Anyone disturbed by the way the CO2 & smoke detector amenities are shown?

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

Anyone disturbed by the way the CO2 & smoke detector amenities are shown?

While I understand the need for a safe environment, I'm really upset by the way Airbnb has now pasted those amenities prominently on our listings, with a big black line across them if you don't have them, as if you don't care about your guests' safety and you're a negligent host.

 

This is yet another brilliant idea from people sitting in offices in first world countries who don't seem to be aware that they are working for a worldwide platform, where the need for such things is not applicable in all places. Just like when they decided that all hosts must provide sheets and towels- there was a huge outcry from hosts in many parts of the world, mostly ones with beach cottage listings, where those things have never been provided, aren't practical to provide, and people who go there don't expect. There was such a huge outcry, that Airbnb backtracked on it. You'd think they'd have learned something from that, but apparently not.

 

I do use LP gas for my hot water and cooking stove. The propane tanks, as well as the water heater are OUTSIDE. There is zero way there could be carbon monoxide from that in the house. As far as the cooking stove goes, that's, of course, in my kitchen. As I live in the tropics, the many windows are ALWAYS open. Even if there was carbon monoxide (which is obvious- the stove flame will be burning yellow or red rather than blue, I'd see that, I live here) with the many windows open, fumes would be so diluted, a detector wouldn't even pick them up. Additionally, the kitchen is in an entirely separate wing of the house than the bedrooms that are on the second floor, and accessed by an outside staircase. There is no upper story at all over the kitchen, and even if the bedrooms were over it, the kitchen ceiling is a foot thick concrete slab.

 

Smoke alarms- my house is entirely concrete construction, including the roof. The windows and doors are made of metal. There is no way there could be a house fire, it's physically impossible. Airbnb suggests "Mount the smoke alarm outside the guest room door." I guess they assume that all homes are just like theirs, and that the bedrooms open off a hallway. My guest room door opens onto an outside balcony. I guess I should hang a smoke alarm from the sky.

 

Neither of these safety features are of any use where I live. They're about as useful as coals to Newcastle. Yet I now have them boldly featured on my listing description with a big bold black line across them. Bad girl, bad, bad. Doesn't care if her guests die.

 

Why not put them in the amenities box that hosts can check off and guests can click on if they're so concerned? They don't put any other amenities we don't offer on our listings with a black line through them. This is totally unfair and ill-considered.

84 Replies 84

@Daniel1992  None of the amenities we don't have are listed visibly. Only ones we do have, except for these. The others are visible with a line through them if a guest clicks on "see all amenities." And it's just a grey line, not a big bold black line designed to draw attention to what you don't provide. That's my point. I don't get why almost everyone here has had such a difficult time grasping that.

 

"Your stove has an issue with the propane leaking, or lighting.  When you light it, the extra fuel explodes, catching the contents of your kitchen on fire."

I'm well aware of the possible dangers of using gas. But imaginary scenarios of what "could" happen are pointless when you've not seen the space for yourself.

There is nothing anywhere near my stove to catch fire. No wood, no cloth, no cabinets, no plastic. Concrete and tiles don't catch fire.

 

I'm actually extremely safety conscious, believe it or not.

 

 

San Francisco you say? That hardly represents the rest of the US! It is one of the most regulated areas and a lot of left to get out of taxation hell as they cannot afford it and you now are likely to step on drug needles and human poop then to have your smokes go off for a legit reason.    I couldn't read the rest of your post without ROFLMAO.

Daisy76
Level 1
Aix-en-Provence, France

Hi!  You can buy them off Amazon.  They cost about £10 for a decent one.  Our flat is on the third floor and we have a brand new boiler, so there is no need to have a Carbon Monoxide Monitor.  However, we understand that guests value this and that they would have concerns when renting a property that they don't know, and as such have put them in!  It's really easy and definitely worth it for guests' peace of mind.

Helen267
Level 10
St. Andrews, United Kingdom

Wouldn't it just be easier to source one (I appreciate it's not easy in your circumstances, but you must get some deliveries somehow, or drive somewhere to buy them at some point) and just stick the **bleep** thing to the wall? Tick the box and move on with your hosting and your life? I'm not sure I'd pick this battle if it were me.

