On Being a House Guest

[titanium_hiker]

That razor one was funny, Jack. That's one lesson I learned in my adolescence! I guess visitors thought it was funny that we had a roll of electrical tape in our bathroom (to mark razors!) Dad wasn't impressed...



TH

[RAT]

Hey Jack, speaking of razors it reminded me, I am still laughing about the "little beard" story LOL

RAT

[tiamalle]

Certain folks rate. You and your family are always welcome.

Same here,for you and yours

[tiamalle]

Fabulous Post Jack!

Being new last year to the AT folks, over all, was an amazing experience for us. We were excited, apprehensive, over protective, guarded and green at the same time. We learned so much and are appreciative of all input and suggestions, and are picking Crutches brain right now to be ready and even better next year. While we felt we had to really lay down the "laws" before one hiker even showed up. We quickly learned to relax because most guests were great at pitching in a little everyday, but some things did get neglected. I will ask that they be done next year, rather than here. It helps us keep the costs low.

My only suggestions would be if you see someone doing something wrong (especially underage drinking and drug use or trafficing), let the owners, caretaker, Hiker Manager know so THEY can deal with this person.

If your Hosts ask you to fill out a form with your name, address, phone, email, trail name etc. DO IT completely. I did want to know and keep up with folks to know how they were, where they were and did they finish? I have a trinket that was hand made and sent as a thank you - sitting on my fireplace mantle and I will never forget him.

Always ask questions! It meant so much to me last year that even folks that paid for their stay came up and asked "if we can do something?". It is always nice to "pay it forward".

We are looking forward to next year. It will be our first year published in the guide books and will do our best considering what our Hostel can accomodate. We will even look out for you next year.

Laura,be sweet to Crutch and pick his brain real easy.I wouldn't want you to cause it to fly out of gear him foul up some how have a nice day.

[Jan LiteShoe]

Nah. I'll buy you a Dot's cheeseburger and a pitcher of beer. My contribution to hiker trash. I did minnesotasmith the same way.

Dinner... but no movie?

[Two Speed]

First date. C'mon, get reasonable.

[TOW]

Great post Jack! I agree 100%

I second that!

[MOWGLI]

Tapenade? Only Puck cooks with that.

I brought some to our holiday shin-dig at my employers Staff Retreat a few years ago. Several of my co-workers are now hooked. I learned about it from my daughter. She's a Culinary Institute of America graduate.

PS: I prefer my tapenade on a cracker with some nice cheese and a fake beer. I'd really prefer a real beer, but the world is a safer place when I don't imbibe.

[hopefulhiker]

I think that if Baltimore Jack ever retires from hiking he ought to open a good hostel in Hanover... They really need one there.....And I think he would be good at it...

[Jack Tarlin]

In a word.....no.

Enjoying myself with the first 999 guests would be a blast, but having to kill the 1,000th would just ruin my afternoon, and I'd rather not spend my declining years in a cage.

I'd rather keep it on an informal basis, preferably helping out folks I've actually met somewhere on the Trail.

Fewer surprises that way.

[the goat]

I brought some to our holiday shin-dig at my employers Staff Retreat a few years ago. Several of my co-workers are now hooked. I learned about it from my daughter. She's a Culinary Institute of America graduate.

PS: I prefer my tapenade on a cracker with some nice cheese and a fake beer. I'd really prefer a real beer, but the world is a safer place when I don't imbibe.

yeah man, i love that stuff too. i prefer tapenade that's made with only kalamata olives, i think the green ones adulterate the taste. crackers, cheese & beer....now i'm hungry.

[DawnTreader]

This thread is stupid.. This list is insulting ... I would be disgusted to see this list at every hostel along the trail.. Jack, you say 99% of hikers you've dealt with have been well behaved and helpfull. Why then would people waste so much time printing and cirrculating this list for a percent of ungrateful lazy asses, who wouldn't lift a finger even after reading this jargon..
DT

[totally Boagus]

looks like we found Jack's 1%

[Jack Tarlin]

Hey DT....take a break from feeling insulted and disgusted.

And it wasn't ME that said this should be posted in hostels, it was other folks who suggested that.

My sole intent in starting this thread was to discuss some of the things I've personally witnessed on the part of hiker "houseguests."

I thought this might be informative and educational, especially for the folks who are hiking next year.

You evidently feel otherwise.

Well, fine. Now how about YOU take in a couple of hundred strangers into YOUR house next year and then tell us about YOUR experiences.

Something tells me that after doing THAT, you might find the topic of "hiker houseguests" to be less stupid, and a subject worthy of discussion.

[bfitz]

Seems like more than one host has posted here that it's a good idea, might make a good article, etc. Mabye they're also being generous about calling the problem element "one percent"....?

[max patch]

I think that if Baltimore Jack ever retires from hiking he ought to open a good hostel in Hanover... They really need one there.....And I think he would be good at it...

There used to be a church hostel in Hanover; if "The List" was posted and followed -- and hikers applied peer presure to the one percenters to keep them in line -- perhaps that church would still be in the hostel business.

[bfitz]

You know, I can see how a thread like this, and likewise a sign posted with such a list could be insulting or condescending. Kind of like when some gal posts something along the lines of "How to not be a jerk to women on the trail" and we react with similiar offense, like, Hey! Who are they to accuse me? They don't even know me! And then someone says it's only one percent of guys that are the jerks, and then someone else says that's the one percent that wont't benefit from the advice etc. etc. But, hey, if it keeps coming up, mabye there's something to it, no? They have "No Dumping" signs in places that would be a lot prettier w/o the sign, as long as no one ever dumped there, ya know what I mean?

[Lone Wolf]

This thread is stupid.. This list is insulting ... I would be disgusted to see this list at every hostel along the trail.. Jack, you say 99% of hikers you've dealt with have been well behaved and helpfull. Why then would people waste so much time printing and cirrculating this list for a percent of ungrateful lazy asses, who wouldn't lift a finger even after reading this jargon..
DT

I agree. Lists mean nothing. The Place has a "list". Lots don't adhere to them.

[ed bell]

They have "No Dumping" signs in places that would be a lot prettier w/o the sign, as long as no one ever dumped there, ya know what I mean?

Good point. As if the sign was the solution. I have pondered the "No Dumping" signs before and wondered the same thing.

[Jack Tarlin]

On the other hand, if I hadn't put up a sign asking people NOT to use the washing machine without asking me first, maybe it would've been broken nine different times instead of just once.

You're right that some folks will ignore signs, rules, and suggestions, but then again, this doesn't apply to everyone.

Telling people to keep their mitts off the washing machine probably saved me three hundred bucks in repair bills.

Moral of story: Sometimes "signs" or lists are quite useful.

Considerate and thoughtful people---of which there are more than you might think---actually pay attention to them.