Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Photo finishes at the train station - part 2

This is part 2 of 2 posts relating my amazing photo finishes at the train station. This second part is something that I think would be worth televising on the Amazing Race. :)

STOCKHOLM TO LUND

As I mentioned in my previous post, I got a ticket in the SJ counter in Lund a week before. I actually got a seat in first class, because there was a discounted price if you book what they call a ‘Just nu’ ticket early enough. Which meant that my first class ticket was in fact cheaper than the regular second class ticket. I took the 5:35pm train ride that would bring me back to Lund by 9:33pm that same night. On the day of my return this is what happens:

4:50pm I leave my hotel, walk 10-15 minutes to the train station and just wait there to make sure I didn’t have to rush. And true enough, I am at the train station shortly after 5pm. I take my train ticket out and slip it into my back pocket.

5:10pm I was chilling at the platform when all of a sudden, I had the the most horrific realization – my camera was not with me!!! I start muttering one “Oh-my-God” after another in the most pee-in-your-pants frantic tone while digging through my bags, hoping I had stuck my camera in there somewhere. But I didn’t. Damn! 25 minutes ‘til my train arrived. But my camera, or more specifically the 400+ photos we took, was a lot more important to me now than getting on my train. So I hurriedly run out of the crowded platform while thinking where I could’ve left my digicam.

My mind raced – I knew I had it before I had a late lunch in the McDonald’s next to the hotel, and the only places I went to after that were the café (also next to the hotel) and the free internet computer in the hotel lobby. “Please be in the hotel” I kept praying... Then I realized, I should call the hotel to confirm if my camera was somewhere in the lobby. But what was their number?

I then remembered that I had a Rica hotels brochure with me (thank God I kept it!) so I start digging through my bags and trying to calm myself. I find the brochure and quickly call the hotel while still walking out of the Central station (I mean, if it wasn’t in the hotel, it was possible that whoever found my camera in McDo or the café might have left it with the waiters). I talk to the receptionist and tell her my problem and where in the hotel I may have left it (I may have also left it in the toilet, or in the luggage room). Then, a huge sigh of relief: I DID leave my camera in the hotel lobby next to the computer.

5:18pm After a half-run-half-brisk-walk back to the hotel that left me soaked in perspiration, I get back to the hotel and get my camera from the receptionist, thanking them for their help then rushing back out.

5:27pm A bit more of my half-run-half-walk pace and I finally get back onto the platform with time to spare. I made it! Or did I?

I put my hand in my back pocket to get my train ticket when – another freaky realization – my ticket was missing! Holy crap, can you believe my bad luck? More rummaging through my bags but I was certain I put it in my back pocket. Sh*t, it must’ve fallen out when I was running!

So I decide to go to the SJ customer service counter to get help. As it turns out, there was a bit of a queue already and everyone in the counter was engaged.

5:36pm I finally get to the counter, disheartened because it was a minute after my train was supposed to have left. I explain my predicament to the counter lady, asking if there’s any way I can still get a replacement ticket (the 2nd class ticket cost 1000 kronor, and the first class cost about 1500, so that’d be PHP 7,000 to 10,000). She asks me if I left any reference number. ‘Only my credit card’ I said, but she said that since credit card info is sensitive, they don’t keep records of it. I then ask her the rest of the train schedules. There was another train at 6:20pm and an overnight train at 11pm. The problem was that the 6:20pm train was fully booked. She suggested that I just go to the train itself, talk to the train conductor, and see if I can get a ticket from him. I resigned myself to the fact that I would be shelling out an extra thousand kronor and decided to head back to the platform and wait for the 6:20pm train.

5:42pm Completely deflated, I slowly trudge back to the platform area to see which one the 6:20pm train would be on when I had a glimmer of hope – my 5:35pm train got delayed to 5:50pm. I never thought that trains in Sweden ever got delayed! The train wasn’t on the track yet so I decided to wait it out and just buy a ticket from the conductor of this train rather than wait for the fully-booked 6:20pm one.

But then, I remembered one crucial thing – pack-rat that I am, I actually kept the receipt of the tickets I purchased in Lund a week ago! Once again, I dig through my bags. Found it! I run right back down to the SJ customer service counter. I show them my receipt, but they said they can’t release tickets and I have to queue up in the actual ticket counter. Damn! They say it would be a 2-minute wait, but considering that my train would depart in about 5 minutes, I was frantic.

I got number #18 and #14 was being served at the counter. 15 and 16 were called in quick succession, then I saw a girl sitting with #17. I ask her very nicely if I could swap numbers with her. She must’ve seen the panicked look on my face and my sweat-drenched shirt because she didn’t even ask for a reason, said ‘Sure’, and very quickly handed me her stub and I thank her profusely.

5:45pm I finally get to the ticket counter and I once again explain the situation. I ask the ticket lady if she could get a replacement ticket printed out ASAP because my train would be leaving in a few minutes. She said that she couldn’t print it out in only a few minutes (not sure why), but she was able to retrieve my booking info from the booking number in my receipt and she told me my car and seat number. She said I should just go to the train conductor and show them my receipt.

5:48pm Another mad scramble to the platform, and I see that the train is there but the platform is clear (i.e. everyone had already boarded). I explain my situation to the conductor, and he just tells me that the first class car was at the far end. One last sprint and I finally get on the car.

5:50pm I plop onto my seat, and within seconds, the doors of the train close and the train starts chugging forward. Whew! Just in frickin’ time! I don’t ever recall having a more stressful, panic-filled photo finish in my entire life!

Despite that series of seemingly unfortunate and nerve-fraying events, I sat on that train thinking just how lucky I was. I could very well have lost my camera which, while not the most expensive camera in the market by a long shot, still cost money. Worse, I could have lost 400+ pictures that I would most likely be unable to take again. I could also have missed my train and lost an hour or even a whole night. And I could have paid up to P10,000 extra to get back home.

I have always thought that I tend to keep too many things that I should throw out. In this instance, I am just so glad I didn’t!

(Oh and if you are wondering how I remember all these times to the minute, well, I had to look at my watch almost ever minute within that hour to make sure I knew how much time I had left. Never in my life has the saying 'every minute counts' been more true!)

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