Incivility of hotel ‘boots’ at Ryde Hotels

Dr Edward Young, writing from Steynings, Salisbury, complains bitterly of the treatment he received from the “boots” of one of the Ryde hotels a day or two ago. It appears that he is an invalid, and that he had been staying with his little son at one of our hotels. Having lunched and paid his bill, he proposed crossing over to Southampton by 3.40 boat on his way home. His only luggage was small portmanteau, which the “boots” carried for him to the end of the pier. For this service the doctor tendered the man 6d., whereupon he was assialed with “a violent torrent of abuse”. The coin, was not only indignantly refused, but “boots” violently snatched the portmanteau out of the invalid’s hand, and “marched off with it up the pier again.” Dr Young adds: “I am bound to say that the landlord did express his regret, and stated to me his intention of dismissing his servant, which I hope, for the credit of his establishment, he will do. As it was I lost the boat, and consequently the train to Salisbury.” If this be an accurate account of what really occurred, it is much to be regretted that steps could not have been taken to bring the offending “boots” before the magistrate for the assault. Cases of incivility, or of extortionate charges, are not often to be met with in the Ryde hotels. Indeed, most visitors could, we apprehend, bear us out in the statement, that there are few watering places throughout the country where better hotel accommodation or more attention to the comfort and convenience of visitors is to be found than in Ryde.

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