# Worst Journeys



## Firefly (23 May 2007)

As a kinda opposite thread to best hol ever....what are people's worst trips? My own was a bus from Boston to Buffalo a few years ago. There was no-one next to me and I thought I'd get a nice sleep only for the doors to open just before we pull off and this ENORMOUS dude gets on a sits down next to me...his flab is on my lap and I'm wedged up against the window for the next 12 hours. Back in complete spasm when we got there!!!


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## NorfBank (23 May 2007)

Flew from Phuket, Thailand to LHR with Phuket Air.
I just googled to check was it Air Phuket or Phuket Air and found a brief description of our hellish journey on wikipedia:

"April 2005 - on a fuelling stop for a Bangkok-London flight, passengers urged a Phuket Air 747 to abandon take off from Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates because they saw fuel leaking from a wing. The airline said the fuel tank had been overfilled and insisted there was no danger. However, passengers refused to fly and another plane was ordered from Bangkok, but it was delayed at Sharjah for nearly 11 hours because of further technical trouble. The incident also caused delays for Phuket Air's return flights from London's Gatwick Airport and prompted the United Kingdom's Department for Transport to place the airline on a blacklist. France also later put a ban on the airline.[1]"

So in total about 26 hours in the desert, in a dry country (so couldn't even turn to drink!) with water and some stale sandwiches to tidy us over. Thankfully the British Embassy got involved or God knows how long we would have been stuck there.

Phuket Air is no more funnily enough.


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## setemupjoe (23 May 2007)

Hired two fishermen in a very small boat to take us across the  Dragon's Mouth (Boca del Dragón) - between Trinidad and Venezuela .convinced two Germans ,a Spanish guy , a French guy,to share the fee and join us (two Irish guys) we left at about 5 am and the water was like glass and we all thought it was going to be a lovely trip ,never new the strait was called the dragons mouth ! we had no life jackets,the out board engine failed in a massive swell and the boat was overloaded with backpacks , everyone except the fisherman was puking constantly he just kept smiling except when he couldn't restart the engine,eventually got it going and arrived in port of Spain hours later, customs held us for 5 hours in the sun and wouldn't let the French guy enter as his passport was soaked ,eventually we all got in haggard and battered ! was most scariest trip ever on !


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## scatriona (23 May 2007)

Any roadtrip in Ireland!!


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## shesells (23 May 2007)

Easy to answer. Aer Lingus flight from LA to Dublin. Conor (or Damien as I like to call him) the child from hell behind me.

Flight was full, not a spare seat to be had. Boarded to see a cute looking 9 (?) year old and his Dad behind me, no problem she thinks, he's old enough to behave. Ahhhhhh....such innocence.

Conor must have had ADD or something as he kicked my seat, pulled my hear, shouted and screamed for over 10 hours. His parents were taking turns with him but they were not the type to threaten or discipline their child "that's not a good idea Conor" instead of "stop that or else". He finally fell asleep about 2 hours out of Dublin (no chance I could have slept through the torture) and the WOKE HIM UP after 20 minutes as breakfast was being served  . Time for me to explode at the Dad.

We had tried negotiating with the parents, speaking to the flight attendants all night but they claimed there was nothing they could do, nowhere to move to....and I've never flown Aer Lingus trans-Atlantic again. We got more sympathy from our fellow passengers than the crew.

Since then we fly US-based airlines when we go to the States and not a bad story to tell (touch wood).


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## Thrifty (24 May 2007)

Worst journey - traveling in a 'taxi' from East cambodia to west. Taxi is a normal car in which the driver proceeds to fit seven other people as well as himself. Two on each front chair and four on the back. Our previous journeys had been in the back on trucks (this is the public transport). We really needed to get to the west part that day so we put up with it. The journey was 14 hours long. We had a crazy driver who hit two dogs - fairly sure he killed one, sprunk a leak from the oil sump along the way which was repaired with chewing gum and cigarettes and just when we thought things couldn't get any worst had a puncture and then discovered the spare was also flat. 

