In 1991 I was travelling around Europa with the Ford New Holland road show tour to launch the 40 Series Ford tractors and the TC combine. At a certain moment we were having our show in Germany.

I was sleeping in the same hotel as my English colleague. In the evening we left our room key at the board behind the desk and we went to the restaurant, but we forgot to ask the lady in the hotel till what time they were open. 

We came back from the restaurant around 23.00 o clock. We went to the front door but this one was closed. Knocking on the door or ringing the bell was no option. Suddenly I noticed that there was still light in one room but the curtains were closed.

We tried to throw small stones to the window. We were lucky one stone hit the window (luckily not to hard), the curtain went open, we waved at the guy and after a while he opened the window. We explained him in our best German that we could not enter the hotel because our keys where hanging behind the reception desk.

Firstly he did not believe us but them he asked us what’s your room number? We told him the two room numbers and he closed his window.
We looked to each other and said: do we have to throw stones again?

A couple of minutes later, we saw the man at the front door, but he refused to open the door, he said that one of the keys (mine) was not hanging on the hook behind the reception desk. I said this is impossible I can prove it, all my stuff is in that room.

After a while, but clearly terrified, he let us in. Immediately I went to the reception desk and he was right, my room key was not hanging on the hook of room N°12.

I told the guy, this is impossible, let’s have a look upstairs to my room.
I rushed up the stairs , followed by that guy, I took the door knob in my hands, was able to go inside (because the door was not closed) , I pressed the light switch, but what did I see? There was a couple in MY bed.

The guy looked at me puzzled. I said, that’s strange this is MY room and where is my stuff?
A man came out from under the sheets, rubbed his eyes and said: The woman at the hotel said we could have this larger room. She has put your belongings in room 10.

So I went with that guy to room 10 and indeed there was my stuff , pfff
Finally the guy believed us !
I then went back to room 12 to excuse me, I actually was lucky that they were sleeping when I entered the room without knocking, can you imagine!!!.

Best regards,
Johan