A vacationer who grew tired of fellow travelers claiming sunbeds early in the morning decided to prank them by sprinkling itching powder on their towels. Tom Caunce took matters into his own hands while on a family trip to Mallorca.
Recording the act, the 31-year-old targeted what he called “repeat offenders” who reserved top poolside loungers before vanishing to their rooms.
“We’ve all felt the frustration of trying to secure a sunbed on vacation,” Tom remarked. “Many of us have endured waking up at 6 am just for a chance at a good spot. On my recent trip, I had enough and thought it was time for some playful retaliation.”
Observing guests who consistently claimed the same loungers each morning, Tom singled out a woman he believed to be in her late 40s.
According to Tom, the woman and her husband habitually reserved the same beds despite rarely staying by the pool. He attempted a swift sprinkle of itching powder on one towel as a humorous gesture, but things took an unexpected turn.
“When she got to the pool, she appeared agitated. She promptly snatched the towel from the sunbed and rushed back to her room to change it, while her husband held the spot,” Tom recounted.
Undeterred, Tom devised a new strategy the following day. Rising at 6 am, he watched from his balcony as vacationers headed to the pool.
Spotting a couple making a beeline for the same loungers as the prior day, Tom crept down and applied itching powder to a hotel towel before waiting for their return.
Hours later, around 1:30 pm, the man showed up. Initially fearing the prank failed as the man had brought a different towel, Tom soon witnessed him start scratching.
“After about a minute, I saw him scratching his legs. In around 10 minutes, he got up and leaped into the pool,” Tom described.
The situation escalated when the man later dried himself with the affected towel. “He grabbed the white towel and used it to dry off, and the mild irritation turned into full-body scratching,” Tom added.
Allegedly, the holidaymaker abandoned sunbathing and sought refuge under an umbrella for the rest of the afternoon. Tom mentioned attempting to capture more footage but couldn’t contain his laughter, deeming the reaction priceless.
The videos amassed a total of 864,000 views and garnered over 13,000 likes, prompting mixed reactions from social media users. One commenter remarked, “This is incredibly strange.”
Another user expressed disapproval, stating, “It’s not acceptable to do this. Removing towels, yes, but not this.”
However, some praised the act, with one person saying, “Absolute genius, thank you for your service,” while another criticized, “What a b*llend.”
The prank unfolded in Majorca on 6 and 7 June.
Typically, itching powder’s primary ingredient is derived from rosehip seed pods, specifically Rosa canina, containing tiny, sharp microscopic hairs. Some low-quality novelty powders historically utilized ground fiberglass or specialized glass fibers, posing significant hazards.
