(idea) by jes04 Sun Apr 07 2002 at 16:20:21
Having been living this as a lifestyle occasionally for the past year, and observing several other people doing it as well, I was surprised to find that there's not a node describing this.

Couch surfing is a way of life commonly found among the stoner and party kid crowds. Specifically, it's the habit of passing out on someone's couch every night because you are too stoned, drunk, tripped out, spun, or (insert favorite inebriation here) to go home. This is more commonly seen at a party house.

There are no rules for couch surfing, but I've noded some tips below that you may find helpful, and tend to make the experience more pleasant for both the host and the surfer.

  • Always ask before you crash.
  • When it comes to sleeping locations, it's every man for himself.
  • If you must sleep on the floor, expect to get stepped on at least once.
  • It helps to have a backpack or bag with you containing a change of clothes, personal hygiene items, etc. I keep such a bag in my car just in case.
  • It's a good idea to empty your pockets before passing out - it sucks to wake up with your keys lodged in your crotch. The aforementioned bag is a good place to put your stuff.
  • Removing your shoes will make your morning that much better, as you don't have to deal with that icky I slept in my shoes all night feeling
  • Usually this happens due to a massive throwdown at the residence the night before, leaving the place somewhat untidy. It's generally considered good form to assist in the cleanup once you regain conciousness.
  • In the same vein, when cleaning up, it's generally a good idea to stash any paraphernalia first, because you never know who might drop by. (this may seem like common sense, but you'd be surprised...)
  • If you arise before everyone else, go about whatever business you have at hand as quietly as possible.
  • Usually there will be at least one other person surfing with you. If you don't know them well, respect them and their space.
  • Stealing from sleeping people is uncool.


That's all I have for now...feel free to add more as you see fit.

See also: couch surfer
I like it!
(person) by godiva Mon Mar 09 2009 at 5:56:56

Couchsurfing, much like Hospitality Club, is a large active online community which facilitates cheap travel and meeting locals. It has members from all over the world, who offer up their couch as somewhere for travellers to crash on for a few nights (for free of course). It is a two way system, so if you join, you must also offer up your couch to travellers who want to visit your part of the world.

Everyone has a profile explaining the rules of their house, where their guest would sleep (they usually don't really have to sleep on a couch if the host has a guest bedroom), how many nights they generally let people stay, how many people they accept at a time, and most importantly photos and personal interests.

There is a comment and rating system, so after someone visits a house they usually leave a little note that shows up on their host's profile where everyone can see it. This is important because it is the only safety system. You can read people's comments to see if past travellers have had good or bad experiences with them, and people who had bad experiences really are pressured to write them up as a warning for others.

To contact people on couchsurfing to ask to surf their couch you must join, and use an email system inside the website to leave them a message and ask if you can stay on such and such dates (no one is obligated to say yes of course).

This is the best way to travel for me. I joined (like most people) because I didn't want to spend money on hostals, but the best part of couchsurfing is of course the people you end up meeting. You have someone to ask about the city (and some people even show you around their city), and many times people gave me food, took me out, kept me company and made me feel safe and welcome in a foreign city.

I like it!

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