The Worst Journey in the WorldAspley Cherry Garrard was the youngest member of the Scott Polar Expedition when he and two others lost their tent to the winds of a night-time snowstorm. They spent hours in temperatures below -70°F stumbling about the ice floes hoping they'd bump into it as it was their only hope of survival.
OK, so that was bad, but we reckon you've had worse. We know how hard you lot are.
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chthonic, Thu 7 Sep 2006, 12:40)
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And again...Trying to get home during a break at college, it's only two hours so I get the train, quicker than the metro. Notice a train to Sunderland leaving in about 10-15 minutes so I rush over to the platform and, sure enough, there is a Northern train standing there. I run over, jump on just as the doors are closing (I really should have been paying attention to this) and gratefully take a seat.
Ticket inspection, I show my travelcard, which only gets me anywhere in Tyne and Wear.
'Where are you going?'
'Sunderland.'
'No you're not.'
Silence.
'I've got the wrong train haven't I?'
'Yes.'
Silence again.
'What do you want to do? You can get off at Cramlington and try and get a bus back into Newcastle, or you can stay on until Morpeth and head straight back with us?'
And being a complete tit, I decided to get off at Cramlington, not realising that my travelcard wouldn't get me back because it's not in Tyne and Wear.
Cue an hour of wandering around frantically, with only 20p on me, no mobile, no proper train pass and no fucking clue where I was. I couldn't make a reverse charge call to anyone because I only knew my parents' mobile numbers and nobody else could help me, I couldn't get the train back because the travelcard obviously wasn't valid and I didn't have my magical go-anywhere-free train pass.
What did I decide to do? I decided to walk back, following any road sign saying Newcastle. Halfway down the road a bus went past and I realised it was the one I'd been waiting for until I realised it wouldn't get me back.
I've never run so fast in my life.
'Can this get me back to Newcastle?' I showed my pass to the driver.
'You'll have to pay to the border.'
'How much is it?' Like it would be 20p.
'£1.30.'
'Oh, I don't have enough...OK.'
'Oh, you can just get on.'
I've never felt such a rush of love for anyone else in my life. And a manky old bus seat has never been so comfortable.
Naturally, I only got back into Newcastle in enough time to run back from the bus station to college for my next lesson. So much for a break.
(, Wed 13 Sep 2006, 8:57, Reply)
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