All those pledges to remember, next time you check into a hotel, whether you like a soft pillow or a hard one: they have an impact.

ECONOMIST: Face value

One visa agent, who goes by the name of Peter, requires customers to check into a hotel with other expats and hand over their passports and other paperwork.

WSJ: A Popular Side Trip for Foreigners in China: Visa Runs

We decided to use the last of our gas to drive to Pennsylvania and use some of our emergency fund to check into a hotel with power and Internet.

FORBES: Preparing a Business for Natural Disaster: What I Wish I'd Done