In these touch economic times, one social networking site is providing travelers with a free alternative to staying in a hotel.

The website allows members to either arrange to sleep on another member's couch, or host a guest for free.

Lincoln resident Chuck Lippstreu has been a member for more than a year. He says he has crashed on a stranger's couch in Chicago and Denver.

"The first time you go and sleep on someone's couch, and then you get a free tour of the city and a great meal. All these things you wouldn't have gotten if you would have showed up at a hotel. That's really the benefit of couch surfing," Lippstreu said.

Lippstreu has seen his fair share of couch surfers on his couch as well.

"We've had eight or nine, ten people in the last four months come through Lincoln driving from east to west, west to east," he said.

But according to the Lincoln Police Chief Tom Casady, sites like couch-surfing-dot-com has its dangers.

"Just in the few people that I've checked, I saw a few interesting criminal histories. For example, one of the people offering his couch here in Lincoln is a registered sex offender, recently convicted of trying to entice a 13 year old on the computer," said Chief Casady.

However, Chief Casady says these few cases are probably not a reflection of everyone on the website.

"On balance I think most of the people who are offering up their couches for a few dimes are law abiding people who are being hospitable," he said.

Lippstreu says he has never had problems either crashing or hosting couch surfers.

"A lot of people are concerned with safety at first, they think how could you let someone sleep on your couch, and how could you sleep at night with someone sleeping on your couch. I found that people who offer up their own place to stay are very helpful and are very good guests," he said.

In the end, Lippstreu says it's about the experience of entering a home as strangers, and leaving as friends.

"It's not just a free couch, you make a lot of great friends you hear a lot of stories."

As a security measure the website does have a rating system in place where guests and hosts can rate each other and their experience. However, Chief Casady recommends checking references before you couch surf or allow a stranger into your home. He also says it is never a good idea to travel alone.