More on AirBnB
I was thinking about this AirBnB thing. It seems sort of silly to sue AirBnB because people are using it as a tool to rent out their properties. I watch this old western on tv often, "Have Gun. Will Travel." Paladin, a gun fighter, is hired by people from all over the old West. They get his information from his business cards, which seem to make the rounds. He lives in San Francisco but ends up in Oklahoma or Wyoming or New Mexico, all because of his business cards. People contact him and he takes off for a job wherever it leads him.
What is to stop me from leaving business cards around New York City? What if I posted cards that say, "Rent my condo?"
Who would be sued then, the business card printer?
I have stayed in a few AirBnB places in New York City, I think once in New Orleans, too. In New York, the rates really aren't that much lower than hotels and in the end, I preferred to stay in hotels for amenities and safety reasons. I noticed that in all the places I've stayed in New York, the keys were old keys that have been used for years. There was a key to the front entrance of the building, usually a brownstone, and then the key to the main apartment. I was concerned about someone having the keys duplicated and just going and burglarizing people each time a new person stayed there. You know, maybe just taking one or two small things without people realizing things were missing.
One lady owned the whole brownstone where I stayed once - four or six units. She had full maid service daily. I really didn't realize she owned the whole building until I asked her about staying there another time and she said that the apartment I was in was going to be occupied but I could stay in another apartment in the building. Every place I have stayed in you could tell that people didn't actually live there because there was nothing in the closets - no food, no clothing, nothing that people would have who lived there full time.
In the end, I felt I got better deals and amenities at hotels, in New York, anyway.
About 15 or 20 years ago, I used to rent a place in California from a couple. It was a renovated garage apartment, but it was truly first class. It had a kitchen, living room, bedroom, quite a nice, and large place. I think they charged me $89 a night. I did this for a few times, maybe a few years, and then they said they had to stop it, too many neighbor complaints. They did tell me at the time that if anyone asked who I was, I was to tell them I was a cousin visiting.
So even before there was an AirBnB, this was of course going on.
What is to stop me from leaving business cards around New York City? What if I posted cards that say, "Rent my condo?"
Who would be sued then, the business card printer?
I have stayed in a few AirBnB places in New York City, I think once in New Orleans, too. In New York, the rates really aren't that much lower than hotels and in the end, I preferred to stay in hotels for amenities and safety reasons. I noticed that in all the places I've stayed in New York, the keys were old keys that have been used for years. There was a key to the front entrance of the building, usually a brownstone, and then the key to the main apartment. I was concerned about someone having the keys duplicated and just going and burglarizing people each time a new person stayed there. You know, maybe just taking one or two small things without people realizing things were missing.
One lady owned the whole brownstone where I stayed once - four or six units. She had full maid service daily. I really didn't realize she owned the whole building until I asked her about staying there another time and she said that the apartment I was in was going to be occupied but I could stay in another apartment in the building. Every place I have stayed in you could tell that people didn't actually live there because there was nothing in the closets - no food, no clothing, nothing that people would have who lived there full time.
In the end, I felt I got better deals and amenities at hotels, in New York, anyway.
About 15 or 20 years ago, I used to rent a place in California from a couple. It was a renovated garage apartment, but it was truly first class. It had a kitchen, living room, bedroom, quite a nice, and large place. I think they charged me $89 a night. I did this for a few times, maybe a few years, and then they said they had to stop it, too many neighbor complaints. They did tell me at the time that if anyone asked who I was, I was to tell them I was a cousin visiting.
So even before there was an AirBnB, this was of course going on.
posted by Tom Falco at 5:00 AM
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