My friend and i were miserable and physically ill when we eventually got to our destination. Really upset over the 'dead' dog. We had gone traveling prepared to put up with a lot and rough it a bit - just as well weren't too many days like that.


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## Carpenter (24 May 2007)

I've no exotic tales but I do remember one particulalry short but awful bus journey from Cork city to Youghal in pre-Celtic tiger days (sometime around 1990/ 91).  Myself and a mate were soaked boarding this boneshaker of a bus, which was full of Spanish exchange students.  The (Bus Eireann) driver was an ignoramus, coughing and spluttering for the entire journey, at one point he had a thunderous sneeze and (quite literally) covered the windscreen in snot- it was disgusting!  He then produced a grimy "rag" (his handerchief) in an effort to clear the glass!  What the exchange students thought I'd love to know!


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## Lipstick69 (24 May 2007)

A work trip from Dublin to Oslo booked by a secretary who thought she was spending her own money – trip was supposed to be Dublin – Amsterdam – Oslo. However we missed the connection in Amsterdam and had to buy SAS tickets to complete the journey. Taxi from Oslo airport to city centre over 150 euro, had to stop twice for cash. Arrived after midnight. 

Meeting Friday. Flying out Saturday morning. 

Discover el cheapo secretary had booked flight from Torp Airport not Oslo international. Up at 3am to get train through lovely picturesque scenery (snow, log cabins) all the time thinking of how to kill secretary. Arrive at small village where train terminates. Small minibus there awaiting train with handwritten sign ‘airport bus’. At this stage, wary of everything, we asked if this was the airport bus. No was the reply. Flag down passing motorist and bribe him to go to airport. Airport teeny little place. Plane to Amsterdam seated around 20 and we had to be de-iced on the way out. Scary. Myself and colleague had medicinal brandy. 

Arriving at work on Monday, upbraided secretary. 

At that stage, had colleague who went to UK most weekends. Happened to have some sterling coins which I gave to him. Unfortunately also got mixed up with some Norwegian coins. Colleague used one in error on M25 and brought the whole place to a standstill. 

I’ve never had a desire to see Oslo since.


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## davidoco (24 May 2007)

Two hour shore trip off boat on Yangtze River to see Three Gorges Dam - planned to meet boat at other side of locks. 

Departed at 7 pm but boat was delayed going through locks so left on the quay side until 5 am the following morning. Worst thing apart from not knowing what time the boat would get through was that the locals knew this would happen to us and were fully prepared with dodgy food stalls.

see river 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Cn1202-03.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangtze_River 
see dam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Gorges_Dam


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## ClubMan (24 May 2007)

Most arduous journey was _World Cup 1990_:

 Departed Friday evening
 train from _Connolly Station _to _Rosslare_
 ferry from _Rosslare _to _Cherbourg _
train from _Cherbourg _to _Paris_
train from _Paris _to _Rome_
train from Rome back north to _Civitavecchia_
ferry from _Civitavecchia _to _Sardinia (Olbia)_
 train from _Olbia _to _Cagliari_
 Arrived Monday around noon, went to the _England _game that evening then
 back on the ferry from _Cagliari _to _Sicily (Trapani)_
 train from _Trapani _to _Palermo_
 and eventually found a campsite outside _Palermo (Sferracavallo) _on the Tuesday evening and collapsed!
Over the course of the next few weeks with various stops along the way 
_ Palermo _to _Genoa _via _Rome_
 _Genoa _to _Rome_
 _Rome _to _Nice_
 _Nice _to _Lyon_
 _Lyon _to _Paris_
 _Paris _to _Rouen_
 _Rouen _to _Caen_
 _Caen _to _Cherbourg_
 _Cherbourg _to _Rosslare_
_Rosslare _to _Dublin_
Arduous but great craic! Thank goodness for _Interrail _passes (even if we bunked on the _TGV _when we weren't supposed to ).


