Funny stories to make you smile 😃

[Yadira22]

Hello All,

hope you are well.

having hosted for over the last three years (almost) i can testify that we have had some super awesome people and some not quite so.... so, in the hope of bringing more joy to this community I ask that you please share your best/worse stories. My hope is for the funny ones. 

I will start it off- I had this lady come to stay at our apartment and as lovely as she was, she had no common sense. Having just changed the locks (new home) we made sure to choose one which is super easy and automatically locks upon closing it. 

Here is when it gets funny... she called me to say that she is locked in and  me being me thought... great, she was not given a set of keys or forgot them and meant locked out. Nope... she was locked in, inside the house by the main door. And despite trying to use the house keys in her hands (she sent me photos showing me that she had keys- which would work as well FYI) she tried for 30 mins and then needed help to come out.

So having been used to the lock I went about explaining to her how to unlock it- there is a lever on the door handle, whilst holding onto this you pull it downwards (towards the floor), keeping it in that position- you then pull the door towards you, as in into the flat. This would unlock the door- and is the easiest way of doing so. 

This lady (who speaks perfect English) then goes on to put her hand on the door handle and waits for it to open... and Then proceeds to send a photo of this as to show it does not work. Despite not moving towards producing an action to follow.

I think she thought it was electric but surely if there was some technology embedded in the door handle the design would be more advanced and have some sort of electrical source? Realistically the host would have also mentioned this upon check in?! Just my rational. 

All in all, it took 30 mins and may I just add this was whilst I was getting ready for a business Meeting for work.

Since this incident (jan 19) we have had 5 others like this and now are made to show all guests how to open the front door- we have a saying in my family that ignorance is contagious 😷 and this is a small proof for it being so. 

Hope this made you smile and have a great day! 

Yadi 🙂

[Ann72]

@Yadira22 :):):)!  If only she'd said "Open sesame!" all would have been well.

[Yadira22]

@Ann72oh my, snorted so loudly after that. Next time am definitely doing this and saying it’s password encrypted and voice activated. 😂

[Paul1255]

@Yadira22  so funny! 

I do actually go through the door unlocking process with my guests when they check-in....no joke!

It is a simple, standard single lock door but I still have had guests struggle- one thinking that it opens outwards...yikes!

My best guest actually left the apartment as I was showing her what to do, shut the door and then let herself in to make sure she was doing it right :)) my kind of guest

Paul.

[Synnove0]

Hi Paul. I’m just wondering.... The door opening outwards, is that unusual? In Norway that is standard because of fire safety. You should never have to walk a little ‘backwards’ to escape from a room or building. So in many places it is yikes that the door opens inwards 🙂

Just so you know 🙂

[Ann72]

It's code in the US too to have exterior doors open outwards.

[Yadira22]

@Synnove0  @Ann72 Having a door open inwards is standard in the UK- otherwise we would probably get sued due to opening the doors onto a complete stranger’s  face as one of our flat’s door opens on the Main Street. 

I have sometimes opened the door and found myself face to face with a passerby. I smile and continue but others stay mesmerised and curious to see inside the flat. Others must think I just popped out of nowhere #opensesame 😂 

[Synnove0]

@Yadira22 Funny story! I guess it really is different in different countries. Cultural differences I guess. 

Our funny story is that the whole house is disabled user friendly. All new builds in Norway must be. And we write it in the info we send to guests before their arrival and in the check in instructions. And in the manual in the apartment 🙂 So our main building door is automatic, you push the button and it will open, and also lock automatically.

However, the majority still uses the key. The door is super heavy and you need to turn the key at the same time as pushing it very hard. So we often have to go down and show them the HUGE door button with a big wheelchair picture on 🙂

The lights are also automatic and comes on whenever there is movement. We ask them not to touch the light switches as it will interrupt the whole hallway system, but they still do it 🙂

And we have neighbours in the building so we’d like to avoid having signs all over. 

I guess people just do what they are used to and forget to check for other alternatives 🙂 

[Ann72]

@Yadira22 I'm going to London tomorrow so I'm already looking forward to peeking into people's flats :):):)!

[Yadira22]

Awww if you get a chance definitely visit Primrose hill for sunset and Richmond park if you like deer. Let me know if you need ideas xx @Ann72 

[Ann72]

Thank you @Yadira22 !  I've been often but am bringing an associate who's never been, so we have plans to hit some of the high spots.  Then we're at the London Book Fair at Olympia for 3 days before heading home.  Next time definitely! 🙂

[Ben551]

@Yadira22 @Ann72  Doors open inwards in New Zealand and Australia too.

[Alexandra316]

@Yadira22 We send the check in instructions to every guest that reminds them where to park and how to get in as well as a few pressing basics like how to find the thermostat and Wifi info, because it's usually stuff people want/need to know as soon as they arrive. We had two ladies stay with us about a month ago: they were driving in from New York City. First of all, they couldn't find our house. Our place is extremely obvious, and literally 3 guests out out 200 have ever reported an issue. No problem: we talked them through it. Then they arrived, and were confused where to park, because apparently our instuctions told them to park beside the garage. We don't have a garage, and our instructions don't mention one. Finally, they were having trouble getting into the flat. No problem: my husband went down to show them how to use the door lock. It's a keypad with a personalized code, and we use the last 4 digits of the guests' phone number unless they request something else. They couldn't get in because they were using the last 4 digits of their credit card number. Every instruction had the same type of issue; it was kind of like Mrs. Malaprop but with following instructions - everything was very slightly wrong throughout their stay and we had to explain it again. It was pretty funny at the time. To top it off, one of them managed to lose their Macbook Pro on the trip (I'm thinking that they were extremely absent minded). They politely asked if we had it, which we didn't. I wonder if they ever found it.

Another funny story involving our dogs. They're greyhounds and they're extremely tall, and they will eat anything that looks edible. They are friendly, but nosy: they always want to meet new people. We share our backyard with guests, and we always caution them to keep the french doors or the screen closed because otherwise they may have visitors in the flat. Well, one set of guests left the doors wide open, and sure enough, the dogs went out in the yard and ran right into the flat. Unfortunately, the guests were also eating dinner at the time, and the dogs stole some of it! Luckily, the guests saw the funny side of it: we made it right and we still got a good review, but it was mortifying at the time.

[Yadira22]

@Alexandra316  That is priceless. How on earth would you even know the last four digits of their cards?! 😂

Greyhounds are the best- they are so cheeky and playful. 

@Paul1255 yes, we already do this and have hosted over a hundred guests so assumed statistically it would not be an issue. 

You both reminded me of another guests who came in a rush and when told to walk towards the entrance door she walked into the garbage, bags and all. I felt so bad for laughing, and i snort when I laugh that hard but it literately says “falling objects please enter with caution” in huge letters. 🙈

[Lawrene0]

@Yadira22, I ask my guests to park beside the tin man (one a friend made for fun - corrugated iron man would be more precise) on the driveway near the road. 

1) One set of guests last autumn instead drove their car past the tin man and another 20 metres or so across the grass into a muddy vegetable garden to park beside the scarecrow. I can only guess they had The Wizard of Oz on their minds. 

I now include a photo of the tin man in the correspondence.

2) But a very recent guest, the boyfriend of the primary booker who had not received the parking instructions himself and had not noticed the tin man when they parked as a snowstorm was brewing, was sent back to the car after dark to get something. It was still storming, and he fought his way the kilometre up the footpath to the car in snow and wind by flashlight. He felt his way around to the passenger door, where the tin man suddenly appeared in his beam. 

He screamed.