I like Airbnb; I’ve stayed at several before now, ironically more outside of the United States than in it. I think it’s a great way to save a little bit of money versus pricey hotels and all their random fees, and it’s also a great way to stay in places unique and different than in bustling lodging districts. And when it comes to extended stays anywhere, it’s often times the de facto option to not get charged up the nose for multiple nights.
That said, this story I came across about an Asian girl who was basically duped and screwed by a racist Airbnb host kind of makes me think twice about utilizing the service, especially in the United States, my own home country. Long story short, the girl made a reservation at a cabin, and had numerous correspondences with the host. But then while minutes away from their destination, in the midst of a snow storm, the host rips her mask off, revealing a mutant racist, spouts all sorts of hateful and bigoted rhetoric and cancels the booking, not before saying it was because she was Asian and saying “this is why we have trump.”
Now I’d be fine if a Hilton or a Marriott pulled this shit on me, because I’d sue the ever-living shit out of them and become Oprah-rich. But Airbnb is mostly hosted by fairly every-men and every-women who want to make some side scratch renting out their properties; despite the fact that the racist host in question was actually somehow punished to the tune of a $5,000 fine and requirement to take an Asian-studies course, there’s no making good the potential damage they’re doing when they decide to screw over a potential renter.
Not only did this crazy bigot woman screw over this girl and her friends and their expected vacation, she actually put them in a very dangerous situation, since they were basically in a mountain territory in the midst of a snow storm, with suddenly no place to go. Imagine if they couldn’t get back down the mountain, and if they didn’t come across a new company? Keep in mind these are Californians, who don’t know how to deal with the cold, we’re talking about potential for fatalities, in a worst-case scenario.
But what hits home is obviously the racism against an Asian person, whom like me is a perfectly functional and contributing member of society. This could very easily happen to someone like me, and I guess I can say I’ve been fortunate to not have endured any overt racism since the election of mein fuhrer.
This all actually gives me a little bit of hesitation of utilizing Airbnb myself, especially within the United States. Ironic, considering I live here and it’s my country or birth. I’m actually less concerned that this would happen with my bookings in other countries, and think it’s a fucking shame that I’d feel more hesitation trying to find economical lodging in my own country than I would outside of it.
But overall, this is a fucked up situation, and it’s one of those that just makes me sad and shake my head at just what the fuck my country is turning into these days. We’re supposed to be better than this, but somehow we’re not.
