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A Glasgow Hostel Owner And Guest Got Into An Epic Argument On Facebook And Now It's Gone Viral

When Louise Taylor complained about the state of Blue Sky Hostel in Glasgow, she didn't expect the conversation to go viral. But after some angry responses from the owner and 700 comments later, it became a minor internet sensation.

This is the Blue Sky Hostel in Glasgow. It's popular with backpackers and people on boozy weekends and only caters for people aged 18 to 35. Last night it blew up on social media.

Why? Because of this review by Louise Taylor, a support worker and charity volunteer from Preston, who was up in Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games and spent £100 for two people for one night at Blue Sky.

Todd Pedersen, the owner of the hostel, was quick to respond, sparking the first exchange between the pair.

Nevertheless, onlookers could not get enough of the real-life soap opera.

Michael Jackson eating popcorn summed up the feelings of many.

Taylor expanded on her complaint, but Pedersen maintained that she didn't make a complaint at the time. Meanwhile the crowd gathered in the comment thread.

There was a debate over what kind of mattresses the hostel has – and a suggestion from Pedersen that his "sunny disposition" was a selling point.

Then came a suggestion that Taylor "put a heck of a load" on the bed, in order to bend it, which everyone saw as a way to call her fat. Pedersen later said this was just stating the facts about the beds.

And on – and on – it went, with both sides trading blows in probably the most ill-mannered online discussion between a business and customer you will see all year.

Many were incredulous at the rudeness of Pedersen's responses.

One person suggested how Pedersen should have responded.

At least one commenter asked if this wasn't part of some kind of situationist art prank.

Some commenters were asking the important questions.

By this point, Michael Jackson needed even more popcorn.

And some were crying out for MOAR.

Then Pedersen's wife, Michelle, stepped in to calm things down. It didn't quite work.

Still, people couldn't get enough.

For some it was a revelation.

A drinking game was invented.

Blue Sky Hostel risked becoming a tourist attraction because of the row.

Someone mocked up a helpful guide to customer service, based on Pedersen's responses.

Then came the fake TripAdvisor reviews from people who'd seen the epic Facebook exchange.

Michael Jackson was overwhelmed with popcorn by the time it died down.

So who is Todd Pedersen? He moved from Canada to Scotland in the 1990s. As the Glasgow Evening Times reported in 2006, he was fined £600 after pleading guilty to punching a man to the ground.

Oh, and this is how he describes his career experience on LinkedIn.

What he may or may not be, his customer service style remains entirely unique.

We originally said it was £100 for one night at the hostel – but that price was for two people, making it £50 per person.