I'm writing to share a very disturbing experience I had with the proprietor of the Budget Inn in Sanderson, TX, which is one of the recommended motels along Section 3 of the ACA's Southern Tier. I've seen this motel reviewed well, and its proprietor described as "eccentric but friendly", across various Southern Tier resources. My experience was closer to "while initially friendly, he tried to get me to give lingerie to my mother and may have followed me when I left the motel". I've included a full description below so readers can judge for themselves, but I would strongly recommend riders--especially female/solo--against staying at the Budget Inn. There is another recommended motel (the Desert Air) on the west end of town, though it is somewhat more expensive.
I should add that this was the only really negative experience I had with other people on my trip (ST sections 1-3). I had a great time, and if you're considering riding the ST please don't let this discourage you!
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I got into Sanderson, TX around 2 PM on Thursday, Dec 17. I had lunch (the Sighting, recommended) and booked a room at the Budget Inn via Expedia. I got a text from Danny, the proprietor, asking what time I'd be arriving, and I told him 3:15-3:30 PM. I showed up and Danny had a room ready; as other riders have described, he kindly gave me some snacks (an orange, bananas, chips, and granola bars). We talked about my travel plans, and I mentioned that I was taking a train from Del Rio to Minnesota in a few days to visit my parents. During this conversation, it came up that they're around 70. Danny also asked if I wanted to join him for breakfast, but I declined.
The room was dated but very clean, in line with reviews. I unpacked, showered, and fell asleep before 5 PM. Later that evening, around 7 PM, I got three texts from Danny. Here are the texts reproduced almost verbatim; there's a missing emoji of a woman in the third text just before "Mom". Note that Danny is the proprietor - he's his own manager.
(1) Good evening sir, did you go to, town?Do you need ride? Or already go to sleep?
(2) Either way, if you, awake, please call me, thanks
(3) Of,,Whenever you, leave,,Please call me,,My manager has a, Special,Gift for your, Mom, thanks.
I slept well and didn't wake up until around 3 AM, when I saw the texts. Since the next day was a 90-mile trip, I wanted to leave town as early as possible, so I didn't call or text Danny that morning. At 7:15, I left the motel and biked over to Ferguson Motors (best coffee in Sanderson). I left my bike outside and had breakfast there while waiting for the sun to rise. Just as I was finishing eating, Danny came into the coffee shop. He asked for a couple menus to put in his motel, and then he saw me. He came over and asked me to stop by his office about the present for my mother before I left town, since I lied and said I hadn't seen his texts.
I decided to stop by the motel on my way back: after all, he had given me some nice snacks the previous afternoon. Unfortunately the present for my mother was not more snacks. Instead, Danny gave me a small box from Victoria's Secret - something from their Pink line, by the label - to give to my mother, saying something along the lines of, "It's a store women like." I declined, saying that it wasn't appropriate to give to my mother. Danny asked once again, but I said no. It's worth noting that I'm male and both taller and younger than Danny, who seems close to my parents' age.
Now, maybe Danny happening to come into the coffee shop was a coincidence. I got the impression from Danny's behavior that the coffee shop had just opened up. When I called them later that afternoon to warn them about this incident, however, I found out that Ferguson Motors had been open in Sanderson (2020 population: 664) for four years, and this was the first they'd seen of Danny! So that makes it about a thousand-to-one coincidence that he'd happen into the coffee shop for the first time on the same day I'd be trying to quietly leave town. I can't be sure whether Danny followed me to the coffee shop (recall that my bike was outside), but I'm suspicious that he may have.
To Danny's credit, I've had no further texts from him since leaving Sanderson.
