Where did you couchsurf for a long time @datych? If you don’t mind me asking of course 💁♀️
It’s really annoying nowadays how when you don’t get the service you booked or you’re charged more their usual response is that it’s all due to COVID. You can complain but it won’t make a difference really. So many things became not available due to shortage of staff. Why being understaffed? Cause many companies sacked half the employees when the pandemic hit while the government was even paying their salaries..
Long time CS -- It was in Cambodia in 2019, at a place of a Lithuanian guy. There were 20+ people at that apartment, come and go ...come and go. It was just great. And, again, I miss Phnom Penh ...my walks to the Central Market, shopping there, egg, veggies ... ...cooking fried rice with tofu and other stuff ...
And the community at the apartment.
I like travellers because they are a special kind of people at a special time of their lives. All races and ages, everybody is open-minded, nobody judges you, everybody feels a character of the greatest novel in their life... I don't need to be somewhere, I can be just in St.P. and meet people like that but ... alas.
Covid -- Sometimes, they have real reasons to charge more. But often they just use covid as an excuse. Let's hope this is the last, not just greed.
Anyway, asking for money hasn't brought them popularity I guess. Firstly, nobody likes it and, secondly, I don't want to pay when almost zero travelers in the city. There are too many cities in the world sharing the same destiny and too many people don't travel these days so probably there are not many people on CS.
I feel actually this is just the apogee. CS followed this path before covid too. It is even described on wiki:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CouchSurfing#History
And I would add number 3: 3) Change to a panhandler strategy in 2020
I am sure there are explanations and I don't blame (but it won't stop me from complaining and mocking 😈). But probably CS will lose its dominance and its place will be taken by other websites when travelling arises again.
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I picture your stay at the apartment @datych in Phnom Penh surrounded by a vibrant community! That sounds like the perfect travel experience meeting people from all walks of life.
CS will never be the same again. CS shouldn’t be asking payments cause it contradicts the entire concept. COVID’s COVID. Full stop. It shouldn’t get worse for us after the pandemic. It should remain all the same even if some companies lose something. There should be more focus on well-being and that’s exactly what CS is to some of us.
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