Unfortunate Travel Memories
Mar 1st, 2024, 04:25 PM
#1
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Unfortunate Travel Memories
First that comes to mind is for me would be Island of Hawaii when a centipede ran under my bed while my husband was sound fully sleeping in the other room. Primal screams to wake him up would put it mild.
He would say, also on the Island of Hawaii, in Hawi when he went to the loo in the middle of the night a cane spider flew across the room at lightning speed.
And you?
He would say, also on the Island of Hawaii, in Hawi when he went to the loo in the middle of the night a cane spider flew across the room at lightning speed.
And you?
Mar 1st, 2024, 04:55 PM
#4
Scotland. 1979. Forth Bridge.https://www.theforthbridges.org/abou.../forth-bridge/
Having to haul then husband out of driving seat of a Leyland Sherpa campervan mid-crossing when he decided he was too frightened to proceed and pulled up. It took several minutes to decide whether I would be able to get him to the edge of the bridge and throw him over which was my preferred option at the time, and, having decided I probably could not - get the idiot into the passenger seat.
As you may imagine the steadily increasing queue behind us was encouraging this maneuver with generous horn blowing.
Fortunately, I learned to drive a manual vehicle as a pre-teen and although this was the first time I'd driven this particular one, I got us going and across.
Divorced said husband a couple of years later. That was not the sole reason - but ....
Having to haul then husband out of driving seat of a Leyland Sherpa campervan mid-crossing when he decided he was too frightened to proceed and pulled up. It took several minutes to decide whether I would be able to get him to the edge of the bridge and throw him over which was my preferred option at the time, and, having decided I probably could not - get the idiot into the passenger seat.
As you may imagine the steadily increasing queue behind us was encouraging this maneuver with generous horn blowing.
Fortunately, I learned to drive a manual vehicle as a pre-teen and although this was the first time I'd driven this particular one, I got us going and across.
Divorced said husband a couple of years later. That was not the sole reason - but ....
Mar 1st, 2024, 05:13 PM
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That’s funny to read! But I am sure extremely stressful in the moment.
We had a lovely family trip to England and Scotland. On the way home, our flight was cancelled, a tiring day of waiting ended up in an Airport hotel with a chain length fence around it in NYC. We arrived after dark so beyond exhausted. We had to catch hotel bus at a very early hour the next morning. When we finally arrived home, ,our middle son gave us his passport and said to toss it he would never go abroad again. He has never mentioned.
We had a lovely family trip to England and Scotland. On the way home, our flight was cancelled, a tiring day of waiting ended up in an Airport hotel with a chain length fence around it in NYC. We arrived after dark so beyond exhausted. We had to catch hotel bus at a very early hour the next morning. When we finally arrived home, ,our middle son gave us his passport and said to toss it he would never go abroad again. He has never mentioned.
Mar 1st, 2024, 06:13 PM
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As stated here before, we've had the misfortune of traveling abroad with another couple whose anger management fell way short. Unresolved issues.
Frankly, it was mostly the wife's fault. Her tantrums got so bad that we once had to take the rental car keys away from her, lest there be a road accident.
Shame, cause the husband was a real gent. And as we walked away from them for the very last time, I made sure that he knew how Mrs Z and I felt:
"You're a good man (who doesn't deserve this abuse)."
I am done. the unfortunate
**show me someone who claims that they've never had unfortunate travel memories and I'll show them the door.
Frankly, it was mostly the wife's fault. Her tantrums got so bad that we once had to take the rental car keys away from her, lest there be a road accident.
Shame, cause the husband was a real gent. And as we walked away from them for the very last time, I made sure that he knew how Mrs Z and I felt:
"You're a good man (who doesn't deserve this abuse)."
I am done. the unfortunate
**show me someone who claims that they've never had unfortunate travel memories and I'll show them the door.
Mar 1st, 2024, 06:26 PM
#9
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If there are any questions, please refer to the prominent sticky at the the top of the Lounge Please *DO NOT POST TRAVEL THREADS TO THE LOUNGE*
Mar 1st, 2024, 06:37 PM
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I was 16 spending the summer of 1968 with cousins attending Berkeley. Their apartment was just off Telegraph, it was an exciting time, Black Panthers soliciting donations on the corner, Hells Angels at Pepe’s Pizza. When the took off in formation everything just stopped.
