March 20, 2011

• My Hostel Experience.

  Being 18 and living in Germany, I use hostels a lot when I travel.  But after my last hostel stay in London, I was reminded how dangerous they can be.

  I was in London for a long weekend with a fellow American, J.  We stayed in a hostel on top of an English pub in Victoria.  Not really in the heart of the city, but not too far from the tube, it seemed a good fit.  The reception was completely helpful, and our 13 roommates (5 triple bunkers) were all great.  A smaller group from our room and the adjoining room became fast friends, and did some of the city tours together.  On Saturday night we all went to a pub crawl together, which was uneventful.  What happened afterwards in the hostel, however, was pretty messed up.

  When Alex – a young woodworker from Australia – went into his room that night, there was a random Frenchman sleeping in his bed.  Alex woke him up and told him to move, but the man insisted that he had worked all day and that Alex should find another bed.  So he went downstairs to report it to the receptionist.  When she came upstairs to tell the man to leave, he claimed not to understand her and started getting angry and violent.

  Alex defended the receptionist, and the enraged Frenchman fled down the stairs.  He threw a punch at the other receptionist and attempted to steal the laptop on the check-in desk.  His escape was hilariously foiled by the locked front door.  He rammed against the door like a caged animal until the police showed up.

  When the police finally arrived to calm the situation, the man insisted that his stuff was still upstairs.  So the police allowed him to return upstairs and grab “his things” – Phil (Canadian)’s duffel bag filled with all of his clothes and jewelry, and Fran (Canadian)’s jacket with his wallet, I.D. cards, and over 200 euros.  After he had “his” bag and jacket, the police just let him leave. 

  When Fran and Phil reported the theft – which had occurred right before the officers’ eyes – the next morning, the police insisted there was nothing they could do.  The thief was not an English citizen after all, and it was only a petty crime.

  We found out that morning from the receptionist who the man was, as well as the fact he had checked out from the hostel two days before.  But he had still gained access because the doors use codes rather than keys.

  Crazy, right?

   

  I walked away from the hostel with a few decent friendships and a lot of crazy stories.  I highly suggest hostels for young people traveling.  But my advice?  Spend the extra 5 euros to rent a locker.

   

   

   

  • 1:22 pm
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