Couch surfing helps out road trippers

Crashing on your buddy's couch is a time-honored tradition, especially if you're passing through town and low on funds. But if you're road tripping and you don't know anybody along the way, being out of cash can mean you're just plain out of luck. Enter Couchsurfing.com, a Web site that connects people looking for lodging with people offering up their couches for a night or two. Mason Tye first learned about couch surfing from a friend. Now, Tye and his roommate, Ian Kubik, are hosting couch surfers in their house. Last week, Tye and Kubik housed two California couch surfers who were on their way to Chicago, but had run out of money in Colorado. Couch surfing is a new way to travel and experience different locations and cultures. On Couchsurfing.com, people can register as users, set up a profile and look for different places to stay. Users also have the option of making a $25 donation via credit card. The digital payment helps pinpoint the identities of hosts offering up couches. This verification is a step taken to ensure the safety of travelers by confirming people opening their homes are in fact who they say they are. A second safety net, called vouching, is also in place. Vouching allows surfers or hosts to give feedback on places they've stayed or people who have stayed with them. The more times a user is vouched for, the more trustworthy they are. Users can search for hosts based on several different criteria, including age, verification, vouching and gender. Hosts house the surfer and take them out to coffee or a drink or show them around the city in exchange for a few chores. Kubik is convinced staying with a resident of the city is beneficial. "I think it's a lot better than going to tourist information and buying a bunch of brochures or staying in a hotel and asking a bellhop where the good places to party are," he said. There are some disadvantages to couch surfing, though. Admitting a stranger into a home poses potential risks such as theft. The risk of being sexually assaulted is minimal due to an agreement that all users have to sign before registering on Couchsurfing.com, though still a possibility. "It's a lot of trust by inviting a stranger into your home," said Tye. "That's always a danger." Despite the dangers, though, Tye would recommend couch surfing to almost anyone. "If you're social enough that you can meet new people and not come off as completely weird, absolutely," he said. "It's a nice thing to do." joannacrowl@dailynebraskan.com