THE NOT-SO-GRAND CANYON MYSTERY UNVEILED!

Thanks to all who ventured a stab both on this site and via private email messages (as well as those who sent condolences without a guess).

Before I release the originally billed figure, appropriately and coincidentally referred to in the vernacular as a ‘telephone number’) — allow me to make an educated guess as to how it all evolved.   When I logged onto the AOL site for a local connection, the first two names which appeared were in Flagstaff, AZ.   Since it is routine to accept the suggested sites as listed, it never occurred to me that they were about eighty miles away and over an hour and a half in travel time.   Details!!   The connection had to circumvent hills, dales, crags, tors, peaks, mountains, ravines, passes, boulders, ridges, rocks, canyons, condors  and whatever other interference presented itself.   There was no official Rip-off Advisory posted in the room admonishing that users of internet phone lines had to put up their first born for security.   (Incidentally, I have checked with AOL who have confirmed that I proceeded exactly as instructed and the connection sites offered were the recommended ones).

Before we get to the ‘kicker,’  it may be of interest to learn that the telephone bill I received at our next stop (The Day’s Inn, in Scottsdale, Arizona) for more computer usage than at the Grand Canyon  — was $1.00 per day (a total of TWO BUCKS for internet dial-up service).   Amazing!

Enough of the explanations, excuses and suspense.   Here was my original bill from the hotel according to my credit card company.   ARE YOU READY?     My purported total TELEPHONE  COSTS ALONE  were $481.96.  My average telephone dial-up bill in the past (in the continental U. S.) has been about $1.50 per call — or approximately $10-$15 per day for excess usage … certainly reasonable — but at the user’s discretion with no surprises at day’s end (or the middle of the night).  I have been told that the initially-unyielding Hotel Staff has already started negotiating to reduce my charges. You bet!  

However, I am more concerned with the future mandatory posting of notices by a responsible hotel management staff in a visible spot so that ALL GUESTS KNOW THE RAMIFICATIONS OF USING HOTEL PHONE LINES UNDER EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES!    I think this is an enlightening learning experience for all of us.   Though I turned out to be the designated Guinea Pig of the Week —  YOU could be the next unsuspecting patsy!

SO — according to my charting of the answers, the winner is GAIL BELL who emailed me privately and ventured $436 as her guess.