My crazy mattress story..

So, last week and into this week I have had a saga with a mattress. Here goes:

Three weeks ago I had a friend visiting for the weekend. I borrowed a mattress from a friend of mine so that she could stay in my room more comfortably and avoid the 20chf (that means swiss franc) a night fee. Instead you pay only 5 chf/night. My residence has very strange rules like this.

The Thursday before she arrived I went down to tell them that she was coming and ask if I could get an extra key for her. During our conversation I mentioned that I had an extra mattress. The man I was speaking with became angry and told me that mattresses were not allowed and that he had confiscated mattresses. I got rather offended especially because he said he didn't have a key that I could use. The next day when she arrived I decided not to tell them and not to pay the 5 chf. I didn't think it was necessary especially since I was not getting anything out of it.

All fine and good. The next week I woke up on Friday morning and realized that my mattress was gone. It just wasn't there. I had no idea what had happened. I thought at first that I had been robbed, but my computer and my cash were still in my room. Nothing else was missing - just the mattress. Strange. I went down to talk to the reception in the residence. See if they knew anything about it - or at least to report it as missing. I walked in and the woman at the desk was on the phone talking about mattresses. Hmmm... I asked her about my mattress and she verified that they had in fact taken it from my room. No warning. No letter saying "We have changed the rules and you are no longer allowed to have mattresses." No notice. Nothing. Just stealing my mattress. (On a side note - I do have a kettle in my room that I use regularly, even though that is forbidden in the rules. They did not confiscate that).

I was upset. She explained to me that having a mattress meant that I was having guests over all the time and not telling them. First, this is not a logical assumption. There could be any myriad of reasons that I have an extra mattress. Secondly, that does not give them the right to take my property out of my room. I did not know exactly what to do. She said I could come back on Monday and talk to the "responsable".

I started telling everyone about this incident. I found out, rather quickly, that I was not the only person whose mattress had been stolen. There were, apparently, 7 mattresses confiscated. I have only verified two others. I am assuming that this man decided to go on a mattress raid. I was rather lucky my mattress was foam and therefore rather difficult to hide or put away. So they could just come in and take it. Others had put their mattresses behind their clothing. In order to take them the thieves had to rifle through their clothing and belongings to find them. Searching rooms is not legal. If I had been present, perhaps. If they had gotten a warrant, perhaps. Just because someone deems that an object is dangerous to the running of the residence does not give that person, or any person, the right do take that object.

Over the weekend I got increasingly angry. Saturday I went down to talk to them, but of course they were not there during the one hour they are supposed to be open on Saturdays. Monday evening I went back. They said I could get the mattress Tuesday morning. Tuesday morning I went back. They said the "responsable" was still not there; she was sick. I would have to send an email to her and then they would put my mattress back in my room. I sent an email to them explaining this situation. I got no response. When I went and talked with them Tuesday evening they said they got it and that I could come back later to talk about it. Strange.

On Tuesday, My mattress was returned to my room.