Heard in the Hall

Reporter Tom Fitzgerald appreciated these wise words from Ken Lawrence, a rising-star lobbyist based in Plymouth Meeting:

1) PA Society is a marathon not a sprint. Eat full meals, wear
comfortable shoes, sleep when you get back to PA.

2) You are at PA Society to be seen. People you know are on the train,
on the streets, in your hotel lobby and everywhere. Assume someone you
know is always watching you and act accordingly.

3) Just because the alcohol is free doesn't mean you have to drink it.
Soda, juice and water are free too.

4) You can crash parties but your name-tag will be hand-written. Don't
bother saying it was a mistake you're not on the list. People know you
crashed. They don't care. It helps them feel superior.

5) Drinks and food are not free in hotel bars. Unless you can figure out
someone's tab or room to put them on. Make sure you leave before they
get their final bill.

6) If an elected official asks you if you want a drink, it means they
want a drink. They expect you to buy it. They may offer to pay. They
don't mean it. If you lobby them, disclose it.

7) It's cool to say how boring the Dinner is and how you never go.
Unless you say it to someone who always goes. Don't insult the Dinner.
It is eternal.

8) Elevator doors always open after they close. People have eyes to see.
Don't kiss someone who is not your spouse on an elevator. Ditto for
closets, stairwells and alleys.

9) Every year there is a story about someone who does something very
foolish during the weekend (see 3,4 and 9). Everyone hears about it. See
the story, tell the story, don't be the story.

10) When in doubt and if you can't remember anything else on the list,
always remember number ten. "Don't be the story".