How safe is Roomsharing ?

Jigglypuff510 · August 2016

Hello, generally how safe is Roomsharing ? I was considering doing this for PAX East 2017, and if I do what precautions should I take ?

TheAggroCraig · August 2016

The first time I roomshared was in Prime 2012, and overall it was a very good experience. Arguably it's on a person to person basis, but I clicked with... let's say 80% of the roommates I had (there's always one bad egg). Just be open minded and talk with the people prior to getting involved. Our room was advertised as a "party room" so if you were open to that you had a good time I feel, and given that description I expected people who were more easy going which is what I got. Like I said, it was the only roomshare I did and I still talk to 3/5 of the people I shared with to this day, so I call it a success overall, however I'm positive not all go that way, but it's more of a "give it a shot and see what happens" sort of thing.

nevermore13 · August 2016

I've only done it once and it was at East 2016, but it worked out fine for me. I would recommend looking at what they say in the post and inquire with themy if you have any questions or concerns.
Also, my experience may be slightly different as I am literally only in my room to shower and sleep during PAX and otherwise in the convention center.

ClannMorgan · September 2016

Jigglypuff510 wrote: »

Hello, generally how safe is Roomsharing ? I was considering doing this for PAX East 2017, and if I do what precautions should I take ?

Are you reading my mind? I was just thinking this. I've never done it before, so I don't have any input on that...I'm thinking of this for East 2017 too...anyone have any suggestions on what to look out for when vetting roomies?

PayneTrayne · September 2016

ClannMorgan wrote: »

Jigglypuff510 wrote: »

Hello, generally how safe is Roomsharing ? I was considering doing this for PAX East 2017, and if I do what precautions should I take ?

Are you reading my mind? I was just thinking this. I've never done it before, so I don't have any input on that...I'm thinking of this for East 2017 too...anyone have any suggestions on what to look out for when vetting roomies?

If you use social media it's a good idea to add them on there. Get a chance to chat and see what kind of stuff pops up in their feed is useful for seeing if someone will wear your skin as a cloak.

I've done roomshare three separate times with 7 partners and only had one issue (didn't bring cash to pay for his share). I still keep in touch with two of them at every PAX we go to.

punzie · September 2016

I've done several roo shares over the years and never had a bad experience. I've had people I don't really click with, but we still did fine sharing the room. Definitely try to get to know them first and make sure you want the same thing out of this room (i.e. party room vs. quiet room). If you're really nervous, try going with someone who is active in the forums: lots of posts, been around for a few years, or participates in community events. That's generally a good sign someone is Not A Dick.

Sterica · September 2016

Just did one for West, and it went perfectly fine. A few things that may help

People that are regulars on the forums are less likely to be trying to pull something.
Look for repeats from previous roomshare threads if possible. If they had scammed people or caused trouble, they usually get reported and are banned.
Use secure options when transferring money that allows you to contest. You may pay a bit extra, but it's better to be out 20-30 bucks than several hundred.
You may feel safer sticking with same-gender roommates. Your mileage may vary.
Bring your own amenities if you prefer to sleep alone. You may have to sleep on the floor if this is the case.
It helps to go with a friend so you got someone to back you up if there's trouble.
If you can't go with a friend, try to contact a friend that is also going or an area local. Even if you took measures to protect your money, that isn't super comforting when you travel many miles only to find you have no place to stay. By having a contact, you at least have a couch or floor to sleep on should worst come to worst.
Try rooming with people that don't plan on partying or anything of that nature. It reduces the chances of drunk people in your room.

If roomshares were that bad, we would have retired them years ago. They run pretty smoothly, but it never hurts to take precautions when dealing with strangers.

SutibunRi · September 2016

I've had no trouble with room shares. (1 Prime, 1 East, and 1 West)
I've gotten along well with all the roomates with whom I interacted.
At both Prime and East I tended to be the last one in at night, and so never had a chance to interact with the earliest risers, who were asleep, or almost so, by the time I got in, and gone by the time I woke up.
Will likely be sharing a room at South with the same two people as I roomed with at West. (Who'd also been part of the Prime room share)

iFish · October 2016

SutibunRi wrote: »

I've had no trouble with room shares. (1 Prime, 1 East, and 1 West)
I've gotten along well with all the roomates with whom I interacted.
At both Prime and East I tended to be the last one in at night, and so never had a chance to interact with the earliest risers, who were asleep, or almost so, by the time I got in, and gone by the time I woke up.
Will likely be sharing a room at South with the same two people as I roomed with at West. (Who'd also been part of the Prime room share)

I roomed with this man at East 2016 and I can confirm everything he's said.
Roomsharing is something I was very nervous about last year when I decided to go on my own, but it turned out really well as long as the people were easy to get in touch with and talk to.
Even if you're an anti-social person, you don't HAVE to spend any time with the roommates outside of sleeping, you're all at PAX for different reasons(assuming you're all strangers), so I wouldn't worry about that. As long as you're not a pain to room with, everything should go pretty well. Be polite, considerate, and tidy.

Puritysan · January 2017

I organize roomshares for several different types of conventions, and have been doing it for 10 years; as an organizer, it's stressful being the person that responsible for making things happen.
I tend to add people to my facebook, add them to a group and the event for that particular room share.
There's always constant communication. However, I am having trouble finding anyone for my PAX south rooms at the moment. it might be the location or the fact i only have floor space left, idk. lol
I even have a set list of guidelines.
It's good to have precautions, even on the organizers side.

vanner11 · May 2017

If you're willing to share a hotel room for a discounted rate, why not stay at a hostel? If you ask me, staying at a location designated for room sharing (and with policies and facilities in place for this purpose) is superior to splitting a hotel room. Usually cheaper too. I live in MA, so I can't recommend any hostels in MA, but for Pax West, I can personally recommend the Green Tortoise Hostel literally across the street from the famous Public Market Center.

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