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Chap walked into the hotel I’ve been staying at this week, asking to check in for the day. It was about 06:30 when he arrived, and I was having breakfast at a table adjacent to the reception desk.

He claimed he’d taken three flights from Shanghai, all of which had been delayed. He claimed that he had been travelling for 40+ hours, was tired and wanted to sleep.

The concierge was accommodating and found a room that he could have for the day, and asked for ID.

He had nothing except the clothes he stood up in, an iPhone, a laptop, a bag with a book, and a Tupperware box. No passport, no driving license, no credit/debit cards.

Keep in mind this chap was very tired and claimed to have traveled from Shanghai.

There was then a lengthy conversation that meandered all over the place: who he used to work for, which countries he had been to, what his interests were, the fact he owned a flat in Tower Hill (about 10 minutes walk away).

He grabbed a glass of cranberry juice from the breakfast buffet at one point, but dropped it and it smashed. He then proceeded to explain to the cleaners that his hands were too big and his arms too long.

The concierge explained that she couldn’t check him in if he had no ID. He’d got his iPhone out to show her photos of bills and travel documents (not current it seemed).

His payment cards were in his Apple Wallet, but he needed a physical card to check in.

In the end, he went on line, paid for the room, and then gave the concierge the booking reference. The name on the reference didn’t match the one he’d given to her.

It took him about 50 minutes to check in, all told. He got his room for the day.

He then engaged another member of staff in a conversation about physics whilst proffering a book (I didn’t catch the title, but it was fiction).

I’m not really sure what his angle was. It has left me a little unsettled, if I’m honest.