WHY WOULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT TO DO THIS?
Since 2004, a company called Couch Surfing International, a not for profit network, (http://www.couchsurfing.com/) has existed as a means to enable people to find homes around the world with families who will let them sleep over. The company claims that they have more than 1 million members from 62,000 different cities who speak 1,270 unique languages. Since they started they report that more than 1.25 million successful “Couchsurfing” stays have been experienced. Are there that many insane people who will allow strangers to sleep in their home? Have you ever heard of serial killers?
The Web site allows users to create profiles and either offer up their own couches, free of charge, or search for one that is available in the area they are planning to visit. Or, instead of opening their couch for a night or week at a time, couch surfers can opt to instead have guests over for coffee or a drink, according to the Sun Times in a story published on Sunday.
The story profiled an Elmhurst couple who are members and have opened their home and provide their “vacant” downstairs couch to be available for strangers to sleep over. The family has hosted three surfers, two of whom traveled halfway across the globe from New Zealand and Australia for a one-night stay with the Smiths. The two men were coming to Chicago to do recruiting work for a Christian college and needed a cheap place to sleep. "That was pretty exciting to have someone from halfway across the world stay the night," Doug Smith said. Once again, how insane do you have to be to think it is exciting to allow strangers to sleep in your home?
The Couch Surfing web site describes the safety features they have to keep the process safe. First, they verify a member’s name and address. That is meaningless because serial killers have addresses. Second, they claim that because members have to make a “donation” to the not for profit organization it proves they are good people. Serial killers can donate to charities. Third, they have members vouching for other members. Serial killers have friends who will vouch for them not knowing they are serial killers. After a mass murderer has been caught the neighbors are always quoted as saying, “He was such a quiet man. He mowed his lawn and waved at us when he walked his dog.” If you Google the phrase “couch surfing horror stories” you get 19,000 matches. Too many bad experiences for me to share here!
Not only do the families have to worry that a serial killer might be their guest, the couch surfer has no idea what the family they are visiting will be like. What about a psychopath host who has carefully hidden their mass murder aspirations?
The Smith family said. "It’s no different than hosting a sleepover. You just don't know the people." The thought of sleeping on a stranger’s sofa is such an anathema; I can’t even fathom the idea. When I visit my beloved Aunt Helaine in New York, I stay at a hotel because I crave my privacy more than my wanting to save a few dollars. As long as it’s not the Bates Hotel!
Blog Follower Stella writes:
ReplyDelete"Insane to me also.........No way Hosea. We don't even want people we know."
haha Stella - "sometimes we don't even want poeple we know" - except me. Stella and Kathy, you can sleep over anytime.
ReplyDeleteI have a female friend/co-worker who does it. She lives on the north side and even goes to different areas of the city. I think she is crazy. I would be scared as a big guy, I don't know why she isn't! Stella, book me on your couch tonight. Kathy, I will be on your tomorrow night. Linda, let's shoot for after the holidays!
ReplyDeleteWhile I do love my country, one of the things that inevitably gets lost as a country develops is a sense of hospitality (not targeting you specifically Kathy, it just happens in general!). While visiting other countries I've been invited many times to stay at a stranger's home, & many times I've accepted the offer. The hospitality I've received has always been exceptional & unrivaled.
ReplyDeleteI always tell friends that they and/or their friends & family are always welcome in my home, for two reasons really. One, I like to encourage people to travel & see new places as often as possible, & if I can help facilitate those experiences, it's my pleasure to do so. And two, the people I have the privilege of meeting & hosting almost always are wonderful & appreciative. Many of them remain good friends to this day, & I know without a doubt I have a friendly place to stay whenever I go to Germany, or France, or Spain, or Russia, or Japan, or India, etc etc.
Yes, of course there will be less than exemplary examples, but that's true with any situation throughout life. I have no doubt those 19,000 "couch surfing horror stories" are well overshadowed by the many more successful couch surfing stories. Incidentally, a google search for "driving horror stories" returns a whopping 1,270,000 matches! Again though, I don't see that as a reason for people to stop driving, as I'm certain the successful driving stories far outweigh the horror stories. People just don't tend to write about/talk about the successful stories, while the terrible stories get passed & passed & passed until all you hear is the bad news without any balance from the good news.
Just my take :)
I've stayed dozens of times on other couchs and hosted next to 500 people over 4 years as a CouchSurfer and never had one bad experience!
ReplyDeleteGuess I'm crazy but I love meeting all this wonderful happy and different people!
I am an avid couchsurfer and I love it! Great experience!
ReplyDelete