writers block - worst travel experience
May. 7th, 2010 10:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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Honestly, with all the times I've travelled over the other side of the world independently from 05 onwards, I am pleased to say I haven't had any terrible travel experiences. Being blind, I thought there'd bound to be at least a few, but everything has gone extremely smoothly every single time. I guess there's been just two, or maybe three actually kind of experiences which I wondered how I'd get out of, but they're really nothing in the grand scheme of things.
The first one was when I'd just landed in San Fransisco in 05; I was just so so excited to finally be in a country I'd always dreampt about going to ever since I was little. I was also quite tired of sitting on my backside having been on it for approx fourteen hours (since Aucland). So, finally got the "OK" to stand up and walk out of the plane. alas, as happens with a lot of blind people, "they" had a wheelchair waiting for me. As this was my first independent experience travelling, and due to the fact I was tired, I didn't protest as much as I should have, and sat on my backside once more, feeling extremely stupid and small. -- Anyway, this was bad enough as i was wheeled through customs (getting my fingerprint taken etc), but, this wasn't the worst bit.
I was wheeled to the main airport's customer service counter as I couldn't find my friends I was meeting and needed to get them paged. well, after a while of trying to communicate with a non-English speaking guy, he did page my two friends, but didn't pronounce their names correctly did they; it of course resulted in them not coming over, so I waited, .. waited, .. mannaged to get them paged again, and still I waited. -- I got very panicky by this stage. It seemed that literally every single person that walked past didn't speak english, so I couldn't get their help either. "Welcome to America" I said to myself.
I tried to turn my mobile on, but alas, it wasn't roaming and I wasn't sure how to make it do so.
I'd heard a couple of people speaking on a public phone, and I thought, in sheer desperation I'd have to make a tollfree call to my friend in the U.K. (he had a tollfree number in the states as that's where his customer-based job was based). I had no money on me (stupid idea that was; I now get my money exchanged at Melb airport), so this was my only option.
So, having fortunately memorized the tollfree number, I called up my friend (Dave W). For a while it was engaged and of course that only made me more upset. When I finally got on to him, my first words through utter sobs were "I .. I .. I .. um .. am here, and I can't find my friends, and I don't know what to do."
I don't exactly know what I was expecting. Him and I were to attend the ACB convention in vegas together in a couple of weeks time, but that was then, not now. I guess i'd felt, since he'd been an independent traveller for years, he may have a brighter idea than me who's first time alone this was, and we'd become pretty close friends.
Anyway he said, "OK, try and relax"' bless him; "I can't relax; I'm in a foreign country, and I'm stranded with no-one speaking my damn language".
He continued, "Did you arrange a place to meet"? ..
All that conversation was had, and he eventually said, "Well, if you can't find them, you'll just have to find a hotel to stay in".
"I can't do that", I exclaimed in shock; 'wouldn't have a clue how to arrange all that." (now five years later, I certainly could, but i've had many more travel, even hotel experiences; I also am a lot more confident with talking to people than i was, even back then.)
"You'll just have too" replied dave. "You'll have to go up to the Malaysian airlines desk, and get them to help you; you payd all this money; they will do it."
"OK thanks". I said after a while, as he did make me feel better; at least i wasn't sobbing any more.
I went to sit back down on these lounge chairs I'd found to contemplate exactly how I was going to find someone who spoke english to take me up to the desk, (no I'm not exaggerating; it's worse than Melbourne).
Anyway, to my utter delight, the next thing i knew, a guys voice said in my ear, "Um, hello, I think i know you." "Do I know him??" I thought for a second, but then I exclaimed "Glen!!" and I cried again, but this time for utter joy! I quickly told him of the situation, and he said that he and Rich hadn't heard the paging. I can't remember now, what he'd said about why we got our meeting places confused, but, I found them; yeah! I got on the train with them, and we went back to Rich' place. the rest of the holiday went smoothly, and yes, i did meet dave and was able to thank him personally for calming me down.
The following year in London, I was stranded for a few minutes outside Hewston station while waiting for some assistence that never came, but fortunately someone else did.
OK I guess the only other kinda bad experience I can think of (though not as) was fastforwarding to last year at Brisbane airport, just haven flown from Cairnes. A bloke assisted me from my jetstar aircraft. We went to get my luggage and I'd described to him what my case looked like. We waited a while, and then he all of a sudden walked off. I'd assumed he walked off as he'd seen my case. but, he never returned. As can be noted from my experience a few years before, when I get panicky, I get teary. The room was gradually emptying out til there was just me, standing there wondering what on earth i'd do. "If no-one shows by 12, I'll have to go find someone" i thought. But sure enough, one of the last people standing near me asked me if i was alright and had I got my case yet?" i told her through uncontrolable tears that I'd been left, and she was able to find my case, and get another member of staff to help me to the cab rank.
Apart from mentioning this to the person helping me, I didn't make a complaint even though I had meant too.
So, during the five years (nine independent overseas trips and four dimestic) I've had, that's all the trouble I've endured.
I'm not saying the future trips will be trouble free, but honestly, it is hard to get into trouble when there's assistence the whole way to the destination.
Heather C reckons I should write a book about travelling as a blind person; There's honestly not a lot to it really. Of course, I am greatful for her support, but honestly, she's got to realize, I can expect more trouble just travelling around our city at times, Lol!
Woh, that was long! It was funny really, as I happened to go to the front page today and see this writers block question, and thought it was pretty ironic since I'd suggested I might do one just yesterday.