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## A_b (24 May 2007)

BA flight from hong kong to heathrow : plane was like a furnace & the staff were awful. Landed in heathrow to more of the same arrogant staff. will never fly BA again - always have problems with them


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## BlueSpud (24 May 2007)

Limo ride from Burlington to Jurys. Driver had the most terrible accent. What a mare of a trip.


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## PMU (24 May 2007)

While crossing Lake Titicaca from Amantani island to Puno the boat ran out of fuel and the boatman decided to prime the pump by pouring petrol from a large drum directly into it. Of course, the fuel splashed on the hot engine and the boat went on fire. The local Indian women on the boat were trapped in the cabin by the flames and (amazingly) the few tourists just froze, as if hypnotized by the fire. I wouldn’t regard myself as a hero (I just have a healthy fear of drowning) but I dipped my jacket in the lake water and started to beat out the flames.  This wasn’t particularly effective as the jacket, made of synthetic fibres, just melted around the engine.  However, this was enough to break the spell and some other tourists then joined in beating out the flames. The local Indian women then got out of the cabin and used their bowler hats (part of their traditional costume) to scoop water from the lake and thereby put out the fire. I’ve never felt safe on a boat in South America since.


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## Deirdra (24 May 2007)

Dublin to Rome: a 13 hour trip
* Checked in on AL at 12.30pm
* Advised there was a delay, but no info given by AL staff
* Texted friend in Italy who confirmed there was an air traffic control strike
* Took off 6.30pm
* About 50 mins later a smell of burning
* Emergency landing at Gatwick, luggage unpacked, no fire, no sign of any burning
* One Passenger insists on getting off - wait another 3 hrs to complete all paperwork. Passenger gets off.
* Another passenger wants to get off - is 'persuaded' in no uncertain terms to remain on board.
* Plane departs 11.30pm
* Plane arrives 3.30am (allowing for 1 hr time difference)
* AL staff make a speedy exit, no one wants to know or help passengers, no buses, people walking out to entrance of airport to ambush taxis.
* taxis charging passengers at least twice the price of usual fare.
* Called owner of apartment we had booked, he suggestged we sleep at airport, we said sorry, but not our fault and we have paid for accomodation, pls send a taxi. Owner sends a taxi - to the wrong airport.
* Finally get taxi to apartment, meet owner to get keys at 4.30am (apartment was beautifully decorated, but no air con and really noisy)
* transport strike continues for the weekend and we ride the buses and trains free - just like the locals.


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## almo (24 May 2007)

I've had a few rotten journeys, you tend to when you dcide to drive across 2 continents, but that's how it is.  But one from my brother is a gem and prime for a Britcom (I think my brother would like Guy Ritchie to do it).

Himself and his best friend decide to go for 2 weeks diving camp in the Philipines and even though there are problems before they leave (1 week gets cancelled and they are put onto some hotel in a shanty slum in Manila) they decide to go.

So, the night before they decide to get a little merry before flying to Paris and onwards.  My brother (who's a very careful packer) is ready in advance and the day of doesn't know where his passport is, so he nabs our Dad's one (who has an anglicised fom of my bro's name) and makes for the flight.  All is well and he gets to Paris (amazingly as they look nothing alike!).  I arrive home for the holidays and all is well with the world.

Then we get a call from Paris, his friend.  He's gotten through but my bro is arrested.  My brother explains it like this - no, I'm really 55years old, honest, ah no, that picture was form when I had cancer, I looked older then, oh, okay.  Can I be honest....I couldn't find my passport took Dad's and sure I'm only going on holidays.

At which point is is arrested, strip and body cavity searched and deported from France.  But his frind is still there and has missed his flight in the hopes of finding out what's up with my bro.  Brother arrives home and


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## efm (24 May 2007)

almo said:


> At which point is is arrested, strip and body cavity searched and deported from France. But his frind is still there and has missed his flight in the hopes of finding out what's up with my bro. Brother arrives home and


 
Come on....the suspense is killing me!


