential kidnapping charge on the adult(s) you're found with, and that's a great way to ruin a convention.

What's the rule about drinking? I don't mind social drinking or fun drinking, but I don't condone getting fall-down drunk. Also, NO MINOR DRINKING, PERIOD. If you're an adult who gives a minor alcohol, we'll have a few unkind words, and I won't hesitate to involve the authorities.

Someone I'm rooming with is getting on my nerves... Bring anything like this to me. I'm a decent negotiator and I will handle all issues like this. Few things can make a weekend more tense than people irritating each other and drawing lines in the sand. Even if it doesn't get to fighting, you're giving the cold-shoulder to someone else, and everyone else in that room will get frustrated and caught up in it. That's not fair to everyone in that situation.

"Um... I broke something in the room." This should be a no-brainer, but be prepared to pay for it. I also inspect rooms quickly before I check them out. The reason for that is if these things are reserved with my credit card and something comes up broken, I have to pay for it. I limit my risks by being careful.

What happens if I break "the rules?" I escort you out. Not out of the hotel or the convention, but out of my room block. No refunds and no arguments. You're out.

Any other questions, please feel free to ask.

[Meepit]

I have a few questions for you (well, really, just one).

I'm a female and I have another female friend who are very interested in booking space in one of your girl-only rooms, but excuse me for asking, I'm sure you understand our concern; how do we know this isn't a scam? Do we get any sort of guarantee of our spot being saved besides the money up front a month before? (And after we give the money, do we get a guarantee the rooms will be there when we arrive?)

[Freight]

I do understand your concern, and that is a difficult question to answer.

After all, I have the reservation numbers, but I can't give those out easily as my credit card is attached to them...

I guess the easiest would be to give character references.

Here's 3 Facebook profiles. Two of them (Brandon and Matt) are carpooling with me to Fanime and have gone to me to the Anime Expo at different times over the last 8 years. The third is someone who went to 5 Anime Expos in a row (Kirk).

Brandon
Matt
Kirk

I'll also PM you two more via phone.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

[Freight]

I've added names to the hotel registries. Once the reservations go to the hotel, people can confirm for themselves they're on the registry.

[Freight]

I am currently out of the $100.00 spots.

Sorry to the admins. I'd add this as an update to the original post, but it gives me an Internal Service Error when I try.

[CozartEnma]

Is it possible to have one room to just me and a group of my friends?

[Freight]

It's possible, but I only have the $175 spots left. How many people are we talking about?

[Freight]

Update - I have ONE $100 spot left in a GIRLS ONLY ROOM.

[Freight]

Another change. I had some people back out, so now I have 4 $100 spots left, one is still in the Girls Only room.

[Freight]

Only 2 co-ed $100 spots left, and one Girls-Only $100 spot left

[SparrowRayne]

Highly interested in co-ed 100. Is the 2 spaces still available?

[Freight]

Yes, they are!

[RoseLuka]

I'm slightly interested in the girls only room. I just wonder about where I'd park? Any good ideas?

[Freight]

There's a sizable lot across the street from the Hilton that's can be either $7 per day, or they charge an event rate.

[RoseLuka]

Do you have an idea of what the event rate would be?