Til Next Time, RdFreak
Honestly, with all the times I've travelled over the other side of the world independently from 05 onwards, I am pleased to say I haven't had any terrible travel experiences. Being blind, I thought there'd bound to be at least a few, but everything has gone extremely smoothly every single time. I guess there's been just two, or maybe three actually kind of experiences which I wondered how I'd get out of, but they're really nothing in the grand scheme of things.
The first one was when I'd just landed in San Fransisco in 05; I was just so so excited to finally be in a country I'd always dreampt about going to ever since I was little. I was also quite tired of sitting on my backside having been on it for approx fourteen hours (since Aucland). So, finally got the "OK" to stand up and walk out of the plane. alas, as happens with a lot of blind people, "they" had a wheelchair waiting for me. As this was my first independent experience travelling, and due to the fact I was tired, I didn't protest as much as I should have, and sat on my backside once more, feeling extremely stupid and small. -- Anyway, this was bad enough as i was wheeled through customs (getting my fingerprint taken etc), but, this wasn't the worst bit.
I was wheeled to the main airport's customer service counter as I couldn't find my friends I was meeting and needed to get them paged. well, after a while of trying to communicate with a non-English speaking guy, he did page my two friends, but didn't pronounce their names correctly did they; it of course resulted in them not coming over, so I waited, .. waited, .. mannaged to get them paged again, and still I waited. -- I got very panicky by this stage. It seemed that literally every single person that walked past didn't speak english, so I couldn't get their help either. "Welcome to America" I said to myself.
I tried to turn my mobile on, but alas, it wasn't roaming and I wasn't sure how to make it do so.
I'd heard a couple of people speaking on a public phone, and I thought, in sheer desperation I'd have to make a tollfree call to my friend in the U.K. (he had a tollfree number in the states as that's where his customer-based job was based). I had no money on me (stupid idea that was; I now get my money exchanged at Melb airport), so this was my only option.
So, having fortunately memorized the tollfree number, I called up my friend (Dave W). For a while it was engaged and of course that only made me more upset. When I finally got on to him, my first words through utter sobs were "I .. I .. I .. um .. am here, and I can't find my friends, and I don't know what to do."
I don't exactly know what I was expecting. Him and I were to attend the ACB convention in vegas together in a couple of weeks time, but that was then, not now. I guess i'd felt, since he'd been an independent traveller for years, he may have a brighter idea than me who's first time alone this was, and we'd become pretty close friends.
Anyway he said, "OK, try and relax"' bless him; "I can't relax; I'm in a foreign country, and I'm stranded with no-one speaking my damn language".
He continued, "Did you arrange a place to meet"? ..
All that conversation was had, and he eventually said, "Well, if you can't find them, you'll just have to find a hotel to stay in".
"I can't do that", I exclaimed in shock; 'wouldn't have a clue how to arrange all that." (now five years later, I certainly could, but i've had many more travel, even hotel experiences; I also am a lot more confident with talking to people than i was, even back then.)
"You'll just have too" replied dave. "You'll have to go up to the Malaysian airlines desk, and get them to help you; you payd all this money; they will do it."
"OK thanks". I said after a while, as he did make me feel better; at least i wasn't sobbing any more.
I went to sit back down on these lounge chairs I'd found to contemplate exactly how I was going to find someone who spoke english to take me up to the desk, (no I'm not exaggerating; it's worse than Melbourne).
Anyway, to my utter delight, the next thing i knew, a guys voice said in my ear, "Um, hello, I think i know you." "Do I know him??" I thought for a second, but then I exclaimed "Glen!!" and I cried again, but this time for utter joy! I quickly told him of the situation, and he said that he and Rich hadn't heard the paging. I can't remember now, what he'd said about why we got our meeting places confused, but, I found them; yeah! I got on the train with them, and we went back to Rich' place. the rest of the holiday went smoothly, and yes, i did meet dave and was able to thank him personally for calming me down.
The following year in London, I was stranded for a few minutes outside Hewston station while waiting for some assistence that never came, but fortunately someone else did.
OK I guess the only other kinda bad experience I can think of (though not as) was fastforwarding to last year at Brisbane airport, just haven flown from Cairnes. A bloke assisted me from my jetstar aircraft. We went to get my luggage and I'd described to him what my case looked like. We waited a while, and then he all of a sudden walked off. I'd assumed he walked off as he'd seen my case. but, he never returned. As can be noted from my experience a few years before, when I get panicky, I get teary. The room was gradually emptying out til there was just me, standing there wondering what on earth i'd do. "If no-one shows by 12, I'll have to go find someone" i thought. But sure enough, one of the last people standing near me asked me if i was alright and had I got my case yet?" i told her through uncontrolable tears that I'd been left, and she was able to find my case, and get another member of staff to help me to the cab rank.
Apart from mentioning this to the person helping me, I didn't make a complaint even though I had meant too.
So, during the five years (nine independent overseas trips and four dimestic) I've had, that's all the trouble I've endured.
I'm not saying the future trips will be trouble free, but honestly, it is hard to get into trouble when there's assistence the whole way to the destination.
Heather C reckons I should write a book about travelling as a blind person; There's honestly not a lot to it really. Of course, I am greatful for her support, but honestly, she's got to realize, I can expect more trouble just travelling around our city at times, Lol!
Woh, that was long! It was funny really, as I happened to go to the front page today and see this writers block question, and thought it was pretty ironic since I'd suggested I might do one just yesterday.
Til Next Time, RdFreak