A British tourist on holiday in Majorca has sparked controversy after he decided to take revenge on people who reserved their sunbeds by the pool using towels, only to occupy them for hours without using them.
A common practice in tourist resorts, reserving sunbeds from the early hours of the morning often causes the dissatisfaction of other tourists, who no longer find available places when they arrive at the pool.
Unsatisfied with the situation, 31-year-old Briton Tom Caunce, on a family holiday in Mallorca, decided to take action on his own. The man watched for several days the behavior of tourists who occupied the same sunbeds every morning, after which they disappeared for long periods.
“I think we’ve all experienced the frustration of trying to find a lounger on holiday“, he declared.
After several days of observation, the tourist came up with a prank that would bring him hundreds of thousands of views on social networks. He sprinkled the itchy powder on the towels used to reserve the sunbeds, according to the metro.
The first people targeted were a woman in her 40s and her husband, who the Brit claims used to book the same pool spots every day.
According to Tom Caunce, the first attempt did not have the desired effect. He tried to press the powder as he passed the sunbeds occupied with towels, but saw no reaction from those targeted.
Later, he returned and rubbed the irritating substance into one of the white towels provided by the hotel, after which he waited for the couple to return. “He took the white towel and wiped himself with it, and the small irritation seemed to turn into a generalized itch all over his body,” said the British tourist.
In images later published online, the man caught on video can be seen scratching himself shortly after using the towel.
The videos shared by Tom Caunce have garnered approximately 864,000 views and over 13,000 likes, but user reactions have been mixed.
“This is incredibly weird,” one social media user commented.
“It’s not okay to do that. To remove the towels, maybe, but not that,” another person wrote.
On the other hand, some netizens appreciated the gesture of the British tourist.
“Absolutely brilliant, thank you for your service”, was one of the comments favorable to his action.
The subject of reserving sunbeds with towels continues to generate debate in many European tourist destinations, with some hotels in recent years introducing strict rules against occupying seats for long periods in the absence of customers.
