Courtesy of Kayleigh HillImagine a trip to New York: You stay in a nice apartment with someone from Scotland, someone from Sweden and a local who cooks you dinner and shows you around the city. And you don’t open your wallet once.
Sound impossible? This is what sophomore Kayliegh Hill did early this month. Hill took advantage of a Web site called www.couchsurfing.com, where people around the world can offer up their houses and hospitality for free to wallet-thin wanderers.
“We kind of have a very limited worldview,” said Hill. “The majority of Wash. U. students are from the same background.”
Users of www.couchsurfing.com first create a profile similar to those on Facebook. Each participant can post photos, join groups and send messages. Then, before a surfer travels, he or she can contact an available host near the desired city. Some hosts choose to let travelers into their houses. Some simply invite them out for coffee.
According to the couch surfing Web site, there are currently 416,046 surfers in 223 countries, including 35 in Antarctica.
Despite the convenience and affordability, some students just do not feel comfortable spending the night with someone they met online. Some, like freshman Kim Daily, refuse to stay anywhere but hotels when traveling long distances.
“Not just a regular hotel,” she explained. “I don’t stay in hotels that have outdoor pathways. It’s just a safety thing. I put safety over price.”
The concept of couch surfing is certainly a little suspicious. A world traveler knows nothing about potential hosts aside from what they write in their profiles. And that person can read your profile too, to learn everything from your age and sex to your favorite movies.
Couch surfers are unfazed by the apparent risks.
“I think that the way you deal with [safety] is the way you deal with most things in life,” said Dr. Gwen Bennett, assistant professor of art history and archaeology. “You observe, make a judgment call, and if you need to you pull out early.”
Bennett has only been a surfer since April 2007, but she has already stayed in Kazakhstan and China and hosted a number of times.
The four founders, including Sebastien Giao Le Tuan from France, Leonardo da Silveira from Brazil and the original founder Casey Fenton from New Hampshire make it clear in their mission statement that their vision is larger than free stuff. They write: “CouchSurfing seeks to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance, and facilitate cultural understanding.” In light of this goal, safety is a big concern.
Before registering, everyone must agree to two statements aside from the regular Terms of Use policy, including one which states: “I understand that CouchSurfing is NOT a dating site.We don’t tolerate harassment.” In addition, there is a validation system in place. A member can be “vouched for” only by an already-vouched member. One can also choose to be “validated,” which includes a background check. Both security levels appear on your profile and you can choose to search only for hosts with a certain security level if you prefer. Neither the host nor the traveler is ever required to meet or give information to any member.
To some people, however, couch surfing is not worth the risks since safer options are available. Some choose to stay in youth hostels overseas, a cheaper option than hotels.
Freshman Jonathan Bronfman said he would choose to stay in a hostel because, “those are officially managed. To me, [couch surfing] is the same as hitchhiking.” Freshman Erin Mitchell, who has backpacked across Europe, only stayed in youth hostels where she and her friends could room alone.
Hill has a simple reason for not staying in hostels-cash.
“I can’t afford it,” she said. “I don’t have money to travel. Now, I just have to buy the plane ticket.”
For people who are interested but still feel uncomfortable with the idea of couch surfing, there are opportunities to become more acquainted with the program.
For instance, before her trip, Hill attended a St. Louis-wide information session. She also talked to other people who had participated in the program, including Lizzie Miller, her roommate.
Hill does not want her couch surfing experiences to end here. She has already planned a trip to San Francisco with her sister, and she and her roommates have opened up their couch to potential surfers.
“I really want to integrate it to be a big part of my life, because I think it can do wonders,” she said. “I can’t do everything in the world or meet everyone in the world, but I can get a little taste of it.”