Travelers

 

Sunday – my day to change the bed. Which set me to thinking –

        We were with friends of ours and they happened to mention that their daughter’s job involved travel. Thinking it was probably visiting branches of a company or clients of some kind, I asked what it was that she did for a living.

          I don’t know the name for it, but I guess you’d call her an investigator. She and her dog, that is.

          The two of them are hired by hotel chains and other such inn-types to scout for and literally sniff out bedbugs.

          I don’t always remember, but when I’m traveling I try to check the corners of the bed before I fully commit to it. I remember with a horror I still haven’t been able to shake, stories of people who have brought them home in their luggage. Even after industrial-style fumigating and throwing out belongings and furniture, some of them never quite succeeded in ridding themselves of their new house guests. (ew)

  

        It creeped me out that little bit more when I learned that many hotels now encase their box spring under the mattress in black, conveniently hiding any surprises that might be there.