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Hostel Environment Despite cleanliness issues hostels remain an alternative for student travelers | ||
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Q: What is the most common foul on earth?
Five men and one woman sit in a small lounge at Pacific Tradewinds Youth Hostel. It’s Tuesday night in San Francisco. Clouds hover low and rain is in the forecast. Q: Who played the title role in "I Was A Teenage Werewolf?" A: Michael Landon. One man, an Aussie, pulls the Trivial Pursuit cards from their box and asks questions. The others, two slender men from England, a couple from San Diego, a young tan gentleman from Arizona and a vagabond from who knows where - he calls himself Ulysses - attempt to give correct answers. Q: How deep is Mark Twain? A: Two fathoms or twelve feet. These guests are having a relaxing time and don’t seem to mind the less-than-spotless cleanliness of the hostel. Youth hostels serve people who travel on a budget, and customers depend on their services because the hostelling industry has a defined niche of patrons. Hence, people overlook the quality of service, whether poor or excellent, because their stay is cheap and is usually less than a week. The San Francisco Department of Public Health has inspection files on youth hostels dating back 15 years. According to Jack Breslin, assistant director of the San Francisco Bureau of Environmental Health Management, the health department doesn’t inspect the facilities on a regular basis. "We don’t inspect youth hostels as a routine," says Breslin. "Only if a complaint is filed against a particular hostel do we investigate. And even then, we only investigate that complaint." In 1991 an anonymous complaint led investigators to the San Francisco International Student Center. A report indicated that roaches, piles of garbage are everywhere, the restrooms and showers are filthy and people are sleeping in the hallways. Ownership of the hostel traded hands in 1993. "The hostel was extremely poorly run and the new owners spent money to clean the place, it was a pig sty," says Manager Rick Brown. "They put in new carpet and tile and our facilities are cleaned daily with Tilex and Pinesol. Hostels by their nature are hard to keep clean, and people remark to us that we’re one of the cleanest." In 1989, someone filed a complaint toward Globe Hostel. Reports say the place is overcrowded, mattresses are dirty and there are mice (scampering) around, leaving droppings in the cabinets. Tali Leader, a receptionist at Globe, can’t believe such a complaint was made against the establishment. "God forbid, no!" she exclaims. "There are no mice here." She says they change their mattresses once a year and only four people stay in each room where bunkbeds accommodate each guest. "When people leave, they bring (forth) their used linen and the sheets are washed immediately," says Leader. In the last 10 years, several other complaints have been made toward various hostels. Complaints include overflowing and inoperable toilets, holes in the ceiling of lavatories, rubbish accumulation, broken windows and plumbing problems. The public-health investigators took action in all cases and the problems were abated. Regardless, tens of thousands of people stay at San Francisco hostels every year, and complaints are few and far between. There have been no registered complaints toward any hostel in the past three years. Customers disregard conditions because they’re having good times, meeting people, spending little money, there’s a bed to sleep in and a roof over their head. Camaraderie at hostels is wonderful. At Pacific Tradewinds the hostel is divided into two floors and the layout is separated into large rooms with more than 10 beds. On a particular night a hallway on the lower floor reeks of dirty socks, but the next day the stench is gone and the friendly atmosphere is still there. Generally speaking, hostelling has evolved to fit the needs of college students and young travelers who are out on the road to rough it. Most people lug large backpacks from city to city and depend on cheap accommodations: a roof, bed and shower. They don’t necessarily care about the health state of the hostels. "Basically it comes to this: it’s a bed and a roof over your head," says Matthew Guant, a 22-year-old student from England. Some stay at hostels for extensive periods of time, others for one night. He received a 90 day visa from the United States. After visiting Vancouver and Seattle he made his way south to San Francisco. Falling in love with the city by the bay, he decided to stay for a month. He made a deal with the proprietor of Pacific Tradewinds - he works at the hostel during the weekdays for free, and a bed is his to use at no charge. ‘Youth hostel guests are not the most demanding crowd," says Brown. "If you give them a hot shower and clean facilities, they’re happy." Each hostel differs in size, scope and service. Some have a kitchen, some have more than one, and others have none. There are hostels in countries around the world: Europe, Australia, New Zealand, America, Canada, etc. The Bay Area has more than 14 hostels and San Francisco has more than 10. A common trait in any country is low prices. Expect to pay between $14 and $25 per night. The tan man from Arizona decides it’s time to go to bed. The time is midnight and tomorrow he’s heading out to Alcatraz early in the morning. His bed is on the lower floor, so he heads downstairs. When he opens the door, the large room with more than 13 beds is pitch black. As the door shuts behind him he decides to take a chance and flip on the light... wrong move. "Turn the damn light off," screams a young woman whose dreams have been interrupted. "How the hell am I supposed to get to my bed?" he replies. "I don’t care, can’t you see there are people trying to sleep?" she asks in anger. He turns the light off and thinks. Then pulls a lighter from his pocket, guides himself to his bed, changes into his flannel shorts and whispers to himself, "Next time, I’m gettin’ a dorm room."
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#2|FEATURES|A&E|INVESTIGATIVE| | ||||
