{"id":119,"date":"2010-07-12T10:37:45","date_gmt":"2010-07-12T17:37:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/traveltattler.com\/?p=119"},"modified":"2010-10-14T16:09:12","modified_gmt":"2010-10-14T23:09:12","slug":"annibel-s-imposter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/library\/119\/annibel-s-imposter","title":{"rendered":"Annibel’s Imposter"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>Last week a Washington couple \u2013 would be socialites \u2013 allegedly snuck into President Barak Obama\u2019s first official State Dinner at the White House without an invitation. The couple crashed the glitzy, elegant affair at which they met President Obama and even uploaded photos of themselves taken with vice president Joe Biden and other dignitaries and celebrities.<\/p>\n

While United States Secret Service officials say the President was never in any danger, security officials are embarrassed and are trying to figure out if they can press charges against the couple. While trespassing is illegal, they were, after all, essentially admitted to the party, so it is unclear whether \u201cparty crashing\u201d is technically breaking the law.<\/p>\n

Michigan had its\u2019 own \u201cGreat Imposter\u201d for many years. Barry Bremen, an insurance salesman from West Bloomfield, developed an art for crashing major sporting events. In a counterfeit uniform, Bremen shagged fly balls during batting practice at the Major League All-Star Game. He actually played a few holes of golf with Fred Couples and Curtis Strange during the practice round for the U.S. Open at Oakland Hills. He nearly made it onto the field at the Super Bowl dressed as the San Diego Chicken. Bremen\u2019s crowning achievement, if you will, was a short lived turn dressed in drag as a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader. Security officials were not amused and showed him no chivalry when they hustled him off of the field at Texas Stadium before arresting him and fining him. Bremen said he gave up his hobby in the post-9\/11 era when security was tighter than ever and use of the stun gun became prevalent.<\/p>\n

As a travel writer and journalist, I have crossed a couple of lines in my day. I was provoked to do so mainly by harmless professional curiosity more than mischief. I have found that the best way to slip into a private party, special event, VIP gathering, restricted area, or even first class seat on an airline, is simply pretend you belong there. Nod and say \u201chello\u201d confidently when confronted with barriers, but do so in a hurried, impatient manner. Overdress appropriately, perhaps carrying a clipboard or other official-looking prop.<\/p>\n

One evening in London, in March of 2002, I was out on the town, very well dressed in a camelhair blazer, tan trousers and tie. After drinks and an early dinner with some British journalists at the Wig and Pen in Covent Garden, the group broke up for the night. I decided I wasn\u2019t quite finished, and, feeling adventurous, instructed the London cabbie to drive me to Annabel\u2019s, a famous, but very private nightclub I\u2019d heard about on Berkeley Square in Mayfair. Princess Diana, Prince Charles, Aristotle Onassis, Frank Sinatra, and even Her Majesty the Queen of England had been members of the tiny but posh elegant establishment. I wanted to be next.<\/p>\n

The cabbie, who reminded me, or rather, warned me, that Annabel\u2019s was an exclusive club, dropped me off at the doorstep. I promptly, without a hint of hesitation, marched directly to the stairway leading from the street down to the small door, and drafted into Annabel\u2019s behind a wealthy couple. It was very quiet inside, so in the manner of a human divining rod, I went straight to a seat at the bar where I ordered a Scotch whisky, neat. While taking a sip from the two fingers of Glenlivet in the rocks glass, I took a deep breath. \u201cSo this is what it is like to be inside Annabel\u2019s,\u201d I thought to myself. As might a secret agent, I took mental note of the details around me, kept my eyes peeler and my ears open for celebrities, and rather enjoyed my sudden status. I hadn\u2019t yet thought about how I would pay for my drinks, since I noticed the few other patrons using only member numbers \u2013 not cash \u2013 to settle up. \u201cDevil may care, for now,\u201d I figured. \u201cAfter all, I was in Annabel\u2019s. Who knew what the night would bring me! An heiress? A starlet? A smashing business relationship? A secret scandal?\u201d<\/p>\n

Then came my fatal error. I went to the loo, which was back near the curtained entrance to the club. The ladies room is on one side of the lobby \u2013 gentlemen\u2019s on the opposite side. My slight hesitation in whether to turn right or left brought the very tall, English maitre d over immediately.<\/p>\n

\u201cSir, of course you know the men\u2019s room is over here,\u201d he said politely, looking down at me.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, of course,\u201d I replied, turning, before he asked me a question I dreaded hearing.<\/p>\n

\u201cSir, you are a member of Annabel\u2019s, correct?\u201d<\/p>\n

This was my moment of truth. I know that my only hope was to look him straight in the eye.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaturally,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen as a member of Annabel\u2019s, sir, you surely must be aware of our dress code. Gentlemen are to wear suits with matching trousers and jacket. Not, as you are wearing, trousers with a matching blazer.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was my move in this potentially embarrassing chess game, but I didn\u2019t flinch.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince when?\u201d I countered, in a secretly desperate reach.
\nHe cracked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, sir, you\u2019re right. It is true that during the holiday period the club had relaxed the restrictions a bit. But we found that some people were becoming too casual. For instance, some people arrived in denim.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJeans!\u201d I scoffed, shaking my head with indignity. \u201cThat\u2019s bloody unimaginable!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIndeed, sir. So you see why we\u2019ve restored the dress code. I am terribly sorry you were not properly informed. Please, though, continue with your evening. I apologize for interrupting you.\u201d<\/p>\n

I withheld a grin, but knew I\u2019d dodged a bullet, so I seized the opportunity to retreat unscathed.<\/p>\n

\u201cOut of respect for the rules of my club,\u201d I told the maitre d, \u201cI shall depart for the evening. I wouldn\u2019t wish to set a bad example for the other members or trouble you with the burden of making an exception to the dress code for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou needn\u2019t do that, but I understand, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n

I nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s what\u2019s best,\u201d I said, reaching for the exit and tugging the door handle before I turned back around to admonish him. \u201cBut you will make a better effort to properly inform me of these capricious policy changes next time, won\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will, sir. Have a good evening.\u201d<\/p>\n

December 6, 2009 <\/strong><\/strong>
\n“Annibel’s Imposter”
\n<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>Originally printed in the Lansing State Journal<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week a Washington couple \u2013 would be socialites \u2013 allegedly snuck into President Barak Obama\u2019s first official State Dinner… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3665],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-library"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":442,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119\/revisions\/442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/traveltattler\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}