I feel so bad for you, Annie! I Airbnb a house on Cape Cod and if this happened to me, I would be an emotional wreck! I put my heart and soul into creating a positive experience for my guests too, and it really hurts when someone is so entitled and unkind. Our first guest of the summer wanted half his money back because the mattresses weren’t firm enough and there was no fan in the bathroom!
I’ve had a couple of other issues, but for the most part over the past two summers things have gone pretty well. It’s so unfortunate that your first guest was such a dick! That’s really tough and can throw you all off.
I’m sending you love and empathy and understanding. 💚🩷
Somehow along the way, it seems we've lost touch with our general sense of charity. I don't mean money, maybe that too, I don't know. I mean charity of interpretation. We could call this civility were that word not so freighted.
Perhaps charity of interpretation was usurped by our insatiable thirst for retributive justice, enraged by how alluring it seems to cast oneself as the victim.
For ethical reasons, I only book Airbnb’s that are a room in someone’s house. I have had great experiences and enjoy meeting locals and learning about their neighborhoods. I’m sorry you had a bad experience.
However, when young and naive I was once in a very long relationship with a d*ck who was a germaphobe and would rip open the sheets and inspect for hairs at every hotel we stayed at. It was stressful, unpleasant and about as unromantic as you can imagine. I shudder at him calling the front desk over a hair on the coverlet or pointing indignantly to a tiny stain in the corner of the bed to a powerless hotel employee. We once walked into and out of a small bnb because it “smelled like mildew” (it was a Japanese beach town and super humid). I ate so many deposits. It was ridiculous because it’s not like this man kept his own home immaculate. He thought he was so worldly and well travelled and only deserved the best when he was actually just a huge baby. Just review these guests back. That’s how AirBnb was supposed to work.
Awww man. Aside from a few snort laughs at your word choices and humor, I'm SO sorry you encountered such dicks on your first try. Some people are insufferable, aren't they.
I once checked into an Airbnb and the beds were stripped with the laundry piled up on the floor and I STILL didn't complain or leave. I called the owner (their cleaning team hadn't show up between guests). They refunded half our stay immediately and called in an emergency cleaning team while my dog and I hung out on the patio for a couple hours and waited for them to finish. No harm, no foul, and we had a delightful stay! They even provided poop bags and dog toys in their place.
You're right, we're all out here just trying our friggin best! Stop being dicks!!!
People looking at my home when it was for sale were just as ridiculous pointing out this that this that this that this that, and damning me for not putting $100k that I don't have into kitchen or bathroom upgrades. Well, I have put 100k so far into fixing all the issues that the last owners didn't bother to fix so F*CK YOU and the privileged, ill-tempered, self-righteous horse you rode in on, assholes. I ended up keeping the house and found another 50k that has to be done, is being done, and I do not make that kind of money. A rotten roof has to be replaced, that's half of it right there. Americans in particular seem to be completely convinced of what they deserve (usually at your expense), and I am done with it. Don't let this kind of puerile behavior ruin your day. I would never rent an AirBnB these days, nor would I ever consider allowing anyone to rent out my house- for me that's illegal since I have a reverse mortgage, but the sentiment doesn't change. People have become entitled assholes and they use systems to get money back, to avoid paying, and end up harming hosts. I have read too many horror stories about what happened to someone's AirBnB room after guests stayed there and wrote in feces on the wall. I. Just. Can't.
Don't do it again. There lie dragons. Protect your space and find another way.
I feel bad you have to deal with this. I think for every a-hole out there who does something like this, the person they do it to should be able to go to THEIR house and see how they live.
Unless this guy lives in a hermetically sealed bubble, he no doubt has hair build up in his shower, mildew and black curlies on the back of his toilet seat. A single dog hair in the bottom crevice of a couch is a freakin miracle! I probably have dog hair in the attic and they’ve never been up there.
Does it appear to anyone else that we are both demanding everyone see us as fully fledged people with flaws yet more and more are refusing it to do it for others? It kinda does to me. =(
We rent our family vacation home on Airbnb and ohhhhh the stories I could tell. Mostly people are kind natured and treat it with respect (you got some c*nty apples, ya did!) but we’ve had a few disrespectful renters and issues to sort with Airbnb, who often side immensely with the renters unless you have so much proof….
No ones ever been quite so appalled at a couch cushion section or a cobweb, though!!!
I rent out a little house on Air BnB and can concur. Though I've never had a guest leave, they are unrelentingly nitpicky in the reviews. No matter how many things you provide, they will find the one thing you didn't and mention that. And our property has a very steep driveway, which is very clearly mentioned in the description, but everyone likes to complain about it nonetheless. You have to have a thick skin in this game, and it would feel so much more personal I'm sure when it's your home you're renting. (Don't even get me started on how much stuff guests manage to break 🙃). Feeling for you!
Well said... Traveling is supposed to expand one's parodical views of the world, not conform to them. So, what exactly is being a dick? I would suggest it has something to do with narcissism expecting the world to revolve around us and our obsessions.
