If you read any of my posts, you can tell how I feel about CS. Overall, the people who were good surfers were great and I want to have that experience again. Sloppy, lazy surfers who want to drop in at the last minute and at the last minute “bring a friend” is a no-go.
To me, the way to cut this out: no last-minute requests and to get some ID before accepting a request. I think this is the minimum for my safety, especially if I’m saving a surfer literally 1000s of $. I don’t think these are onerous hurdles. I need a lot of lead time to prepare and block my calendar.
I know a lot of people go on about being anticapitalist and don’t want to support a service economy and want to offer “free” housing. As I said on another post, anything that’s “free” gets no respect. You could be put up in the most luxurious place and still have no respect for it because it’s “free.” Nothing’s “free.” Nothing. My time costs something, my flat costs something, the lights and heat costs something. So there needs to be a “cost” for surfers. If that cost is proving their identities and planning ahead, so be it. Maybe they’ll have some respect then. Nobody treats “free” stuff with any consideration, especially if someone else is paying the bills.
As far as hosts, a reasonable surfer’s response would be “how do I know who YOU are?” I would say “Couchers.org vetted me” but how would Couchers do that? Couchers has my address, sure, but what else to prove I’m me? I’m not sending MY ID to randos.