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## ney001 (24 May 2007)

Cairo - a couple of years ago, we had hired a driver to bring us around for the week.  He was actually okay, however one day he couldn't make it so he sent another crazy sod in his place.  This guy was laughing and jerking his head for no reason absolute odd ball.  Traffic situation in Cairo is pretty awful anyway, no insurance no lights etc this guy started talking about how he could dodge cars i.e pull out right in front of them and keep going - so he did this for about twenty minutes in really heavy traffic.  We were terrified, next minute the guy jumps from the car as its moving and runs along beside it, leaving us in the car while it was moving down a hill just looking at each other laughing and kissing our a**es goodbye!.  He jumped in to the car when he could not longer keep up with it!.   

Also, always remember journeys with my mam in her first car - a Renault five called Daphne.  She used to make us say the Hail Mary as she drove up Knockmaroon Hill just in case! - used to be mortified because she say it when my friends were in the car


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## z107 (24 May 2007)

_



			At which point is is arrested, strip and body cavity searched and deported from France.
		
Click to expand...

_


> Come on....the suspense is killing me!



Well we know that he won't be using someone else's passport again!


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## Vanilla (24 May 2007)

I think it's one of those games- you know where you fill in the next bit of the story and then the next person fills in the next bit and so on.

Okay, I'll go next:

' Brother arrives home and gets a text message from his friend that he is still in Paris- where is he? So he texts back his friend to meet him in Amsterdam instead, fearful that if he sets foot on French soil again the next cavity search will be much, much worse. 

He finds his real passport this time and finds a fantastic bargain on a flight to Amsterdam. Even luckier, the seat next to his is soon filled with a buxom blond with no English and plenty of come-hither looks. After a brief tangle in the bathroom, the flight is already landing, and on arrival in customs he looks for his companion to at least try to get a phone number only to find the sniffer dogs glued to his back pocket and the blonde making a quick exit through the green channel...'


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## NorfBank (24 May 2007)

...try as he might those dogs really are glued on, it must be some sort of superduper customs and excise super glue, noticing the blonde disappearing into the distance, he thinks "feck it, she has seen it all in the bathroom already", discards his trousers (dogs and all) and with just his y fronts covering his bits races after the evil temptress..


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## Thrifty (24 May 2007)

Loving the story. Enjoying this thread- although it's more a friday afternoon one really. Notice some of the worst journeys have been caused by bad guides/drivers which reminds me of another experience of mine. Not good that have several of these types of awful journeys.

Bus trip in North Loas - crazy driver who was slugging back red bull as he raced another bus driver along narrow roads that curved around the side of the mountains. alot of the locals there aren't used to public travel so quite a few getting sick out the window. I was keeping the window closed (to avoid splash back) and my hands gripping the sides of the seat. Other bus was in front and our bus was to follow the thin mountain road around the corner we had come to. instead he drives straight off the road - the scream just stuck in my throat as we pitched forward and then landed on a grassy patch at the edge of the road - there was actually a bit of grass between that part of our road and the road further on (wound in a U shape into the mountain )(mountain for the most part was a sheer drop on outer part of the road). He passed out the other bus driver - grinning like a maniac and was so pissed off later when i argued with him to stop to let us have a toilet break. It's my only near death experience so far thankfully.


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## z108 (24 May 2007)

In the USA ...3 and a half days from Seattle to Minneapolis on the Greyhound Bus has to be up there with the worst.

