During a family vacation in Mallorca, a holidaymaker named Tom Caunce grew tired of fellow tourists reserving sunbeds by the pool early in the morning. To take matters into his own hands, Tom decided to sprinkle itching powder on their towels. He captured the act on video and shared it online, targeting what he referred to as “repeat offenders” who consistently claimed prime poolside loungers before disappearing.
Expressing his frustration with the sunbed reservation practice, Tom stated, “Many of us have experienced the annoyance of waking up at 6 am just to secure a good spot by the pool. On my recent vacation, I had enough and thought it was time for some playful retaliation.”
Observing guests who habitually reserved the same loungers each morning before leaving, Tom, a 31-year-old from Southport, singled out a woman in her late 40s as his first target. Despite attempting a discreet sprinkle of itching powder on a towel, the plan seemed to backfire when the woman quickly noticed the irritation and swapped the towel.
Undeterred, Tom devised a new strategy the following day. After setting his alarm for 6 am, he witnessed another couple heading for the same loungers they occupied previously. Tom sneaked downstairs, applied itching powder to a hotel towel, and waited for the couple to return. The man eventually started scratching and ended up jumping into the pool to alleviate the discomfort.
The situation escalated when the man used the tainted towel to dry himself, causing a full-body itch. Tom recounted that the holidaymaker abandoned sunbathing and sought refuge under an umbrella for the rest of the afternoon, finding the reaction amusing.
Videos of the prank garnered a total of 864,000 views and over 13,000 likes, generating mixed reactions from social media users. While some found it strange or unacceptable, others praised the act as clever. The incident occurred on June 6 and 7 in Majorca.
Itching powder typically contains microscopic hairs from rosehip seed pods, known for their irritating properties. Cheaper versions historically included ground-up fiberglass, posing significant health risks.