Loved going to the Fillmore to see bands like the Chambers Brothers, Loading Zone and the Dead. Spent every evening hanging on Telegraph scrounging cigarettes and beer as my cousins let me do whatever I wanted within reason.
One night several young people were arrested. It turned violent fast, for 3-4 blocks on both sides hundreds of kids were lined up screaming pigs off campus! After a while I saw 5 lines of police in full riot gear with shields and clubs approach and took off to the apartment roof.
As soon as I got there it hit the fan as the police advanced. Anyone in the way was beaten down, a few unfortunates were immobilized with pepper fog. Tear gas grenades were exploding like firecrackers, plumes of gas billowing over the rooftops. The violence was terrifying.
Loved going to the Fillmore to see bands like the Chambers Brothers, Loading Zone and the Dead. Spent every evening hanging on Telegraph scrounging cigarettes and beer as my cousins let me do whatever I wanted within reason.
One night several young people were arrested. It turned violent fast, for 3-4 blocks on both sides hundreds of kids were lined up screaming pigs off campus! After a while I saw 5 lines of police in full riot gear with shields and clubs approach and took off to the apartment roof.
As soon as I got there it hit the fan as the police advanced. Anyone in the way was beaten down, a few unfortunates were immobilized with pepper fog. Tear gas grenades were exploding like firecrackers, plumes of gas billowing over the rooftops. The violence was terrifying.
Mar 1st, 2024, 07:35 PM
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Curiousgeo, I'm sure that was terrifying.
In the summer just before I turned 13 we took our last family vacation with both Mom and Dad. The short version is things went sideways and they decided to divorce soon after we got home. The trip had nothing to do with that as they would have divorced anyway, but I wish it hadn't fallen apart the way it did. 😞
In the summer just before I turned 13 we took our last family vacation with both Mom and Dad. The short version is things went sideways and they decided to divorce soon after we got home. The trip had nothing to do with that as they would have divorced anyway, but I wish it hadn't fallen apart the way it did. 😞
Mar 2nd, 2024, 01:47 AM
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Nothing as terrifying as curiousgo.
A lion in camp in Tanzania being chased off by an angry cook wielding a frying pan, and the camper van deciding it didn't want to go up Mt Ventoux, when we were already half way up were probably the most "interesting" events.
A lion in camp in Tanzania being chased off by an angry cook wielding a frying pan, and the camper van deciding it didn't want to go up Mt Ventoux, when we were already half way up were probably the most "interesting" events.
Mar 2nd, 2024, 08:28 AM
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This was 8 or 9 years ago, traveling by myself on a round-the-world trip. I was in Lyon, and had a flight the next morning from Paris/CDG to Hong Kong. My plan was to take the TGV to CDG, stay overnight at the CitizenM Hotel at CDG, then hop on the Cathay Pacific flight to HKG in the morning.
I got to my seat on the train, and, as the train pulled out of Lyon, I discovered that my wallet was no longer in my front pocket -- I'd been pickpocketed as I climbed up to the train's upper deck. The wallet had about $300 in cash (USD, EUR, HKD) and all my credit cards and driver's license. I still had my passport, and 5-10 euros in coins. The train's next stop was CDG airport.
This was my real-time post on Fodor's looking for help:
Help -- wallet stolen, no cash, no credits cards
(Thanks to Mme Perdu, I learned how AmEx could bail me out by having a pile of cash waiting for me at the HKG airport, plus contacting my HKG hotel to let me check in there without a physical credit card. This also taught me to keep at least 1 credit card in a different place from the others.)
I got to my seat on the train, and, as the train pulled out of Lyon, I discovered that my wallet was no longer in my front pocket -- I'd been pickpocketed as I climbed up to the train's upper deck. The wallet had about $300 in cash (USD, EUR, HKD) and all my credit cards and driver's license. I still had my passport, and 5-10 euros in coins. The train's next stop was CDG airport.
This was my real-time post on Fodor's looking for help:
Help -- wallet stolen, no cash, no credits cards
(Thanks to Mme Perdu, I learned how AmEx could bail me out by having a pile of cash waiting for me at the HKG airport, plus contacting my HKG hotel to let me check in there without a physical credit card. This also taught me to keep at least 1 credit card in a different place from the others.)
