Most of our AirBnB guests are lovely and give us really nice reviews, so it is always an extra shock when someone isn't lovely.
This afternoon an elderly guy turned up. He had booked quite a while ago, and when he appeared he seemed a little pedantic, a bit slow on the uptake and I didn't, on the whole, get a good vibe off him. He seemed disconcerted about the fact that the room was on the top floor even though it's in the description on the AirBnB website. However, I'd got the room ready, ironed pillow cases, sewn back the lost buttons on the duvet cover, put out the tea and coffee things. M had cleaned the small upstairs bathroom. The guest, "Roy" had booked for 3 nights, so it was a good booking, and I was prepared to grit my teeth if we didn't get on. I asked him what had brought him to Ramsgate, he said he wanted to see the Turner, and had booked somewhere in Margate, but she'd cancelled the booking and then put the price up. I said it was easy to get to Margate on the bus and Ramsgate was much prettier. He said he was going to have a rest.
About two hours later I went out to offer him the house key as he was walking down the stairs. Strangely he was holding a roll of loo paper and the top of a Bonne Maman jam jar in his hand. He said he had had a terrible allergic attack, he was allergic to dust. I said I was sorry - it must be because of the work we're doing on the house. He said he'd only ever had such a bad attack once before. Then he held out the lid of the jar. The jar sits on a tray in the room, full of ground coffee which is there for guests to make coffee in their cafetieres with. The jar is not in the first flush of youth and some black spots were appearing beneath the lining on the inside... he waved it at me "it's not very nice is it!" "It's just coffee" I said, thinking the black spots were bits of coffee. He launched into the attack, "I'm very disappointed with it all/this is not what I expected" "Look, it's extremely clear on the website," I said, firmly. "it's work in progress. It's a family home, not a posh B&B!" "Don't mention the word posh!" he spluttered. "This allergic attack...." he raged. "Well, of course, in the hay fever season" I began sympathetically "This is nothing to with hay fever, Madam!" he shouted. "I was only trying to say, a lot of my family have allergies and...." "No Madam, no. This is quite different! " "You aren't the only person who suffers allergies" (My father and I both have dust allergies) "I have found somewhere else, and I'm going there." "OK, that's fine" I said, relieved to get rid this contumacious git. I went back into my room and shut the door and he stomped off somewhere.
I sat at the laptop, unable to work, just willing him to go. Mark came in. "What was all that about?"
I told him.
"He's going" I said "I can't face talking to him again, you can see him off the premises." I briefly ran through the argument. I felt quite shaken. I just wanted him out of the house. Mark came back 20 mins later and said "he's gone." "Did he speak to you or say goodbye?" "No, he just left."
I felt relieved, and also rather frightened, in the last few hours I have this fear that he will somehow come back and want to fulfill his booking. I have to keep reminding myself he hasn't got a key. I thought about his behaviour - he seemed to get so angry. What was he expecting me to do about the top of the coffee jar? It was a complete non-problem. His approach was entirely that he had a grievance against us and wanted us to be in the wrong. For a man who has had a bad allergic attack, he seemed quite well. When I have a bad allergic attack I have to lie down in a darkened room. He looked quite normal - I had heard him sneeze a couple of times - but nothing like the 10 or 12 sneeze outbursts I commonly have. Anyway, he was an astonishingly rude man. I just hope he wasn't an "AirBnB secret shopper".
I am now worried that he is going to have a big stroppy review of us. He will probably want a refund too - and so I hope we won't have to have some process with AirBnB. I fear that he should seek help, the erratic and volatile behaviour combined with his apparent disorientation when he arrived made me wonder whether he was in the early stages of dementia. I am writing this account while it is still fresh in my mind - I was really upset by him, and am frankly delighted he has gone.
