Connect with us

Travel

AirBnb’s May Not Be As Safe As You Thought

Just because an Airbnb has good reviews, doesn’t mean you can’t be a victim, so be aware of the dangers lurking when on vacation.

Published

on

Just because an Airbnb has good reviews, doesn’t mean you can’t be a victim, so be aware of the dangers lurking when on vacation.  Imagine, you are on vacation and you make a horrifying discovery in your rented Airbnb, someone has been secretly recording your every move.  What would you do if you found hidden cameras in your rental property?  That is exactly what happened to an Indiana couple who was using the popular vacation rental website while taking a trip to Florida.  Luckily, Derek Starnes worked in the tech field or he may have never noticed the tiny hidden cameras recording him and his wife.

 

Starnes told Tampa ABC Action News, that he noticed a smoke detector had a weird black hole, so he investigated it closer.  When he looked inside the hole, he saw a tiny camera connected to an SD memory card.

The camera was pointed directly at the bed and this sent shivers down his spine. He searched around the rented home and found two other cameras, one pointed toward the living room and one in the bathroom.  

Starnes and his wife rented the townhome in Longboat Key, near Sarasota, FL through the Airbnb website.  He immediately called the police.

 

 

Wayne Natt was arrested and charged with video voyeurism and may be charged with more once all the evidence is collected.  The 56-year-old tried to tell police that he only recorded consenting adults, but that doesn’t really hold any water.  There was footage fo Starnes and his wife, and they definitely did NOT consent to be videotaped.

Lt. Bob Bourque of the Longboat Key Police Department told ABC Action News, “We seized a lot of computer storage devices, hard drives, computers, laptops, SD Cards and anything that would store data.”

He went on to say, “We don’t know if there are local victims, someone who may have been dating him or a companion that doesn’t realize they are being videotaped, and then we have the other side of who he rented to through Airbnb.”

 

The police are asking any Airbnb guests who may have stayed at Mr. Natt’s home at 623 Cedars Court in Longboat Key, FL, to come forward.  You may have been taped illegally as well.

Airbnb took swift action once they learned of this heinous act and immediately banned Mr. Natt from the website permanently.  

Airbnb spokesman, Benjamin Breit made a statement, “We are outraged at the reports of what happened; as soon as we were made aware, we permanently banned this individual from our community and fully supported the affected guests, privacy issues extremely seriously and have a zero-tolerance policy against this behavior.”

 

Starnes is feeling distressed because he knows the camera caught him walking across the bedroom nude.  Can you imagine knowing that you were filmed in your most intimate and vulnerable state?

How To Prevent This Type of Thing From Happening to You

 

CAMERA DETECTOR

If you are worried about being secretly recorded when you are staying at a hotel or Airbnb, simply buy yourself a Camera Detector.  A low-cost camera detector will run you around $30 and uses a laser to look for hidden cameras.

 

TELL THEM YOU PLAN TO SWEEP THE ROOM

This may make you sound paranoid, but who cares, it’s your personal safety we are talking about here.  If someone was planning to film you, announcing it will most certainly scare them off.  

 

USE A FLASHLIGHT

The flashlight can help you find the tiniest of hidden cameras.

Simply turn off all the lights, and slowly scan the room with the illuminated flashlight, looking for glints of light coming from a camera.

 

REVIEWS MEAN ALMOST NOTHING

Sure a review will tell you certain information, but in this situation, it tells you nothing.  If someone found a camera before, the property would already be shut down.  Don’t take ratings and reviews as the gospel.

 

This isn’t an isolated incident, as there have been several Airbnb guests who have been arrested for the exact same thing.  A Montreal Airbnb host had a hidden camera in a bin next to the bed, catching all sorts of vacation revelry.

An Airbnb host in Japan is falling under scrutiny as there were hidden cameras found by a Korean couple who was staying at the apartment.  This case also involved a smoke detector with a hidden camera installed.

 

According to Starnes, the Airbnb was well reviewed and there was no other evidence that something nefarious was going on.

Be careful out there, the world is full of many sick and twisted people.

 

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Travel

Road Trip! European Edition

Road trips and European vacations are pretty much the two best kinds of vacations out there. So why not combine the two?!

Published

on

Everyone loves a good road trip. There’s just something about getting the hell out of town and hitting the open road that makes you feel alive. But it can also be a fun and entertaining element of a European vacation! Here are some of the best road trip options in all of Europe.

GERMAN ALPINE ROAD, GERMANY

If you’ve ever been a fan of The Sound of Music, then this is the European road trip for you! The incredible combination of snow-peaked mountains and lush greenery will have you shaking your head in amazement every mile along the way. Some of the highlights include King Ludwig’s castle, Lake Constance, and Benediktbeuern Abbey.

RING ROAD, ICELAND

Thanks to its breathtaking views and delightfully cold weather, Iceland is quickly becoming one of the hottest vacation destinations in all of Europe. And if you want to get a road trip in while you’re there, Ring Road is the place to go. This whole trip can be done in just about 12-14 hours but has plenty of amazing volcanoes, icebergs, and hot springs along the way.

ITALIAN LAKES AND THE DOLOMITES, ITALY

What else can you say about Italy at this point? It’s just an incredible country that everyone needs to experience at least once. And what better way to do it that with a countryside road trip! This one is best enjoyed when given ample time, even as much as a full week. There are countless perfect lakes and quaint as they come villages along the drive. Just be sure to do it in the summer, and the area starts to see snow in the fall.

