The Worst Journey You Ever Had ... ?

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 02 Sep 2004, 14:13

After a classic Virgin train journey last Friday - 2 trainloads of people crammed into 5 hastily-assembled carriages, after the non-arrival of any carriages at Glasgow - paying Ã‚Â£50 for the privilage of standing for 2 hours from Motherwell to Lancaster, in war-time conditions -

I was moved to wonder what other experiences people have had ...... ? Mr. Magnolia has already mentioned a flight in Peru which makes me blench at the thought

(see 'Honesty is Alive and Well' thread ...)

Wartime non-combatant experiences are included ........

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 02 Sep 2004, 17:00

Driving back from Inverness once in an elderly Renault 5 (E35 AGA, in case it's still on the road). Middle of winter. Snowploughs out. Blizzard conditions. The engine got progressively weaker and weaker, and eventually gave out. Breakdown truck came out. Rescued.
The engine got progressively weaker and weaker, and eventually gave out. Breakdown truck came out. Rescued.
The engine got progressively weaker and weaker, and eventually gave out. Breakdown truck came out. Rescued.
Eventually got home after 8 hours driving. Sold the car shortly after.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 02 Sep 2004, 19:40

1992 Train journey from Poland into East Germany. Overnight with no seat. Very crowded train. In the wee small hours I was escorted off the train because I didn't have a seat reservation - the station was in the middle of nowhere - my rucksack was still on the train - when the guard turned his back I got back on the train and went and hid. Some Germans tried to get me to smuggle cigarettes over the border for them - I politely declined.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 02 Sep 2004, 19:58

Dadaist wrote: I politely declined.

I think the generally accepted euphemism is "I made my excuses and left".

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 02 Sep 2004, 22:18

A few bad ones but the worst...?

On the coach to Wales v Scotland as a guest of Liberton Rugby Club, 1985.

It was the scabbiest coach you ever did see. 6 hours into the trip we were at..................? Lasswade. No heating until Southport, snow blizzards. On the return we had to abandon the coach in Moffat, stay overnight in the bar. Next day we got a train that made it to 20 miles from Edinburgh. After a delay it was decided we could go no further due to snow. The train went all the way back to Crewe across country and then up the Newcastle line. From Thurdsay morning til Monday morning we spent 36 hours travelling. We only spent 50 in Wales.

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 03 Sep 2004, 11:11

Porty wrote:we had to abandon the coach in Moffat, stay overnight in the bar

Well that bit wasn't too bad, was it?

Or was the bar closed, to add insult to injury? Or maybe the whisky was bad?

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 03 Sep 2004, 14:42

After 3 tough nights in Welsh bars another one in Moffat didn't really appeal but as you infer, we made most of it. It was the night the LA Raiders won the Superbowl and I think Marcus Allen was the MVP. Sure y'all will be fascinated by that bit of trivia.

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 03 Sep 2004, 16:09

It's hard to choose just one, isn't it? I've had train journeys from hell, of course - including one where the reserved seat for my two year old was at the opposite end of the carriage form my own reserved seat. I did see the funny side of that - would you like to travel for four hours next to an unaccompanied toddler?!
But i think my journeys to Ecuador and Spain were joint worst. My flight to Ecuador, as said in the other thread, was via BogotÃƒÂ¡; I was warned about altitude sickness in Quito but not BogotÃƒÂ¡, and as soon as the cabin depressurized i was very sick. So sick, I lost the people i was following through the airport, which was being refurbished and was basically a building site without any signs. Eventually found my way to gates where I was robbed by security staff. When i complained they made me watch snifffer dogs search japanese businessmen's bags, then sent me to the police office to file a report. There the head of security apologised for his staff and said it was them who'd done it. I was badly dehydrated and there for five hours with no money to get a drink, so beyond caring really. Managed to get on my next plane still vomiting, whre I met someone who offered to help but caused me even more hassle in the end - he used to drive us through the Andes at 100mph+ high on coke... Nightmare.
Trip to Spain by ferry even worse. Travelled overnight to Southampton, no sleep, caught ferry, 30 hour trip, no bed, no sleep and more vomit, then got lift through mountains to destination from a chap who decided to stop for dinner and a bottle of wine before taking the mountain pass, and who felt payment in kind was in order. A third night with no sleep.
These days I prefer not to go very far!

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 03 Sep 2004, 16:18

Bellybabe, I'm not sure your current signature would have been appropriate to those experiences!!

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 03 Sep 2004, 16:23

Reading all this makes me want to stay at home too, I must admit!!!

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 03 Sep 2004, 18:10

Definitely the one when we went from Edinburgh to Plymouth on a sleeper train with a large haggis and two pounds of sliced sausage (from Findlay's of course!). It was extremely hot so we decided to fill the sink with cold water and leave the haggis and sausage in there overnight (ingenious? we thought so!). Unfortunately the bag had a hole in it and when we got up all the blood had drained out of the sausage and it was pure white and stuck all over the haggis

Unable to remove all of it we wrapped the bag up and took it with us on a tour of Bristol (we had 3 hours to wait for our connection to Plymouth). It was ROASTING! By the time we got to Plymouth with the sausage covered haggis it was absolutely minging

Not a good way to introduce the English to our national dish!

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 03 Sep 2004, 22:42

sounds like trips to remember BB

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 04 Sep 2004, 17:00

Epykat you have succeeded in making me feel like puking. I hate haggis as it is never mind when its covered in Sausage blood.