Bad Hikers

[TOW]

Just wanted to make you guys aware of a couple of hikers that stayed at The Place about a week and a half ago and then hiked to Troudale Baptist Hostel ripping off both places. They left without paying for their stay at The Place and ripped off food that was for sale on the honor system in Troutdale. One guy has dark hair, slender, about 5'10" in his sixties, the other well built, blondish hair in his thirties. I contacted Woods Hole Hostel (https://www.facebook.com/woods.hostel?directed_target_id=26249723354) about them just now as we figure they are heading north. They were in Troutdale about a week ago.

[Alligator]

Isn't The Place by donation?

[TOW]

Isn't The Place by donation?depends on how you interpret donation. those guys promised to pay it but failed to do so.

[Drybones]

Isn't The Place by donation?

They let you know a "donation" of $6.00 is required...that's how I interpreted it anyway...don't know why they dont just say the price is $6.00.

[Lugnut]

Because if they 'set' a price it becomes a business with all the red tape that entails.

[Wise Old Owl]

lots of stuff happens on the down low.. fine by me... $6 is dirt cheap.

[Drybones]

Because if they 'set' a price it becomes a business with all the red tape that entails.

Don't see a lot of red tape sayin it's six bucks to spend the night here...and that's a great deal.

[yellowsirocco]

Being that The Place is a church establishment I take the word donation as meaning not required since they should be charitable, but it would be good if you covered your expenses. If it is some guy doing his thing under the table then I take donation as meaning required.

[Tuckahoe]

Being that The Place is a church establishment I take the word donation as meaning not required since they should be charitable, but it would be good if you covered your expenses. If it is some guy doing his thing under the table then I take donation as meaning required.

Asking for $6 is being charitable.

[Hill Ape]

A lot of requirements on a business that don't apply if it is donation based. Flip side to that is some won't pay. Both are dishonest, either lie to the government to avoid taxes and regulation, or lie to the establishment to avoid paying.

[Another Kevin]

The suggested donations for charity-run services never even come close to covering their expenses. (From the $6 figure I see for The Place, I conclude immediately that they're no exception!) I'm not a long-distance hiker, so I don't use hostels, but when I use other donation-supported services, I typically make it a practice to double the suggested amount - and then double it again to cover for the last guy who stiffed them. Call it being thankful for not being in need - or call it self-interest. What goes around comes around, and as it goes, it grows.

[Alligator]

Yeah, I get the whole deal about not being happy with the guys using The Place's services and then not making a donation. I mean, it's pretty much common sense that when you come into an establishment and use the services, that there is a cost associated with those services. They walked in on the own, nobody forced them to use the services. They could have simply walked on by. I understand being a bit irate about it too, given that they said they were going to pay.

Now, I know how threads like these can get to, particularly if we do not have all the participants sides. I have an idea about how to handle this and any similar future problems. I will open a private group called Service Providers. Any AT service providers who would like to join will be able to request membership, registered or donating members it doesn't matter for participation. I can hand off group ownership to any service provider who is a donating member and is able to check in periodically to approve joins.

If there is a need or want, a group could be created for any of the other trails for providers to network with as well.

With that, I am going to close the thread and create the group.