Helen267
Level 10
St. Andrews, United Kingdom

Smiling over here - it's been a looooong time since anything I said was bleeped out! For the record, it was the MILDEST of words starting with the letter D and ending with the fourth letter N.

@Helen267  Oh, it's not impacting my life. And no, I don't get deliveries "somehow". 

It's interesting how everyone jumped on here to argue the need for these things, when my point was that they shouldn't paste it on our listings in such a way as to make us appear to be negligent. 

Just like they pasted those Home Highlights at the top of our listings, which the vast majority of hosts were upset about.

BTW, there are the weirdest words which get bleeped on this site. Some are normal, everyday, non-profane words that are used, unbeknowst to most of us, somewhere in the world in a discriminatory way 🙂

Julie660
Level 4
Rockford, IL

I think it made the national news a couple of months ago about a couple that died in an airbnb in Mexico (I think) due to carbon monoxide.  I think airbnb may be reacting to that story, and maybe others?

Julie660
Level 4
Rockford, IL

@Julie660  Yes, they were in a condo unit- no doubt the windows were closed- air-conditioned in the summer, heat in the winter (it gets quite cold in San Miguel in the winter- the cover photo on that video isn't San Miguel, which is nowhere near the ocean). Terrible tragedy, but still doesn't mean all listings everywhere require those detectors in order to be safe. What would help to save lives is more education in general about making sure there is adequate ventilation when using any gas appliances. Even if the appliance is working perfectly, you should never use a gas appliance without some form of fresh air.

@Sarah977 Your head must be melted trying to make your (very valid) point over and over again to people who are choosing to read into your post, something you're not saying at all, but completely missing/ignoring what you are  saying...  😉

 

You're correct, of course, in that the big black line makes you  look like a neglectful host, but in Airbnb's crisis control universe,  they seem to believe such a move makes them  look good, and responsible, and caring, and ethical, and that's all that matters. 

 

What a shame though that they weren't caring enough or ethical enough to help this family out where help was really needed, and a GoFundMe page had to be set up to repatriate the tragic couple's bodies. 

 

https://www.gofundme.com/bring-ed-and-barbara-home

 

"Ed and Barbara died together in their sleep from carbon monoxide poisoning while vacationing in Mexico. Their family needs financial help to get them home, for funeral expenses and for possible legal fees. Please contribute to help Ed' and Barbara's children, as they work to handle the challenging logistics through their shock and grief"

 

My brother died in Taiwan, following a hit and run incident, 22 years ago. He was only 22 himself, so in an entry level job, and he was on a night out with friends when it happened - not in the workplace - but the response from the company he worked for, Acer Computers, was incredible. My parents travelled to Taiwan to bring Derek home (he was still on life support, as his organs were being donated), and from the moment they arrived in the country, they were looked after by Acer, every step of the way.

 

Mum and Dad were met at the airport by two high-ranking representatives from the company, handed an envelope full of local currency that was more than enough to cover everything for the 8 days they were there, their flights, hotel, food etc were all paid for, Acer provided translators, drivers, legal advisors and even hired a private detective to track down the man responsible when the police failed to find him, they covered the enormous costs of having my brother's body repatriated, and the same two wonderful people who took care of my parents while they were in Taiwan, flew all the way to Ireland for Derek's funeral. A masterclass in kindness, compassion and humanity, in total strangers' darkest hours, which will never be forgotten, and for which my family will be forever grateful. 

 

Airbnb, for all their moralising  rhetoric and their virtue signalling, would do well to learn a thing or two from Acer. 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Susan17  Thank you for "getting" it. And for pointing out that others haven't been.

I'm so sorry about your brother. How tragic. 

And yes, making it look like hosts are negligent if they don't have this, that, or the other, yet not caring enough to actually help out a family who died in an Airbnb, is what host Tony calls "virtue signalling". Empty words and clueless policies but no accountability.

