Manhattan Club Confiscates Crock Pot!

[MichaelColey]

We are staying at The Manhattan Club, and housekeeping confiscated our crock pot this morning. Security says it is against fire code and that we can't get it back until we check out.

We have stuff in the fridge that we can't cook, now. We had planned several crock pot meals...

Bell services never said anything when they brought it up. Housekeeping never said anything yesterday.

So much for a "kitchenette"!

 

[buzglyd]

What a crock!

Maybe they'll let you crock in the maintenance room and you can bring it up.

 

[ronparise]

I remember when I was in college. Living in a dorm. (Almost 50 years ago) we couldn't cook in our rooms there either. But enough of us had electric fry pans that we regularly blew circuit breakers.

It won't be the same but there not much you can't do in a microwave. Good luck

 

[csxjohn]

I'd run out and buy another cheap one before I'd let that food go to waste.

Do not let housekeeping see the darn thing and make sure you don't start any fires.:hysterical:

 

[MichaelColey]

Microwaving will be a challenge because they don't provide any dishes to cook in (at least not in our units), just plates and bowls and glasses.

 

[Passepartout]

Is there a hot plate? Perhaps a heavy pot on low could approximate a slow cooker. That's a bum deal, though. NYC has some weird ordinances. It was just a few years ago that they allowed garbage disposers- city wide! Said they would be too hard on the sewage plants. Can you see people turning in their neighbors for having a Disposall?

Jim

 

[MichaelColey]

No hot plates (or pots or pans).

 

[rhonda]

Micheal,

What size unit? We have a 1BR in Nov and planned to bring a juicer. Should I also bring my own cutting boards and knives?

So sorry to hear about your crock pot!

Thx! Rhonda

 

[ronparise]

When I was a mess Sargent I learned to improvise in the kitchen. I used feed 150 guys using a camp stove

I'd look for glass casserole with a glass top (Corning Ware?) an inch or two of water some onion and garlic, potatoes and and the meat. Put that in the microwave and cook

Absent the corningware use a bowl with a plate on top of it

 

[vacationhopeful]

TV dinners or lean cuisine. Whole Foods is in the subterrain concourse under Columbus Square.

Agree with corning ware or any glassware with a lid.

 

[Paumavista]

Always use crockpot on vacation

We always take our crock pot to a "drive-to" destination/vacation. It is my favorite way to cook......put it all together in the morning...head out to enjoy the day....come home to a delicious, home cooked meal.

Has anyone heard of other destinations that wouldn't allow a crockpot - maybe we should keep ours safely "away" on days when housekeeping staff will be around. I've never seen a sign prohibiting a crockpot??

 

[e.bram]

Nothing to burn in the boondocks!

 

[b2bailey]

Reminds me of a week we spent at Gaslamp Plaza Suites, San Diego

Somehow we had the idea we were going to have a mini-kitchen so went grocery shopping BEFORE we checked into our unit. Alas, no cooking supplies supplied. We went to Walmart and bought a George Foreman grill. Used it in the bathroom with the fan running. We had our car, so we were able to transport it home with us.

 

[Passepartout]

Peacock Suites in Anaheim had just a tiny, cheap microwave and one of those tiny 4-cup coffee makers & mini fridge. We managed to find some 'heat 'n' eat' entrees at Trader Joe's, but ended up taking most of our meals out. They were installing mini-kitchens with a bar-size sink and 2 burner hot plate while we were there.

I can sympathize with the fact that it's different for Michael and family with kids than it is with just DW and me fending for ourselves. That can become really old and very expensive in NYC.

 

[Rene McDaniel]

Humm. I am thinking that maybe they are worried about unattended cooking. Usually you put things in the crock pot and go out for the day. They might feel there is the potential for fire risk if something were to go wrong and there was no one was in the room to deal with it.

We've stayed at Manhattan Club several times and always take a small George Forman grill and used that for our meats, and the microwave for veggies. It also does a fine job cooking bacon or toasting bagels for breakfast, too. Once you are done cooking you can just stick it in a bag in the dresser drawers or inside your empty suitcase in the closet. A couple of times we have forgotten and left it out on the kitchen counter with no problems. But I feel it is never a good idea to leave any appliances you've brought on the counter.

A lot of insurance companies are tightening up on potential fire hazards. We have a beach condo where all propane grills have been banned starting this year. It was mandated by the insurance company. Didn't matter that in 40+ years there was never even one fire caused by a BBQ grill on the balcony in a 550 unit complex.

Maybe you could pick up a George Forman grill or large electric frypan, and use it to cook only when you are in the unit, never unattended. Then put in back in your suitcase when you go out for the day.

 

[csxjohn]

The more I think about this the more upset I'm getting. I'm thinking I would not put up with them taking my personal property out of my room.

I'm thinking I would pitch a fit and demand it back with the threat of calling the police to report a theft from my room.

I would not use it after I got it back but I would not put up with them taking it from me.

Even if there is a rule against using them that they can point to, it is still yours.

And don't let Ron make you think they had microwaves when he was in the Army, they barely started using electric lights when he was in.:ignore:

 

[fillde]

The more I think about this the more upset I'm getting. I'm thinking I would not put up with them taking my personal property out of my room.

I'm thinking I would pitch a fit and demand it back with the threat of calling the police to report a theft from my room.

I would not use it after I got it back but I would not put up with them taking it from me.

Even if there is a rule against using them that they can point to, it is still yours.