RING OF KERRY, IRELAND

Similar to Iceland, Ireland is a very popular vacation destination these days thanks to its incredible views and bundle-up-worthy weather. Sure, there are great Irish cities like Dublin, but if you really want to experience Ireland you should hit the Ring of Kerry in the southern part of the country. It’s only about 180 miles long, but you’ll see enough waterfalls, mountains, and castles to make you feel like you really did Ireland right.

AIX-EN-PROVENCE TO CASTELLANE, FRANCE

It’s no surprise that France is a beautiful and vacation-worthy country. But the drive from Aix-en-Provence to Castellane is rarely talked about as a must-see… and it should be. The incredible fields of lavender alone make it beyond worth it, but then once you’ve made it to the unbelievable beauty of Verdon Gorge you’ll be happy with your choice. Just be prepared, some of the mountain passes include some very narrow and winding roads!

NORTH COAST 500, SCOTLAND

This route is named as such because it covers a whopping 516 miles. But nearly every one of them is worth it if you want to have a great road trip experience during your trip to Scotland. You’ll catch plenty of lochs, mountains, rolling glens, and, of course, a few castles. There are even some amazing whiskey distilleries along the way. But you stop in one of those be sure you’re just grabbing some whiskey for later when you’re not driving.

Continue Reading

Travel

Spend a Day With Nature: The Camping Trip Essentials You Should Always Pack

Published

on

By

Getting out into the great outdoors is one of the best ways to become in tune with nature.

Going off the beaten path and finding your own campsite is a great way to unplug and unwind after a stressful week of work.

Although camping is fun, never go unprepared. Keep reading to discover our ultimate list of camping trip essentials you should always pack on your campaign trips.

Bathroom Essentials

No matter where you end up camping you’re going to need to use the bathroom and wash up. Be sure to pack the following:

  • Toothbrush & toothpaste
  • Shampoo, conditioner & body wash
  • Towel & washcloth
  • Toilet paper
  • Hand soap

Depending on where you end up camping they may have restrooms, but if not it’s always good to be prepared with extras of everything. This camping towel is great because it dries quickly so you don’t have to worry as much about whether your towel is going to be ready for you when you’re ready for it.

Sleeping and Resting Equipment

If this is your first camping trip you may not be considering where you’re sleeping, but you definitely need to. Do you need a tent or sleeping bag? Are you sleeping in an RV or another camper?

Make sure you pack at least a sleeping bag, a pillow, and maybe even an extra blanket if you expect it to be cold while you’re camping.

Types of Food and Drinks to Bring

Unless you’re truly roughing it and hunting to eat, you should also pack camping trip food essentials. Bring items that don’t have to be heated to eat, and are also non-perishable. Check out these easy camping meals and expect to do some meal prepping before you head out.

Don’t forget your water either. Bringing a case of water bottles would be heavy, and isn’t environmentally friendly. Instead, get a filtered water bottle that you can easily fill up and use over and over again while you’re camping. 

Electronic Essentials

While you may be camping to get off the grid it’s important to have safety electronics on hand in case of emergencies. Bring your cell phone with you and grab a solar-powered charger so you can keep it ready to go.

Don’t forget that it’s going to get dark at night too. Get yourself a reliable battery powered lantern with extra batteries. You’ll be happy you did this when you’re walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Depending on where you are you may not have any cell service so it’s also a good idea to bring a set of walkie-talkies. This way you’ll always have a sure way to reach either the people you’re with or emergency services.

Get Your Camping Trip Essentials Today

Now that you know our ultimate list of camping trip essentials plan a trip today! This camping trip essentials list will ensure you have the best camping trip possible.

Did you like this content? Then check out the rest of our blog for more great articles.

Continue Reading

Travel

Moving To A Job For A 6 Or 12-Month Contract: Tips To Succeed

Published

on

By

Working full-time at a company for years simply is not for everyone. There are those people with great skills that prefer to work on a contract basis. This could be for a year or for 6 months depending on the need of the client. The best aspect of contract work is that hours over 40 per week can be charged at a high rate. This will help reduce the chances of being asked to work a long weekend as it will be very expensive for the company. The truth is that you are not obligated outside of your 40 hours per week to do anything else. Below are tips to help you succeed when you are constantly taking on new contracts in various parts of the country.

Remote Roles Are Superior

The truth is that as a contractor you likely will want to find a remote role. Relocation can come with a number of issues and a multitude of stress. The one variable to consider is that some contractors take jobs in new locations so they can explore the country. The number of remote roles is exploding as so many people are refusing to head back to the office. The pandemic showed companies and professionals that they could maintain productivity while working at home. The convenience led some professionals to vow to never return to a traditional work environment. 

Moving To A New City 

Moving to a new city for a contract can be a blast as you have a certain amount of time that you will be there. You will likely try to find a rental but purchasing furniture is not something that would be considered a good investment. Furniture rental is likely the best option if you do not want to have to deal with moving furniture across the country when you get another contract. You want to get the most out of living in your new city which likely does not include going shopping for furniture. Take the time to look into all of your options for lodging as well as what part of a city that you would like to live in. 

Be Realistic About Your Workload

Contractors can be taken advantage of by some companies as there is very little recourse for them. With this being said, there are contracts that will pay contractors through the entire contract even if they are terminated. You want to be paid on the same level as people that are just as productive as you. Being supremely productive might just lead to more work. You want to thrive in a new contract role without setting expectations far too high to sustain for the entire duration of the contract. 

The ability to get new contracts regularly that pay well provides ultimate convenience. The ability to take a few months off after a contract allows you to rejuvenate mentally. Use the tips above so you will never have an issue finding a new contract due to the great reputation you have built. 

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Facebook

Tags

Trending