Couchsurfing:Sketchy or Genius?

So I'm sure most of you are aware of what couchsurfing is, but those of you who don't I will inform you.

I was first introduce to this phenominon when my best friend Saffron emerged from her house one day with some random guy about to get into my car. This set up is going to sound similar to an informative commercial.
"Who is this?"
"Greg from couchsurfing."
"What's couchsurfing?"
"It's an internation online community of people who offer up their couches for travelers."
I found it hard to believe that people offer their couches free of charge without it being wierdo or rapist proof. But she assured me its just for people who were trying to budget their money while traveling. I still thought the idea was crazy, until being here. I found myself making a couchsurfing account. Don't worry relitives I have yet to stay on some randoms couch, but I did get a message from a Madridliano asking me out for an innocent drink to talk about myself and show parts of the city I haven't seen.
So yesterday after my roommates assured me they would call the police if I wasn't back by 10pm I went off to meet Vincente. He was a 29 year old computer engineer from Toldeo who had been living in Madrid for the past 15 years. We walked around conversation flowed well, talking about traveling and the city of Madrid.
He informed me that Spain's capital had voted in a new governer a couple of years back who had completely transformed the city. Enacting laws which banned street drinking in large crowds and bars to close by 5am. He also made drinking and drinving illegal (I guess there was no law restricting it befor according to Vincente). I told him that to me Madrid was a party city. Clubs don't close until the early morning and drunk people get on the metro at 6am when the rest of the working world is going to their jobs. But he assured me this was nothing compared to the "old" Madrid.
He also talked about how Spanish women were very reserved and hard to approach. He had lived in New York and Canada for short periods of time and saw American women as much more "wild". I couldn't help but agree. I also told him it depends on the female.
I really wished I would have met him earlier on because I feel he would be my ticket to experiencing authenic Madrid. Vincente also told me all the night spots we had been going cater to tourst and thats why they had been playing American music. Madrid did in fact have their own music scene. ahhh now it all made sense! While having a drink and conversing on an outside patio, I saw two of my classmates pass by and they flashed me the "Who is that?" look. Kind of awkward but that was only point in time where I felt out of place.
Because of this experience I think I will engage in more couchsurfing outings and maybe even take up the offer to stay on someone's couch. Although I can just hear the ringing of my parents saying "Be safe" in my head and get weary.