And don't let Ron make you think they had microwaves when he was in the Army, they barely started using electric lights when he was in.:ignore:

I disagree. If there is a rule against bringing electrical appliances for cooking into the room, the OP is out of luck.

They don't know Michael Coley won't use it again(not saying he would). This is a fire and safety issue.

 

[Twinkstarr]

TV dinners or lean cuisine. Whole Foods is in the subterrain concourse under Columbus Square.

Agree with corning ware or any glassware with a lid.

Well it's NYC, they probably figure you'll get take out, go out to eat or do the run to WF.

Did you use it already? Bet someone smelt something and called the front desk.

Park Plaza in Beaver Creek has a crock pot in the villa, thought of Michael when I saw it.

 

[ronparise]

The more I think about this the more upset I'm getting. I'm thinking I would not put up with them taking my personal property out of my room.

I'm thinking I would pitch a fit and demand it back with the threat of calling the police to report a theft from my room.

I would not use it after I got it back but I would not put up with them taking it from me.

Even if there is a rule against using them that they can point to, it is still yours.

And don't let Ron make you think they had microwaves when he was in the Army, they barely started using electric lights when he was in.:ignore:

No we didnt have microwaves, we used really big gasoline fired camp stoves...but we did have to innovate and adapt recipes to field conditions. We did have electricity though, from a generator, and we carried an electric potato peeler. My KPs were the envy of KPs everywhere

 

[heathpack]

I would agree that the issue is likely unattended cooking.

I'd also be pretty peeved if I bought a bunch of food and couldn't use it because my crockpot was confiscated. And then on top of that expense comes the additional expense of takeout?

I totally get what Ron is saying but is it really efficient for vacationers to spend a bunch of time jury-rigging a way to cook crock-pot meals without a crockpot? Maybe it is for Michael, or maybe it isn't. He and his family can weigh that decision for themselves.

I'd be a little reluctant to go out and buy some other cooking device. I speculate that the property may take te stance that no pots and pans implies no cooking. Personally, I'd probably convert the ingredients that can easily be converted to non-crockpot meals and just reconcile myself to the loss of the rest (but it would gall me to do so!).

There are some pretty decent cheap eats to be had in NYC. Deli sandwiches, deli breakfasts, dollar pizza slices, Grays papaya hot dog special, Chinese takeout come immediately to mind.

Good luck Micheal. Confiscated crockpot is a new one on TUG!

H

 

[BJRSanDiego]

A long long time ago...

I recall when I was in my early twenties and my wife and I traveled from Chicago to the Northeast. We would came one night and the next night we'd stay at some place like Motel 6. Basically, we didn't have two nickels to rub together. But we were young, having good clean fun, payed all of our bills and not in debt.

We had a Coleman camp stove with us that used what is called "white gas" to heat. The white gas was kind of like refined kerosene. We also had plates and silverware from camping. We would cook a cheap meal in our room and would often also make fresh popcorn. We tried to keep it on the "down low" but I remember washing the aluminum pots in the bathroom sink. It left all sorts of black marks in the sink. I suspect that the black marks and the popcorn smell weren't missed by the cleaning people.

:rofl:

 

[CO skier]

The more I think about this the more upset I'm getting. I'm thinking I would not put up with them taking my personal property out of my room.

I'm thinking I would pitch a fit and demand it back with the threat of calling the police to report a theft from my room.

I would not use it after I got it back but I would not put up with them taking it from me.

Even if there is a rule against using them that they can point to, it is still yours.

The confiscation of a crock pot (a.k.a. "inappropriate appliance") is apparently not that uncommon of an occurrence. See page 7 here:

http://oa.mo.gov/fmdc/facilitiesoperations/rules.pdf


To the OP -- Since you have "paid the price," why not ask for the exact fire code that the offending appliance violates? (Wouldn't a curling iron represent a greater fire hazard?) I agree that if the unit is advertised as a "kitchenette" (an area reserved for cooking) it would include the use of cooking appliances such as a crock pot.

 

[ampaholic]

The more I think about this the more upset I'm getting. I'm thinking I would not put up with them taking my personal property out of my room.

I'm thinking I would pitch a fit and demand it back with the threat of calling the police to report a theft from my room.

I would not use it after I got it back but I would not put up with them taking it from me.

Even if there is a rule against using them that they can point to, it is still yours.

And they will give it back when he checks out. If I was management there - insisting to have it back would signal my "check out" time - if you get my drift.

A NYC Fire Marshal is nothing or no one to trifle with. Just imagine if he wanted a big gulp with that crock pot meal

 

[CO skier]

...
We had a Coleman camp stove with us that used what is called "white gas" to heat. The white gas was kind of like refined kerosene. We also had plates and silverware from camping. We would cook a cheap meal in our room and would often also make fresh popcorn. We tried to keep it on the "down low" but I remember washing the aluminum pots in the bathroom sink. It left all sorts of black marks in the sink. I suspect that the black marks and the popcorn smell weren't missed by the cleaning people.

1) You probably had no idea (and maybe still don't) know how close you may have come to carbon monoxide poisoning. (Darwin was right, but some people just get lucky).

2) Something tells me that a generous tip was not left for the extra cleaning efforts from the hardworking staff.

 

[CO skier]

...
A NYC Fire Marshal is nothing or no one to trifle with.

What do you think they are cooking their meal in at the local firehouse?

One pot meal -- go fight a fire or two -- return to a fully cooked dinner.