Couchsurfing?

Couchsurfing. Everyone has heard of it... maybe some of us have even done it. Last week one of my best friends played host to a famously attractive Dutch girl he randomly encountered and the airport, and I'm fairly certain that he's hoping she'll return the favour (she turned out to have a 'long term boyfriend', but that's beside the point...). For those unacquainted with the intricated details of this traveller's art, here is a little video to get you up to speed...



Now, Couch surfing in it's most basic format has existed for as long as people have been travelling; where do you think Alexander crashed every time he took over a new city? (well, for those that he didn't burn down at least) The internet and new media has seen the single greatest restructuring of this age old tradition, as scabs and paupers world wide no longer need to struggle with the hassles of trying to organise a bed by snail mail or international telephone calls, or even know the person who's pad they intend to crash.

The online Couchsurfing website has been marvellously successful at linking likeminded travellers out to save a few bucks, boasting over three and a half million positive couchsurfing experiences. Truly, this is a phenomenon worth a few moments of thought.

What leads people to just blindly trust the people they meet online to house them safely and without issue? And for that matter ... just how safe is it to couchsurf? At face value it seems like a fantastic idea but delve a little deeper and cracks start to show - one traveller posted this reflection on the Lonely Planet forums site.

The internet and new media have irrevocably changed this landscape, but for the better? to be continued...