Could someone explain U.S. athlete hotel pseudonyms?
Posted by hjalgid47@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 34 comments
Hi, could someone explain how U.S. athletes (and other types of celebrities) are able to use pseudonyms when checking in at a hotel in the USA?
In Europe, where I live, checking in at a hotel usually needs a valid I.D. document (such as a passport or drivers licence) which always contains a persons real name.
GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit
I've haedly been asked for my ID, just for the credit card I'll be using which is usually the same as the one I book with.
Using a pseudonym thing is really a need of the past in most cases.
flortny@reddit
Yea, in Europe, every hotel has to submit a list of guests to Interpol EVERY night.
im-on-my-ninth-life@reddit
How can European countries be considered free and/or pro-human-rights, if hotel guests names are required to be submitted to the police? Considering that police are abusive because abusive kind of people are the people that would choose to become police.
flortny@reddit
I'm pretty sure policing is a lot different, A LOT less car culture, i always think of the meme with bright yellow cop car in europe and then a US cop car with the decals you can't see. Also all the racial animus.
im-on-my-ninth-life@reddit
What the fuck does policing have to do with cars. A lot of police abuse in the USA comes from non-car situations (the "I can't breathe", etc)
flortny@reddit
When law enforcement encounters someone on the street they have more information about the person and the interaction is already diffused slightly. A cop approaching a car is like knocking on a front door with a window, they don't have the whole picture, plus policing here is much more Us vs them and everyone could be armed, not so in European countries.
im-on-my-ninth-life@reddit
Again, law enforcement can still be extremely abusive in a street encounter. Per the example I gave, the "I can't breathe" incident didn't involve the person being in a car at all.
Suppafly@reddit
is that real or sarcasm?
flortny@reddit
No, 100% real, very hard to be a fugitive in EU and I'm pretty sure the practice predates the formation of the EU
Suppafly@reddit
Crazy, I know the EU isn't super on the side of individual rights, but I'm really surprised that's a common practice that doesn't give people pause.
MackSeaMcgee@reddit
You need a working credit card, if it works, they don't care.
SeaworthinessIll4478@reddit
Please tell me you don't really think someone could actually check into a hotel without providing either their own real name or that of a responsible party?
JimDa5is@reddit
You can do anything in America if you've got enough money. Look at the people running the government
Tom_Slick_Racer@reddit
Using an alias became very common in the US after a woman national reporter had a stalker rent rooms next to her to set up hidden cameras and record her naked. He then uploaded them to the internet.
The normal way this is done, the reservation is made under an alias, when you check you you use your real name ID and Address, the reservation usually stays in the given name. It is not that complicated.
SouthernTrauma@reddit
It was common way before then.
Suppafly@reddit
In the US, that's a hotel's policy, not the law. They are free to decide not to follow their own policy when it's advantageous not to.
StarSpangleBRangel@reddit
Oh! I worked at a hotel in college that had the occasional famous or semi famous person check in under a fake name. All they do is their manager or whoever calls ahead and arranges it. It was exceedingly rare for anyone famous to actually wait at the desk and check in like a normal person would, we’d prep the room and keys in advance and have them ready, and their manager or assistant would come pick them up.
Nicest celebrity guest we had was Bon Iver. Worst was John Mulaney. Not because of him, but because every single member of his “staff” were gigantic pricks.
Yankee_chef_nen@reddit
“I’m almost certain that this is how it works in your country, too.”
It definitely works like that in OP’s MyCountry, they just don’t realize that.
Suppafly@reddit
90% of the questions here are like that. Most of them are just people being unaware of how anything works and assuming America does something weird.
Bender_2024@reddit
Please, Taylor Swift wishes she was as famous as Bill Nye.
.
Gabriel Iglesias seems like a really cool guy on stage. I'm glad to hear it carries over to him in the real world.
reddit1651@reddit
In San Antonio/New Braunfels, he loves picking mexican restaurants to eat at (the jokes write themselves, I know) and everyone loves him! He’s been visiting for years and I haven’t heard a single negative thing about any of his visits
StarSpangleBRangel@reddit
He was apparently an absolute sweetheart to everyone he interacted with, took the time to talk with people and take pictures and sign stuff even though he had just done a show and was clearly tired. It’s always nice when celebrities turn out to be kind people.
eyetracker@reddit
I guess that's why he's Fluffy and not Prickly
ubiquitous-joe@reddit
Average Wisconsinite, lol.
StarSpangleBRangel@reddit
Dude is the real deal
rawbface@reddit
Where would their pseudonym even appear? How do you know they're using a pseudonym?
I would bet money that most celebrity athletes are simply using "discrete check in/out"
machagogo@reddit
You need an ID here too.
Cranberry-Electrical@reddit
I know Michael Jordan use pseudonym
doyouevenoperatebrah@reddit
Who is this Jichael Mordan?
nothingbuthobbies@reddit
You may be thinking of LeJon Brames.
doyouevenoperatebrah@reddit
LeJon is the most French-Canadian name of all time
frodosbitch@reddit
A lot of people have access to the hotel reservation system. They could look up and say - what celebrities are staying here tonight and sell that info. By using a pseudonym, things are just a little more secure. I’m sure the id is still validated, though it’s probably the handlers checking in, not the celebrity.
RioTheLeoo@reddit
Presumably they notify the hotel ahead of time and make arrangements
Randomizedname1234@reddit
They’d use the real name for the booking, etc but in public call them by their alias.
Or
They’d be taken care of by a manager, who would know their real name while no one else would. I sold several vehicles to Atlanta falcons players (worked for the Chevy dealer near the training camp) and when Julio came in we treated him special.