Mar 2nd, 2024, 10:05 AM
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Travelling from LHR to Boston via Toronto on Air Canada. The plane was late taking off, so very late landing. I had to go through immigration in a very long line and missed my connection. Customer service got me on a flight the next morning, and a hotel room for the night. The "hotel" was miles from the airport, and what I imagine an hourly hotel might be. Thick glass and bars round the reception and very down at heel. They sent me up to a room that hadn't been cleaned, with pizza boxes and beer cans strewn about. The next room wasn't much better, so I slept in my clothes, and hoped no hitch hikers would come home with me. Next morning, I got to the gate, and it had changed to one on the far end of the airport. Missed that flight, so they got me onto one to Manchester, NH. DH was halfway down to Boston, so he had to change direction to come to get me. Never, never going to use AC again. Nightmare from beginning to end.
Mar 2nd, 2024, 01:35 PM
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This was in 1989 when we emigrated from the former Soviet Union to the USA.We laugh now, but then it was not funny. When we landed in NY the younger son was only 7 years old, and the child had to use the bathroom. I took him, leaving my husband and the older son behind. The restrooms were on another floor, and by the time we were ready to go back, the doors were closed.
We came as a large group of Jewish refugees, and security was high. In my very rudimentary English I tried to explain that my husband and son are “there” somewhere, and I have all “documents” in my purse. They caught the word “husband” and started laughing: don’t worry, it’s just a husband, he will be back. Then told us to wait, the group will be on our floor.
We couldn’t leave, so the only thing to do was sit down and wait. Some time later a wall opened, it was a freight elevator carrying a large group of people, and in the front our older son wiping off tears and my husband waving his fist. The most non-confrontational person I know waving his fist.
We stopped shaking, I think, when we finally got to the apartment in San Francisco that my father managed to rent for us. He was lucky to find anything as the city was recovering after the damage caused by the strong October 1989 earthquake.
We came as a large group of Jewish refugees, and security was high. In my very rudimentary English I tried to explain that my husband and son are “there” somewhere, and I have all “documents” in my purse. They caught the word “husband” and started laughing: don’t worry, it’s just a husband, he will be back. Then told us to wait, the group will be on our floor.
We couldn’t leave, so the only thing to do was sit down and wait. Some time later a wall opened, it was a freight elevator carrying a large group of people, and in the front our older son wiping off tears and my husband waving his fist. The most non-confrontational person I know waving his fist.
We stopped shaking, I think, when we finally got to the apartment in San Francisco that my father managed to rent for us. He was lucky to find anything as the city was recovering after the damage caused by the strong October 1989 earthquake.
Mar 4th, 2024, 07:32 PM
#20
This was in 1989 when we emigrated from the former Soviet Union to the USA.We laugh now, but then it was not funny. When we landed in NY the younger son was only 7 years old, and the child had to use the bathroom. I took him, leaving my husband and the older son behind. The restrooms were on another floor, and by the time we were ready to go back, the doors were closed.
We came as a large group of Jewish refugees, and security was high. In my very rudimentary English I tried to explain that my husband and son are “there” somewhere, and I have all “documents” in my purse. They caught the word “husband” and started laughing: don’t worry, it’s just a husband, he will be back. Then told us to wait, the group will be on our floor.
We couldn’t leave, so the only thing to do was sit down and wait. Some time later a wall opened, it was a freight elevator carrying a large group of people, and in the front our older son wiping off tears and my husband waving his fist. The most non-confrontational person I know waving his fist.
We stopped shaking, I think, when we finally got to the apartment in San Francisco that my father managed to rent for us. He was lucky to find anything as the city was recovering after the damage caused by the strong October 1989 earthquake.
We came as a large group of Jewish refugees, and security was high. In my very rudimentary English I tried to explain that my husband and son are “there” somewhere, and I have all “documents” in my purse. They caught the word “husband” and started laughing: don’t worry, it’s just a husband, he will be back. Then told us to wait, the group will be on our floor.
We couldn’t leave, so the only thing to do was sit down and wait. Some time later a wall opened, it was a freight elevator carrying a large group of people, and in the front our older son wiping off tears and my husband waving his fist. The most non-confrontational person I know waving his fist.
We stopped shaking, I think, when we finally got to the apartment in San Francisco that my father managed to rent for us. He was lucky to find anything as the city was recovering after the damage caused by the strong October 1989 earthquake.
