What would you say to a guest who is demanding bottled water?

[Julie143]

The tap water here is safe to drink. Whether or not it’s delicious is a personal preference. I drink it, but am not picky.

For anyone who doesn’t care to drink it straight from the tap, the fridge has a water and ice dispenser in the front. Both are filtered. The filters are changed religiously. I also put a filtering pitcher in the fridge.

If someone *really* wants bottled water, there is a nice grocery store that is a 3 minute walk away. 

The guest is saying I should include bottled water. They haven’t said anything specific is wrong with the tap water, or the filtered water from the fridge or the pitcher. They just think I should have given them some “as a courtesy, like in a hotels and the other 2 Airbnbs” they’ve stayed in.

Well, I don’t like bottled water. It’s a waste of money and natural resources in places with safe tap water.

[Pete69]

Wow. Same day booking? LOL

I guess this is one more thing to add to the disclaimer section of your listing. No bottled water provided.

I don't provide bottled water and have never a had anyone ask. Perhaps my guests are content that I provide coffee, creamer and sugar in my guest suite.

[Sarah977]

I've found about half my guests come equipped with their own refillable water bottle. Seasoned travelers do, for sure. When the other half leave, I'll often find a bunch of empty single-use water bottles they've purchased in their room, which does distress me. But I've also seen some of them refill those bottles from my large drinking water container in the kitchen. So far, no one has had the bad manners to ask why I don't provide individual bottles, nor berate me for it. 

[Robin4]

@Sarah @Anonymous  @Julie143  @Rachel0  @Branka-and-Silvia0  @Kath9 

Well here you go, someone else said, I think it was Paul from Seattle 'there are lies, statistics and da*n statistics'

I think this one falls in the 'da*n statistics camp.....but at least it should give you a good laugh!

 https://www.youtube.com/embed/BC1l4geSTP8

He sounds compelling but, in fact his statistics are not that far wrong. Latest measurements suggest that 0.0391% of air volume  is Co2!

You can make statistics suggest anything can't you!

It is nice to know we all here are the saviours of the planet....don't you think!

Or are we all wrong and he is right!

Cheers......Rob

[Anonymous]

Is that a swaztika on his lapel?

[Robin4]

@Anonymous  @Kath9 @Sarah

Andrew,  I do have issues with him but, don't completely write what he says off. People see what they want to see....they will always search for the weakest link in any argument!

I, in my working life was a mechanical services contractor, I dealt with CFC's (Chlorofluorocarbons) in the form of refrigerant gases.......R10 up to R301c and into the advent of R410A

CFC's are solely responsible for the degradation of the Ozone Layer  ....that layer around the earth which protects us from......global warming. The Ozone layer keeps incoming UV (Ultra violet radiation) under control.

Co2 emmisions account for a miniscule amount of damage but Andrew, my question is....if this goose knows what he is talking about, why did he pick on Co2 and tell us how good this stuff is instead of CFC's where he would have had a legitimate argument to get across?

He is telling us everything is ok because we aren't hurting anything.....but mate, that's bull, we are, we are destroying our environment and gooses like this leading us down blind alleys don't help the cause of mankind.

This is purely a political statement on behalf of the Australian 'Greens' movement in order to embarrass both the mainstream political parties to their own advantage.

And that is why it is still worth a laugh or two! It's not that he is wrong, he is barking up the wrong tree!!!

Cheers......Rob

[Kath9]

@Robin4, Malcolm Roberts, really? Do you take anything a One Nation member says seriously? For international hosts, One Nation is a FAR-RIGHT, climate change-denying political party here in Australia which unfortunately has a some influence in Australian politics and has recently been secretly filmed negotiating with the NRA in America for millions of dollars in donations for our upcoming federal election to TRY AND HAVE OUR STRICT GUN LAWS OVERTURNED. Like we dont have a million other more pressing issues to worry about like having 12 years to reverse climate change before it's too late. Apparently, according to Pauline Hanson, the leader of One Nation, Port Arthur (Australia's worst gun massacre in 1996 which prompted the then government to ban guns) was a conspiracy organised by the government to restrict our access to guns. And yes, @Anonymous, I would not be surprised if that was a swastika on his lapel! 

[Robin4]

@Kath9 

No Kath, of course I don't take it seriously....this election we are bombarded with fringe party politics

I was just trying to say....this piece by Malcolm Roberts is a crock of sh*t, tackle the real issue if you are going to talk about climate change! As a member of One Nation he has no hope of getting his policies off the ground but combined with the Greens he gains a lot more credibility. His removal from the senate in 2017 has not seen him choose another career path. After a few defeats he is back to have another crack at it,  leading the One Nation Senate ticket in Queensland this time around.

