What a crazy week...several audtions and a LOT of private tours, both bus and walking. I had a lovely group of older people from Hartford, Connecticut early in the week who booked me for a private tour of Brooklyn Heights (one of NYC's most historic and gorgeous neighborhoods). They wanted to visit Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims, which I LOVE because of the underground "railroad" history connected with the church. The church's most famous clergyman, Henry Ward Beecher (Preacher Beecher) was the brother of Uncle Tom's Cabin author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Lincoln, Dickens and many other great minds of the day came to Brooklyn (by ferry boat, before construction of the Brooklyn Bridge) to hear Beecher preach on the evils of slavery. Church historian Lois Rosebrooks was scheduled to speak to the group and she is excellent! During the planning of the trip by email and phone calls (too many emails and too many phone calls) for our simple 2-3 hour tour, Jean (the lady in charge)requested a small walking tour of surrounding Brooklyn Heights. She also said some of the ladies (most were unable to walk long distances) wanted to climb up and walk a bit of the Brooklyn Bridge! I told her it all depends on "time." I told her to arrive in New York City at 9-9:30am and I would meet them in midtown so we could drive together to the correct spot in Brooklyn Heights. I've had many bus drivers and group leaders that are confused by Brooklyn and I didn't relish standing on a street corner in Brooklyn waiting forever so I said I'd meet them at ROckefeller Center in Manhattan (you have to come thru Manhattan to go to Brooklyn) and we would tour together across the bridge and over to Brooklyn Heights. Well, the group didn't arrive until 10:30am in Manhattan!! I jumped on the bus and we plowed thru NYC traffic to the bridge, crossed over into Brooklyn Heights and finally made it to the church at 11:40am. The slow-moving, sweet ladies carefully disembarked the coach and crossed the small streets of Brooklyn and I led them to the Plymouth Church were Lois (a senior citizen herself) was waiting since 9:30am. She spoke for 25 minutes and took them thru the church (there are many connections to Hartford, CT at Plymouth Church). As we concluded, I began our walking tour of Brooklyn Heights when Jean said to me: Don't forget we have to be at Junior's Deli in Brooklyn for lunch at 12:30 pm! And another lady came up and said "I thought we were going to be able to walk on the Brooklyn Bridge?" At this time it's 12:20pm!! I told them "Ladies, you arrived nearly an hour late than the time we discussed, so there is no time for more touring, either thru Brooklyn Heights or on the bridge." We boarded the bus and I sent them to lunch. As it was, they would arrive late, which is a no-no when bringing a large group to restaurants for lunch. Can you believe the gaul? Did they think I could magically add an hour or two to their schedule when they arrived much later than we discussed? I had to meet another group in Manhattan at 1:30pm so I didn't waste much time on worrying about it. Morale of the story: Always get your money up front and boy I'm glad I did. They tight-lipped WASPY ladies from Connecticut looked very "out of sorts" because I didn't do more touring with them (they move super-slow anyway)...they completely refused to take responsibility for being an hour LATE, but were grousing that I was not giving them the tour they had booked. I just shook my head, jumped off the bus and told the driver to leave. Obviously, I didn't receive a tip that morning, even though I had jumped thru hoops to book Plymouth Church and their lateness made Lois late for her next appointment as well. Welcome to my world as a private/personal New York City tour guide. http:www.JimDykes.com www.RichandFamousTours.com

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