I was living in Austin, Tx and discussing with a friend about attending the Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic Concert. Bob, I asked him, why would you do that to yourself? July in Austin typically is 98 degrees, 98 percent humidity, ankle-deep mud, and overflowing rancid portable toilets... Well John, he drawled, sometimes you just got to "break your give-a-shitter." His long, slow East Texas drawl accented his sage wisdom perfectly.
Bob was a really big fan of Willie Nelson and was willing to be uncomfortable and flexible enough to fully enjoy the concert. If you don't want something bad enough to suffer a bit of discomfort achieving it, then it is your decision and it is not fair to transfer your personal ambivalence on to others.
The first of the Buddha's Noble Truths is: "Life is suffering/anxiety." He goes on and identifies grasping and inflexibility are the prime causes of anxiety. And, his third and fourth truths when summed up sound a lot like Bob's advice of "breaking your give-a-shitter." I wonder if the Buddha could imitate an East Texas drawl? Is Bob a bodhisattva?
Oh, this was wonderful to read (we own & manage a small hotel). The level of d*ckness has reached unimaginable heights since Covd. Living through that time, I thought, would make people kinder & more gracious…
Interesting that you say this. We are not based in America, very very few of our guests are American and the article is rooted in the UK. I’m not sure that Trump’s influence extends this far. What do you think?
Jayzuz you’ve got me panicking now! We’re letting out our house to ‘virtual’ strangers for the first time next month - virtual in the sense we don’t know this couple and their newborn, but our daughter does. They live in the Caymans and they’ve offered us their awesome-looking home as a swap - next Easter. So we did a deal. They paid in advance. No terms.
But I wake up in a sweat thinking of more stuff to prepare our place for, whereas my wife thinks I’m being way too fastidious. Not sure it’s worth the grief.
I couldn’t do the full AirBnB deal like you, although we’ve stayed in *some* grim places and some mostly great ones. We’d never dream of being critical about a dog hair or cobweb. Some people are indeed just dicks. Just look at the reviews to see that. Same on Tripadvisor.
Maybe there’s a market for something called ‘FairBnB’…strapline: ‘You pays your money, now get real about it’
I feel so bad for you, Annie! I Airbnb a house on Cape Cod and if this happened to me, I would be an emotional wreck! I put my heart and soul into creating a positive experience for my guests too, and it really hurts when someone is so entitled and unkind. Our first guest of the summer wanted half his money back because the mattresses weren’t firm enough and there was no fan in the bathroom!
I’ve had a couple of other issues, but for the most part over the past two summers things have gone pretty well. It’s so unfortunate that your first guest was such a dick! That’s really tough and can throw you all off.
I’m sending you love and empathy and understanding. 💚🩷
Well aired, Annie.
Somehow along the way, it seems we've lost touch with our general sense of charity. I don't mean money, maybe that too, I don't know. I mean charity of interpretation. We could call this civility were that word not so freighted.
Perhaps charity of interpretation was usurped by our insatiable thirst for retributive justice, enraged by how alluring it seems to cast oneself as the victim.
For ethical reasons, I only book Airbnb’s that are a room in someone’s house. I have had great experiences and enjoy meeting locals and learning about their neighborhoods. I’m sorry you had a bad experience.
However, when young and naive I was once in a very long relationship with a d*ck who was a germaphobe and would rip open the sheets and inspect for hairs at every hotel we stayed at. It was stressful, unpleasant and about as unromantic as you can imagine. I shudder at him calling the front desk over a hair on the coverlet or pointing indignantly to a tiny stain in the corner of the bed to a powerless hotel employee. We once walked into and out of a small bnb because it “smelled like mildew” (it was a Japanese beach town and super humid). I ate so many deposits. It was ridiculous because it’s not like this man kept his own home immaculate. He thought he was so worldly and well travelled and only deserved the best when he was actually just a huge baby. Just review these guests back. That’s how AirBnb was supposed to work.
Awww man. Aside from a few snort laughs at your word choices and humor, I'm SO sorry you encountered such dicks on your first try. Some people are insufferable, aren't they.
I once checked into an Airbnb and the beds were stripped with the laundry piled up on the floor and I STILL didn't complain or leave. I called the owner (their cleaning team hadn't show up between guests). They refunded half our stay immediately and called in an emergency cleaning team while my dog and I hung out on the patio for a couple hours and waited for them to finish. No harm, no foul, and we had a delightful stay! They even provided poop bags and dog toys in their place.
You're right, we're all out here just trying our friggin best! Stop being dicks!!!