Welcome to California!  I can't believe my birth state has gone to hell! Now literally with 'sudden' fires.

Susan17
Level 10
Dublin, Ireland

@Sarah977

Thank you Sarah. I guess many would say that the couple who died in the Airbnb weren't Airbnb's responsibility, which to an extent, is true, but neither was my brother Acer's responsibility. That didn't stop them from being compassionate human beings and making  it their responsibility though. 

 

I don't usually speak about private stuff online but I think you might enjoy this story. Derek loved his sport, especially Gaelic football, and he missed that more than anything when he was away from home. In those days, Gaelic football - understandably! - was unheard of in Asia. So he and a couple of his friends started a Gaelic club in Taipei - Taiwan Celts. 

 

Within weeks, locals who had never seen such a game, were turning up to watch the boys training, and before long, they were joining in themselves. All of a sudden, half of Taipei wanted to play Gaelic football! 

 

Seeing the massive interest in the game, Derek had a brainwave. He got in touch with other young Irish ex-pats working in different countries all over Asia, and asked them if they were interested in playing a tournament. Even though none of them were playing Gaelic out there, and they all had to form ad-hoc teams just like Taiwan Celts had done, with half the players never having kicked a ball in their lives before, they were all well up for it (and all had to have the proper footballs sent out to them from Ireland - the Post Office must have been wondering what on earth was going on that summer with all the gaelic balls being posted to all these Asian countries!) 

 

There happened to be some sort of trade fair taking place in Taipei around that time, which representatives from Guinness attending, so Derek and his two friends put on their best (only!) suits and rocked up to the event. Needless to say, they were refused entry but they hung out in the hotel bar until it was over, on the off-chance the delegates would turn up there eventually. Which they did. And by the time the boys left the bar late that night, they had somehow managed to secure sponsorship from Guinness for their first ever Guinness Asian Gaelic Games tournament, to be held in Manila a few months later, with teams from all over Asia competing, made up of players (and ĺearners!), guys and girls, of every size, shape, age, creed, race and colour from all over the world. 

 

From all accounts, the inaugural GAGG event was a legendary affair, with equal amounts of fun and games being had in the bar, and on the pitch. People still talk about it to this day. Derek only ever got to play in that first tournament before he left us, but it's still going strong now, although it's known as the Fexco Asian Games these days, with a lot more professional involvement and a streamlined structure. A far cry from the raggle-taggle, make-it-up-as-you-go-along gig it started out as 23 years ago. And a lot less fun too, I'd imagine 🙂

 

But Derek's name still lives on in Asia. The winners of the Asian Games are presented with the Derek Brady Cup, which they get to keep for the year before passing it on to the winning team the following year. There are teams from Africa and the Middle East playing now too, and South Africa were the victors in 2018, in Bangkok. (Venue changes from year to year)

 

Travel and football were my brother's two greatest passions - even though he was only 22, he'd already visited many different countries, and planned to visit many more. So there's a sweet kind of comfort in knowing that a Gaelic football trophy with Derek's name on it, for his beloved game that he helped introduce to an entire continent, travels from country to country every year, and takes his legacy to all the places he never got to visit himself. Perfect, really.  I'm sure he gets a great kick out of that, wherever he is now... 😉

 

https://nialljoreilly.com/2008/09/28/asia-gaelic-games-manila-1997-koreas-kimchi-kickers/

 

http://www.taiwancelts.com/about-the-club/history/

 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Susan17  Thank you for sharing that story. It's awesome that your brother started such a great thing, had such motivation and organizational skills at such a young age, brought people together to have fun, and left such a legacy.

And thanks for listening, @Sarah977! It was nice to sit for a while, and just remember. Sometimes, with everything we have going on with the minutiae of daily life, we neglect to do that. 

 

As for Derek's legacy - well that's just one of his legacies. There are several people somewhere on this earth, still living, still breathing, still seeing, still hearing and still loving, with the gifts of life he gave them through his organ donation (his choice, not my parents' - he carried a donor card). As legacies go - they don't get much better than that! 🙂