Have you ever travelled using this web site https://www.couchsurfing.com? What would you look for in order to avoid this kind of experiences?
https://www.couchsurfing.com/people/guiom23/references?experience=negative
The link doesn't work for me. But here is a travel tip: you can avoid problems with couch surfing by ... not doing it. After you are assaulted or robbed of all you your money, somehow the $30 you saved by not going to a hotel doesn't seem like such a good bargain. (And I hope you are having Merry Atheist Communist Christmas)
Wow! Thank you all for a wonderful discussion! It's been great.
This link should work. I just wanted to go to France and not pay for the hoter, but after reading this I got kind of freaked out.