Are you serious? Can you reread your question and not feel like a jerk?
I'm 34 and didn't even HAVE a credit card ~3 years ago. I still rarely use it. The world is so diverse and different...
A hotel that asks for my credit card in Europe has to live with the chance that I don't have one, period. Which isn't the case anymore (see above), but I _still_ don't leave a credit card, ever.
On top of that: For the minibar issue that _still_ makes no difference at all. Most of the exploits I've seen were connected to company trips. The room was payed by the company, backed by a credit card. The minibar .. wasn't.
I'm currently in a decent hotel in Bern (my favorite, tried probably "all there are" in this city over some years). They don't have my credit card.
I don't feel like a jerk, actually, for asking a reasonable question (especially since you indicate in other replies that the room is backed by a company credit card). Do you feel like a jerk for either your snarky responses or your complicity in small-time theft (unless you called out those who did abuse the minibar and not pay)?
If novotel isn't charging the company credit card for all incidentals after-the-fact, then yes, I think they're doing business foolishly in that regard. And it's hardly news that being dishonest can get you free things - so can shoplifting from the grocery, why not simplify your life and just do that if you want free cashews so badly?
=> egocentric world view. Ignoring the somewhat interesting discussion about what you consider the 'modern first world' this statement makes you a jerk. You replied to a post that said that I'm currently _in_ a hotel in Bern, CH. 'modern first world'?
- snarky responses: Except for the one to your post I don't think I wrote one today. I consider that one deserved.
- complicity: Granted. Good point. You are right and I certainly could (should?) have acted a number of times. Yes, that makes me a jerk as well, I guess.
- The hotel business: I .. don't believe you're qualified to judge the business, quite frankly. But neither am I.
What really makes me turn green and quite angry: You totally missed the whole point of this thread. You're so far off, it is not even funny. The article that this comment thread is connected to is about a very interesting and charming idea, about a cafe that charges you for time and nothing else. Someone posted a rather bland 'So what if I abuse that' comment and I said 'Well - that is totally not clever and you can already do that like .. everywhere.' and provided a couple of examples. Staying in a hotel tonight, for the rest of the week, I chose the examples that were closest to me at that time. Yes, the thread then began to focus a little bit too much on my examples, but your statement here ("And it's hardly news that being dishonest can get you free things - so can shoplifting from the grocery, why not simplify your life and just do that if you want free cashews so badly?") shows that you were totally unable to read before you commented. Your statement is - frankly - stupid.
Cafe in London charges for time. I like that.
Someone says 'I can break it!'. I say 'Amazing, it is hardly news that being dishonest...' - oh wait, I didn't. I stated the very same thing, but didn't use your words and it wasn't a grocery it was a hotel.. But cool, you just stated what I posted directly below the top-level post while indirectly accusing me to take advantage of dishonest behavior at the same time ('if you want free cashews so badly'). I'd really, really suggest to start at the top again and read more carefully the next time.
And I'm allergic to cashews, you insensitive clod. :)
