Chicago parties while Telstra fumbles

Eventually you arrive and if direct from Sydney it will be night. My hotel is simply called PUBLIC and the doorman had to weave and duck through a heaving reception area between two bars loaded with young creatures very similar to those pictured. Indeed a group of girls were posing for a photo right in the way, so we waited. The noise was.

Dumping bags in the minimalistic but nice room, I went in search of a quiet drink and a snack at 1am on Sunday morning. I’m on the Magnificent Mile apparently, and it is kind of like Sydney’s Ivy fused with St Kilda.

Eventually I try to sort out data roaming. Caught to the tune of $1,800 several years ago by the lovely Telstra, I’ve always switched off data before leaving Sydney. This time Telstra sent me not one but five text messages, inviting me to log on and bay a data pack or to call them.

I did and had the usual phone shuffle since the number they gave was residential and I am business. I didn’t remember the phone password (it was 1am, I had beer) and EVENTUALLY the befuddled boy on the end of the phone quoted me $1,050 for a 1 gig data pack!

Story ends here….. But note Vodaphone have made a surprise appearance from oblivion with an international data roaming deal for twenty bucks a day (conditions always apply!)

Bleh to Telstra. Again.