This is the whole thing: expectation. If I lived in the middle of nowhere I would offer to come pick up a friend from the airport but they would be subject to my work schedule. But I think people shouldn't expect the offer but hope for it. However, lliving in NYC picking someone up means that I have to either pay for…

True! My mom accidentally left the water in the backyard on (a hose system for the plants) for 12 hours and it cost $400! She lives in California where the water rationing is strict and costly if you don't follow it.

You should forward the link to your sister. Brat. Dropping laundry on the floor for you host to pick up is SO rude.

Right?! It's nice to help clear the table or to wash a water glass you used during the night. But if I say "Oh no! Please don't. Sit and relax." I really mean it for a variety of reasons. There are so many nice things a guest can do to help out that they should just find something else. Take out the trash? Over to go…

I've heard a lot of whining such as "But then I/we/he can't afford to come!" but guess what? Then you can't afford a vacation and need to save more money. There have been many YEARS where I have not taken a vacation out of town because I didn't have the funds. It's just being an adult and accepting your circumstances.…

This! I have traveled on very tight budgets and I understand that finding ways to cut costs can make or break a trip. But people need to seriously consider whether they can actually afford the trip before they take it. Betting on the generosity of others/your host to float you through your trip is terrible and rude!…

I don't mind if a friend asks for me to host a friend of theirs as long as my friend is coming, too. But I've had more than one person ask for just their friend to stay which is really weird - I'm not running a boarding house and while you might think your friend is great I might not. Plus it's my home and having a…

I will concede your points. And when I had a car and lived in California I often offered to pick people up. But I just don't think it's fair to expect someone to come and get you. Lots of tourists go to the same airports and figure out how to get from A to B on their own.

I live in NYC, too, and there is no way I could ever do a towel a day. I can only get to the laundromat once every other week as it is. Regardless, it's incredibly environmentally bad to be washing things so much! So much water wasted! I think it's fine to have separate towels for your face and body and hands, but 7 a…

Yeah, Sam has been downgraded permanently. He already had the habit of being a self-centered twat but that was the last straw. Like I said, the thing that bothered me most was how the disrespect hurt my BF's feelings. THe other stuff was rude and annoying but I won't abide someone hurting my sweet dude.

Hah! My mom's the same way!

Yes. I find that people need to listen when someone says "Please don't do that for me. I'm picky and would rather do it myself." I don't want to get into how I think you suck at doing dishes. Just take me at my word and move on. Find another nice thing to do for me - like offer to take out the trash!

A new towel every shower! That is ridiculous. My policy is one week per towel. If you are using it to dry off after you have showered the towel is still pretty clean. I provide my guests with a bath, face and hand towels.

Apartments in NYC are small and often don't have closets. Lots of people don't have a lot of extra things for sharing because of it. Especially younger adults who have roommates and don't have a lot of extra income.

Can we add: Do not expect to be picked up at the airport by your host? I live in NYC and don't have a car (like most people here) and picking a friend up at the airport is a huge pain in the ass and can be expensive. Be prepared to take public transit or a taxi or rent a car. I've had more than one person ask if I…

You'd be surprised by how many friends have asked us if their friends could stay with us with the known party nto included. It's really weird. My BF's good college friend, Sam (name changed), bullied us into hosting one of Jack's grad school friends and girlfriend for Jack's wedding weekend. He phoned my BF at work…

I'm the same as you, I always provide towels for my guests. But I do have to say that when visiting friends I make sure to ask if I need to bring one with me. This was more of an issue in my early 20s when friends generally had very little in the "extra" department to share with other people. Like they had one bath…

This is a great list. But I have one small quibble: doing the dishes. A lot of people suck at washing dishes. How do I know this? I host a lot of friends and family in my NYC apartment and have had a lot of roommates. Most people do not use enough soap nor double check to make sure dishes are clean. I really, really…

The Department of Environmental Protection stated they still needed to take a sample of the liquid to make sure it was non-hazardous, as well as check the nearby Hudson.

The main reason for the pharm manual is to find out about possible drug interactions with your regular meds and to also find out how to stay below overdose amounts. It also talks about side effects. The druggie websites can be useful but in terms of actual medical information they can be spotty.