Over recent weeks I have had various peculiar antics on public transport, one rather amusing/embarrassing the others were just more other peoples help/ kindness that made my journeys much more enjoyable :)
1. The first was a few weeks ago on a train back from Southampton, where I had been to a university visit-day. Now I should probably mention here that the evening before I had been at youth group and we had played a game which involved having to essentially catch someone by tapping them on the hand when release is shouted. So I was happily sitting on the train and I decided it would be a good time for a nap though I was kind of in a half awake/half asleep state and dreamt that I was playing that game (touch and release) I suddenly woke up with a bit of a shock and realised that I had hit the old man next to me while dreaming that I was playing that game. He looked at me and smiled and said "wake up with a bit of a shock did you?" I very embarrassed said "erm yeah" I then noticed that we were just pulling into a station so used this as an escape from the awkward situation. I quickly got up and said "Oh, I am getting off" and, looking very embarrassed moved to a different carriage.
2. This story is less amusing and more was just something that made my day :) So on Thursday afternoon I was on my way to church, I got to the tube station and sat waiting for a while. I was a bit confused as to why there were no trains up on the boards and hardly anyone around, and after a few minutes there was a notice on the tannoy to say that the station was closing as a train had broken down. By this time I was already about ten minutes late so rushed to the bus stop, in the hurry I tried to tap out my oyster card but the machines were not working either so I had to just leave it. I waited ages at the bus stop and after a while decided it would be quicker to just walk. I started walked and then noticed the bus pulling in to the bus stop just further along the road. I decided to run for it and a lovely stranger got the bus driver to hold the bus for me. I got on the bus, a little out of breath and began searching through my bag for my oyster card. When I eventually found it I tapped it on the reader but it wasn't working, the bus driver then said I had to get off or pay, despite the fact that I had an oyster card and wouldn't have to pay anyway as I am still at school. Annoyed, I realised I didn't have the £2.20 on me so turned to get off the bus, though as I did a man appeared out of nowhere and said to the driver "No, stop I'll pay" and he handed over a five pound note. This random act of kindness most definitely made my day!
3. The final story happened the next day, Good Friday. I had spent the day doing various things and was heading down to Devon on the train for Easter. I got to Paddington Station on time, with lots of stuff and got on my train to Exeter, two and a half hours later I arrived at St. David's station where I got off to change train to get to the small village of Exton. I found my way to the platform and then suddenly realised that I had left my card holder with my tickets, Railcard and oyster card on the train which was now just leaving the station to go on to Penzance. I found a member of staff at the station and explained what had happened. He took me to the office and he rang the next station the train was getting to, and they said that they would get on and have a look. He then got me on the next train, without my ticket, which was great because I didn't have any money on me to buy another one. While I was on that train the station manager rang me and said that they had found my pass holder and it was on the next train back to Exeter. The helpfulness of the station manager and the guard who let me on the train without a ticket was amazing and definitely saved me a lot of hassle :)
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