Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Worst host ever!

Wheel we always try to be the best hosts we can, it doesn't always work. Sometimes I don't get a chance to vacuum, sometimes the kids are not very well behaved, anything can happen, but we try, and most importantly we follow the couchsurfing rules, which clearly state, no profits allowed.

A little before the story:
These hosts I am relating below have been banned, then re-allowed on couchsurfing for breaking a few rules like, charging money to sleep on the couch, renting out there car and having guests property stolen.

I should make it known that I am very against the whole idea of renting out personal cars from people over couchsurfing, not so much because of the money but because of the lack of security. Iceland is a big place and the roads can be very rough. Cars break all the time and there is a fair amount on accidents, so if you are renting a car under the table, who will pay the the claims against you in a car accident? If you are renting a car you don't know anything about, who will save you when it breaks done in the middle of nowhere? No ama here So, it really i just a bad idea.

Now they are back on couchsurfing, hosting in Reykjavík, a popular place to go. And I have met a few survivors from this house. Stories including:
-Having to pay 1500 kr a night, per person.
-Renting the car, then finding out the window would not roll up.
-Accepting a ride somewhere, that they were going anywhere, and paying twice the price of the gasoline.

Then last night I host a couple of nice girls from Germany. They had stayed with me when they first got to Iceland then came back for the last night - after they had just stayed at this infamous house in Reykjavík, and they still looked a little shaken up from the whole thing.

First of all they arrived early in the morning and when the door opened everyone was running around naked.  Two men and one women, trying to get dressed for the day. I guess this was a little shocking.
Then one girl has to use the bathroom, sits on the toilet and the entire thing falls over. Water spills everywhere, water starts spraying out of the pipes. And the smell.... Now if this was me I probably would have made a run for it right then, but these girls are made of stronger stuff then me.
Then they hear that this toilette breaks all the time, it will be fixed later. So they sit on the beddish thing, most of the morning, with a Finnish girl that they are sharing a bed with, who will not get out of her sleeping bag because she is frightened.  So the three of them have a bond, with nearly exploding bladders they then went on a laptop and finally read the references for this host.
Pages of complaints about the mess, bathroom, charging for things and communication problems.
Moral of the story: Take the time to read references before you send a couch request.
*******Side note: Davíð is so excited to try this out now he is planning to surf this couch - just to say he did it.

3 comments:

  1. Gah. Makes me extra glad to have met your fam and not visited with the scary folk!

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  2. Anonymous1:04 AM

    ha ha that so sound like david...........tell hes sick and twisted in the head just as I am....well I'd say I am little more cold hearted and barbaric at the best of times....


    Tye

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  3. Thanks Ang, with standards like the ones being set there, it is so easy to shine above them! P.S. - BLOG MORE, I love your writing, I'm hooked and I neeeeed more.
    And Tye, now I know where you will be staying when you do finally get around to visiting me. Be sure to get your profile going :)

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