People looking at my home when it was for sale were just as ridiculous pointing out this that this that this that this that, and damning me for not putting $100k that I don't have into kitchen or bathroom upgrades. Well, I have put 100k so far into fixing all the issues that the last owners didn't bother to fix so F*CK YOU and the privileged, ill-tempered, self-righteous horse you rode in on, assholes. I ended up keeping the house and found another 50k that has to be done, is being done, and I do not make that kind of money. A rotten roof has to be replaced, that's half of it right there. Americans in particular seem to be completely convinced of what they deserve (usually at your expense), and I am done with it. Don't let this kind of puerile behavior ruin your day. I would never rent an AirBnB these days, nor would I ever consider allowing anyone to rent out my house- for me that's illegal since I have a reverse mortgage, but the sentiment doesn't change. People have become entitled assholes and they use systems to get money back, to avoid paying, and end up harming hosts. I have read too many horror stories about what happened to someone's AirBnB room after guests stayed there and wrote in feces on the wall. I. Just. Can't.
Don't do it again. There lie dragons. Protect your space and find another way.
Annie is a talented wordsmith !
Thankyou
Flyboy Stinson
🛫😁🛬👍
I feel bad you have to deal with this. I think for every a-hole out there who does something like this, the person they do it to should be able to go to THEIR house and see how they live.
Unless this guy lives in a hermetically sealed bubble, he no doubt has hair build up in his shower, mildew and black curlies on the back of his toilet seat. A single dog hair in the bottom crevice of a couch is a freakin miracle! I probably have dog hair in the attic and they’ve never been up there.
Does it appear to anyone else that we are both demanding everyone see us as fully fledged people with flaws yet more and more are refusing it to do it for others? It kinda does to me. =(
Thanks Annie! You voiced what I have been feeling SO well...
We rent our family vacation home on Airbnb and ohhhhh the stories I could tell. Mostly people are kind natured and treat it with respect (you got some c*nty apples, ya did!) but we’ve had a few disrespectful renters and issues to sort with Airbnb, who often side immensely with the renters unless you have so much proof….
No ones ever been quite so appalled at a couch cushion section or a cobweb, though!!!
I rent out a little house on Air BnB and can concur. Though I've never had a guest leave, they are unrelentingly nitpicky in the reviews. No matter how many things you provide, they will find the one thing you didn't and mention that. And our property has a very steep driveway, which is very clearly mentioned in the description, but everyone likes to complain about it nonetheless. You have to have a thick skin in this game, and it would feel so much more personal I'm sure when it's your home you're renting. (Don't even get me started on how much stuff guests manage to break 🙃). Feeling for you!
Well said... Traveling is supposed to expand one's parodical views of the world, not conform to them. So, what exactly is being a dick? I would suggest it has something to do with narcissism expecting the world to revolve around us and our obsessions.
I was living in Austin, Tx and discussing with a friend about attending the Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic Concert. Bob, I asked him, why would you do that to yourself? July in Austin typically is 98 degrees, 98 percent humidity, ankle-deep mud, and overflowing rancid portable toilets... Well John, he drawled, sometimes you just got to "break your give-a-shitter." His long, slow East Texas drawl accented his sage wisdom perfectly.
Bob was a really big fan of Willie Nelson and was willing to be uncomfortable and flexible enough to fully enjoy the concert. If you don't want something bad enough to suffer a bit of discomfort achieving it, then it is your decision and it is not fair to transfer your personal ambivalence on to others.
The first of the Buddha's Noble Truths is: "Life is suffering/anxiety." He goes on and identifies grasping and inflexibility are the prime causes of anxiety. And, his third and fourth truths when summed up sound a lot like Bob's advice of "breaking your give-a-shitter." I wonder if the Buddha could imitate an East Texas drawl? Is Bob a bodhisattva?
Your words ring true. I fear this would be my fate on AirBnB. Let's all agree to not be d*cks!!!
Oh, this was wonderful to read (we own & manage a small hotel). The level of d*ckness has reached unimaginable heights since Covd. Living through that time, I thought, would make people kinder & more gracious…
Guess not.
My guess it was not Covid that diminished our civility but modeling of “dickishness” by Trump and his ilk.
Interesting that you say this. We are not based in America, very very few of our guests are American and the article is rooted in the UK. I’m not sure that Trump’s influence extends this far. What do you think?
Trump is just one example of the thuggish far right which is spreading throughout the UK and EU. The bones of fascism are buried in shallow graves…
Jayzuz you’ve got me panicking now! We’re letting out our house to ‘virtual’ strangers for the first time next month - virtual in the sense we don’t know this couple and their newborn, but our daughter does. They live in the Caymans and they’ve offered us their awesome-looking home as a swap - next Easter. So we did a deal. They paid in advance. No terms.
But I wake up in a sweat thinking of more stuff to prepare our place for, whereas my wife thinks I’m being way too fastidious. Not sure it’s worth the grief.
I couldn’t do the full AirBnB deal like you, although we’ve stayed in *some* grim places and some mostly great ones. We’d never dream of being critical about a dog hair or cobweb. Some people are indeed just dicks. Just look at the reviews to see that. Same on Tripadvisor.
Maybe there’s a market for something called ‘FairBnB’…strapline: ‘You pays your money, now get real about it’
I heartily agree. In fact, I have a favorite T-shirt that says “Jesus says…..don’t be a dick”. It is a lesson we all need to learn.