Submitted by Scientist and couchsurfer... (not verified) on Tue, 02/09/2010 - 12:04pm.
The majority of people are good and as everyone said people you know can turn out to be murderers so there is risk everywhere. Couchsurfing offers a lot of precautions, people get verified and you can give references once you have met or stayed with them. You can tell a lot from a person't profile and you can chat to them before you stay with them. I never stay with someone that makes me feel uncomfortable or that I am not 100% sure about. It is an amazing experience. It doesn't matter that it is free, I could afford to stay in a hotel, but I choose not to. I get to meet new friends everywhere I go that want to share their home with me! It offers travellers the opportunity to give back to the travelling community when they are at home. I have stayed with people in Korea and London and hosted or met for coffee with dozens of people and have never had a bad or even uncomfortable experience.
Great experience...
The majority of people are good and as everyone said people you know can turn out to be murderers so there is risk everywhere. Couchsurfing offers a lot of precautions, people get verified and you can give references once you have met or stayed with them. You can tell a lot from a person't profile and you can chat to them before you stay with them. I never stay with someone that makes me feel uncomfortable or that I am not 100% sure about. It is an amazing experience. It doesn't matter that it is free, I could afford to stay in a hotel, but I choose not to. I get to meet new friends everywhere I go that want to share their home with me! It offers travellers the opportunity to give back to the travelling community when they are at home. I have stayed with people in Korea and London and hosted or met for coffee with dozens of people and have never had a bad or even uncomfortable experience.