What religious event prevents someone from opening their hotel door room?

I have a guest who is asking for a hard key to their door. We use the plastic magnetic keys for the door lock. There is no such thing as a hard key for the door locks (at least not one that we can give out, its an emergency key that unlocks every door on the property). The only thing I can offer is to open the door for them. We are in FL. Does this mean they aren't using the ac or the lights in the room or the toilet or the shower or brush their teeth? I understand religious traditions are practiced all over the world, but in a modern world it just doesn't mesh all that well. AND I'm pretty sure God isn't going to come down and smite them for using the plastic key to get into their room.

won't touch anything electronic. I hope someone else chimes in with more details.

More info here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabbat

snip//


Use of electricity
Main article: Electricity on Shabbat

Orthodox and some Conservative authorities rule that it is prohibited to turn electric devices on or off as falling under one of the "39 categories of work (melachot)". However, the authorities are not in agreement about exactly which category (or categories) this would fall under. One view is that tiny sparks are created in a switch when the circuit is closed, and this would constitute "lighting a fire" (category 37). If the appliance is one whose purpose is for light or heat (such as an incandescent lightbulb or electric oven) then the lighting or heating elements may be considered as a type of fire; if so, then turning them on constitutes both "lighting a fire" (category 37) and "cooking" (a form of baking, category 11), and turning them off would be "extinguishing a fire" (category 36).

Another view is that a device which is plugged into an electrical outlet of a wall becomes part of the building, but is nonfunctional while the switch is off; turning it on would then constitute "building" and turning it off would be "demolishing" (categories 35 and 34). Some schools of thought consider the use of electricity to be forbidden only by rabbinic injunction, rather than because it violates one of the original categories.

A common solution to the problem of electricity involves pre-set timers (Shabbat clocks) for electric appliances, to turn them on and off automatically, with no human intervention on Shabbat itself. Some Conservative authorities<13><14><15> reject altogether the arguments for prohibiting the use of electricity.

And they wouldn't be using the lights unless someone turned it on for them. Not sure about the air conditioning. I'm pretty sure plumbing would be okay for them to use.

I used to live across the street from a synagogue, and they asked me to come over and turn on the lights one Friday evening.

filthy, little crustaceans that they are......

god hates electronic locks, shrimp and cotton/polyester blends.

the longer hair on the side. I think they're from France too.

Patron saint of magnetic card readers.

I went to a hotel with electronic keys for an Orthodox Passover. They had to put a monitor on each floor to open doors or watch those propped open.

Doing 'work' on the sabbath is a big no-no, and those who practice the tradition have some interesting devices to allow them to function while being strictly observant (I remember a telephone that didn't have buttons, but had a key type device that you pulled out per number.)

ahh, here's an article: http://gothamist.com/2007/03/07/jews_locked_out.php

I did that once. We goyim can come in handy sometimes. :)

was by doing Shabbos work for an observant family. At other times, I did housekeeping and babysitting for them. I enjoyed the work, found it interesting, and they were good to me. It was an interesting cultural experience for this liberal Protestant from Iowa. The kids went to a Hebrew day school, so had little contact with goyim like me. The 5 year old, the cutest little boy in the world, found it completely amazing that I had to have the rules explained to me, and would still screw up from time to time. You should've heard him shriek when he found me washing a milk dish with the meat sponge! His mother reacted by scolding him for being disrespectful to me.

Very cool job. Very cool people.

and I'll have my own copy.

Never know what the dude behind the counter will give you unless you ask with a reasonable explanation as to why.

would be fired when the first theft started.

during an exorcism! God know what might escape, maybe the demon spirit of St. Ronnie the Ray Gun

...they've decided to follow, they should have to suffer all of the consequences of that absurdity, and not suspect anyone else to facilitate the ridiculous impracticality of their choices.

Religious tolerance shouldn't mean other people bending over backward to facilitate this kind of nonsense.

If one's chosen religion INSISTS on certain rules, bending them seems as bad as breaking them. If you are looking for loopholes, you aren't really observing the spirit of the system. Stay home if that is what it takes, but expecting the world to bend to your bent rules is just plain silly.

:shrug:

wearing something on the head, and strings coming down the side?

They must have had the A/C off.. but then later called me on the phone and asked for fans to cool the room.

:hide:

They could burn the whole hotel down.

The clicking of a hard key going into the lock would give them a longer heads up over the silent magnetic key.

That way no one would have to push a button to open the elevator door on Friday evening until Saturday evening.

Last year some time there was a news piece about a couple who wouldn't allow themselves to be enrolled in some program - government thing - because it would "assign them a number" and according to them the Bible forbids such things.
I wish I could remember the details.
Anyone got more story on this?