The badly trained staff told me it would only be 12 hours and I believed them!
Otherwise I would have chosen another way there. I thought I could sleep on the bus and save 100/150 Dollars compared to a flight or train.
And believe me it was hell. I sat next to gang members and all kinds of unusual types. One muppet next to me kept pointing at the gang members with their scars and tattoos down the back of the bus and calling them filth. he nearly started a gang war with  me sitting in the middle ! lol 
And another dude was like brad Pitt from the movie kalifornia .. freakyyy...
After 12 hours I walked up to the bus driver and said as they say over there ... excuse mee maam .... are we nearing my destination yet and she said  I ve got some bad news for you ... it will take over 2 more days....   lol

The bus only stopped for small breaks every 5 hours at horrible fast food places  which gave backhanders to greyhound ( or to the driver)  so when I got off the bus finally I had malnutrition from too many Wendyburgers and the world was bobbing up and down for the next few days too.


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## gebbel (24 May 2007)

Boarded an overnight train from Krakow to Budapest not realising that I had lost my passport earlier that day. After a good few drinks on the train with the lads, we fell asleep. At 4am, we reached a little village called Muszyna on the Poland-Slovakia border.  We were woken up by the Polish border police (very big uniformed men, i think they had guns as well!) looking to check our passports. Of course I could not find mine. Was escorted off the train and put on an Army train going in the opposite direction. Waved goodbye to the lads with a bad hangover! Thought I`d never see them again. The train had no lights and I was ushered off at an army barracks. They put me on another to Warsaw. I had to get another passport.........I still cringe at the whole experience!


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## rory (24 May 2007)

Travelling to meet my then g/f in San Francisco. Arrived at Dublin airport to be told that all flights to LHR were cancelled due to fire in T1 (Burger King!). Was told forget it, go home, come back tomorrow. Almost went home, then thought WTF I'll try anyway. Got on flight to LGW, then waited 2 hours for the bus to LHR while I watched the clock run down to my scheduled departure time from LHR T3. Bus arrived into LHR shortly after departure time, managed to get to check in (United Airlines). Flight was delayed, I thought I was in with a chance. Told no way, flight full. Luckily managed to latch on to other group of irate passengers who (unbelievably!) had actually checked in and then, in the confusion, their seats were reassigned and they were offloaded. We were all booked on to later flight to DC, booked hotel rooms and given $800 in vouchers for UA. Arrived in to DC late evening, utter confusion there re our accommodation, finally got to bed about 1am local time. Up again a few hours later for 7am flight to SFO. Finally arrived exhausted but delighted I didn't give up.


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## almo (25 May 2007)

Sorry, I'd to run to training yesterday and didn't have the chance to finish it off.  So, it continues...

He arrives home in Dublin and much consernation in the family.  He kicks his bag around the kitchen cursing his rotten luck, he has a ticket for a day later, his friend calls and says he bought him a ticket with Ryanair for the next morning to Paris and tells him to go get a temporary passport.  My brother decides he's had enough and decides to unpack, and finds at the bottom of his bag (cargo hold one) his passport.  To celebrate he goes out to town and gets plastered.  Friend does the same thing in Paris and will meet my bro at the airport the next day.

Next morning I drop him to the airport, with passport in hand, and off he goes.  Just over 4 hours later I'm sitting in the kitchen with Dad and we're talking about Christmas and such.  The phone rings, in the brothers friend..."I'm waiting here and he's not on the plane.  He never arrived".  Cue much consternation, fears that he's met the fate of well, anti-establishment folks.  We call Dublin airport - get no answer.  Minutes crawl by and I'm thinking of Steve McQueen and butterflies, of "Oh Jimmy no" stuff or even duelling banjos (you never can tell).

An hour later and the friend calls again, panicking, and more than a little hungover.  It suddenly dawns on me...." @$%& (name witheld as he's a well-respected civil servant now) what airport are you at?"  he replies "DeGaulle."  Now, maybe it was only to those of us who have travelled a little before that it might dawn on us that there is more than one airport in Paris.  He begins to rant, I tell him to relax and stay put, their flight is in 6 hours, he'll get from Beauvais in time.