I posted that Kath because it is a laugh on every level. his figures are accurate but his modeling is entirely wrong!

I have never had any sympathy for Pauline Hanson until I saw that Current Affair/ Tracy Grimshaw piece a couple of weeks ago. After seeing that, I don't like her politics, I sure don't like her political bedfellows but I sure do admire her passion. Tracy Grimshaw tried to do a 'stick-up' job on Ms Hanson....and I don't think Channel 9 came out of that too well! 

More's the pity I think that segment probably gained Pauline Hanson a few supporters....what do you think!

Cheers.....Rob

[Kath9]

@Robin4 are you still up? Must be late in SA! Glad to know you think it's a crock of sh*t. Actually, you might be disappointed but I've been a member of the Greens forever. They make more sense to me than any other political party in this country. If you meet their pollies in person, you'd find they are, for the most part, intelligent, thoughtful and caring people with integrity, unlike many of the rest of them. As for Channel 9/Tracy Grimshaw, I didnt see it but, well, I don't put much stock in that either I'm afraid. Pauline Hanson is passionate, I'll give her that, but God I hope she goes down next Saturday! Although my fear is that, like the rest of the world, we are moving further and further to the right...

[Rachel0]

@Julie143 If my guests want drinking water I provide a carafe and glass for them to fill from the tap.  I agree with @Gordon0 that there is nothing wrong with London drinking water,  in fact I prefer it to bottled water which is expensive and damaging to the planet.  

@Robin4 Your comments on processing waste reminded me of an item on our local news the other day, which stated that, following extensive research, they have found that it is possible to make bricks from processed human sewage.  All that is  required now is a processing plant next to the Houses of Parliament and we could have enough bricks to build all the new affordable housing needed in London!  Brings a whole new relevance to the phrase "sh*tting bricks" as well!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Robin4 @Sarah977 

Croatia also has PET/glass bottles and cans deposit. It's the best environmental and social programme here as many poor families and homeless people manage to survive from it.

We don't buy bottled water for our guests (grocery shop is in the next building) plus, every short term rental here is obligated to get the sample of tap water tested and get the certificate that it's drinkable. You can't get STR license without it. 

We have a bag in a hallway where our guests can leave bottles and then we leave the bag outside for poor people to collect them.

[Anonymous]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  I feel like it can't really be called a social program if it's not collaborating and redistributing resources to lift people out of poverty. When families have to go through your trash to survive, that sounds like quite the opposite of a social welfare system.

I've noticed that in a lot of places with deposit systems, there is a social stigma around taking your bottles to a collection point, since it means you might be perceived as "poor." California has had one for decades, and the overwhelming majority of eligible bottles wind up in the bin since middle-class families would not dream of being seen at the recycling center. Here in Berlin it's easier to return the bottles in machines at the supermarket, and more of a normal thing for locals to do, but people also leave their bottles laying around on the streets or in parks with the assumption that some poorer person will eventually come along and collect them. A portion of the time that is the case, but we also end up with an unmanagable amount of trash everywhere, including our waterways, partly as a result of this attitude.

What I'd like to encourage instead is that we all take responsibility for our own post-consumer waste (from generating less of it to recycling all that is possible) and find more effective ways to help the poor in our communities.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Anonymous 

I agree with you but Croatia is different than Germany. You can't see any bottle anywhere.

Unfortunately, this IS THE BEST sotial programm here 😞 It is not the official programme of course but a lot of people manage to survive by collecting bottles. If you leave a bag full of bottles near the trash bin in a few minutes it will be gone.

I used to take my bottles to the nearest store but I don't do that anymore. First, there is always a long line of people , each with a few biggest bags full of bottles so it takes up to 20 min to get your turn. Then the machine is blocked every 5 minutes and you have to find someone to unblock it. Then you have to go into the store, stay in a line on the cash register and wait for your turn to get money back. And, the machine is available only until 14:00 h every working day and at this time I have a turnover and have to clean, I don't have 30 min to waste on it.

And to tell you the truth, I feel selfish if I return the bottles myself, there are so many poor people to whom this few € means a lot more then to me. So I just leave the bottles near the bin in front of my house and make someone happy.

[Robin4]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

Congratulations Branka for giving others in your community a go because they are not as fortunate as you. There should be more like you in this world!

This is what gives me a sense of faith in mankind, there is always someone out there who is prepared to say..."Here take my hand"!!

Cheers......Rob

[Anonymous]

@Robin4  In this case it's more like "Here take my rubbish," but point taken

[Mark116]

Well, I don’t like bottled water. It’s a waste of money and natural resources in places with safe tap water.

Tell them that.  @Julie143