Executive Committee Meeting 10-15-24

President's Report

Page 71 of 95

YOUR STAY A-Z

Your Stay A-Z Alcohol You must be 21 to buy or consume alcohol. Alcoholic drinks can be found in specialist “liquor stores” or on distinct shelves in supermarkets and grocery stores. As a general rule, avoid carrying opened bottles in your car and drinking in public places (even if some do so by secreting the bottle or can inside a paper bag). When driving, the maximum permitted alcohol level is 0.08 blood alcohol content (as it is in the UK, for example), so it is better not to drink if you have to drive. Banks Banks are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4 or 5pm, sometimes on Saturdays from 9am to 12pm. T Money, p. 108. Date and Time Time Zones Michigan observes Eastern Standard Time (EST), i.e. a -5h difference with General Mean Time (GMT) (CET -6). So when it’s 6pm in London, it’s 1pm in Detroit. Daylight Saving Time (the clocks move forward one hour) applies from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, which is slightly offset from Europe.

Date Notation In the US, the date is written with the month first, followed by the day, then the year: May 11, 2024 is 5/11/24. The time is only expressed from 1 to 12, which may be followed by AM (ante meridiem) for the morning, and is always followed by PM (post meridiem) from noon onwards: so you’ll see 8: 00 or 8am for eight in the morning, and 8pm for eight in the evening. 12: 00 or 12pm is noon and 12am is midnight. Disabilities Travelers with reduced mobility generally have little difficulty in the United States. Restaurants all have special access. Hotels, with the exception of some B&Bs and establishments in somewhat older buildings, have specially equipped rooms. Remember to book in advance as the number of such rooms is limited. The same applies, subject to the same restrictions, in museums, which are all equipped for disabled access, except for some old residences which are not fully accessible. Drinking Water Tap water is safe but not particularly pleasant to drink. Mineral water is quite expensive.

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The rich decoration of the Guardian Building.

Drugs While cannabis use has been permitted in Michigan since 2019, the possession of hard drugs or narcotics is a severely punished offense. If you are on medical treatment with sedatives or narcotics, take your prescription with you. Eating & Drinking Like everywhere in the US, you can eat and drink almost anytime. Our selection in “Addresses” ( T p. 78) is listed based on taking a main course and starter, excluding drinks. If you pay by bank card, you need to fill in the special tip/gratuity box, either on the paper check by writing

down the amount of the tip you are leaving and calculating the total before signing, or on the electronic payment device that will be presented to you and where you will often be asked to choose a percentage. w In most restaurants, you have to wait for a server to take you to your table, which is often indicated by the “Wait to be seated” sign The term restaurant covers all kinds of establishment ranging from the street kitchen counter right through to the most refined, creative, and gourmet establishments, by way of family-focused locales or ethnic at the restaurant entrance. Types of establishment