With perfect timing I hang up and my brother phones "Where the duck is @$%& ?"  I tell him to catch a bus to DeGaulle via the city centre.  What happens next is farce, 2 hours later his friend calls, "I'm in Beauvais and I can't find him!"  I tell him to get back to DeGaulle as that's where my bro is.  A few minutes later a call from my brother lets us know he's just too hungover and has stopped in the city centre gotten a hotel and will put his flight back another day.  

After returning to CDG his friend is told (by my Dad) to go to a hotel in the Latin Quarter.  They meet, get hammered and leave the next day.

But it doesn't end there.

The diving company don't pick them up in Manila, so they go to the city, book in a hotel and start trying to track down the agents.  With no joy they decide to make their own way south.  They meet with 2 fellow Irish and 3 Swiss and fly to some resort in the south, where the friend is bitten by a snake and hospitalised for 2 days.  The area of the bite is rather unmentionable, but he had a problem sitting for a week.

They leave the resort to spend a final 3 days in Manila, to save on funds for a final partying session, they have to stay in some shanty hostel type of place.  Bro's friend meets some attractive local and invites her back to their hovel (they've a 2bed apartment shack, no doubt for sale now as a "sure-fire rental return property") and my bro decides to drink on a little.  A little became a lot and winds his way home, and is set upon by a kiddie gang, beaten, robbed, stripped down to boxers (shouldn't let people he wears under his designer duds but there you go) and lying in an open sewer.  He comes to and finds his way back at a jogging stagger.

The front door (flattened oil drum) is swinging open and inside he finds @$%& lying naked and tied up (not in a fun kinky way, more like in a just been robbed and beaten way).  Cue another phone call (reverse charges) to yours truly and a transfer of dollars until they get back on the flight home.

The above it completely true, and can be verified, it's not even the worst trip they've been involved in, as whenever they head off together disaster follows.  From being beaten severely and glassed by loyallist thugs in Belfast to bike crashes in Thailand and Turkey to being burgled in Spain to being arrested for breaking and entering and sleeping in their own car in England (they were rather emotional and tired at the time), they've achieved it all.  And since they're both in the early 30's and single I figure there's a little more to come!




almo said:


> I've had a few rotten journeys, you tend to when you dcide to drive across 2 continents, but that's how it is. But one from my brother is a gem and prime for a Britcom (I think my brother would like Guy Ritchie to do it).
> 
> Himself and his best friend decide to go for 2 weeks diving camp in the Philipines and even though there are problems before they leave (1 week gets cancelled and they are put onto some hotel in a shanty slum in Manila) they decide to go.
> 
> ...


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## kellysayers (25 May 2007)

Flew over Grand Canyon on very windy day!!!! in Very small plane!!! i will never forget it!! Puke everywhere from lady??? in front of me i was very proud as I didn't get sick!!! Never again!


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## Vanilla (25 May 2007)

almo- think your brother wins hands down!

Norfbank- can't say we didn't try...


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## redchariot (27 May 2007)

Norse Merchant Ferries (now Norfolkline) from Belfast to Liverpool on a Friday and back again on Sunday. Arrived at 1hr before sailing as instructed, it was delayed 2hrs and it took another hour to unload after an 8 hour sailing; factor in the 2 hours to get to Belfast, you are talking about 15 hours total travelling time. Then on Sunday I had to repeat it all again on the return leg, though this time it only took about a 13:30hr total journey. More recently flew to Liverpool, a bit more expensive but a 35 minute flight is a hell of a difference.

Don't get me wrong, the ferry itself is really nice and the service is top notch and beats Stena & Irish Ferries hands down but the waitng and the length of the journey is really not worth it (unless you book yourself into a cabin).


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## annR (28 May 2007)

My friend who is based in Uganda found out the hard way that it can be really difficult to fly to another African country  . . . .she went through 10 different airports (including Paris) to get to Niger.


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## Tarquin (28 May 2007)

Almo, your account of your brother's trip is unreal, it should be made into a film, short story or something!


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## Pique318 (28 May 2007)

Almo, if that was a film, it'd be up there with Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas !!


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