Ask Lemmy

Insignificant by comparison to the things others have gone through, but I'll tell it anyway.

The plane flew and landed on time, but when we got off the plane we were on the outskirts of the airport in the dark and nowhere near a terminal. Thus, a seatless bus. A what?!

I'd never heard of such a bus or such a thing even being possible. What the heck is going on?

Everyone else seemed to think this was normal or were doing a very good job of hiding their confusion as I tried to play along. I can't see a thing out there, but what I can see and feel tells me we're moving. Am I even supposed to be on this bus?

I'd just followed everyone else. No-one had said anything. Where are we going?

Fears were unfounded. We were dropped off at a terminus. Inside, it became clear our bags were taking their own sweet time and journey to the building. Waiting. More waiting. No-one really said anything. No-one was panicking, so I didn't either. No point making a scene. It's late. We're all tired.

Bags did eventually turn up.

I was lucky to be able to get the last trains of the evening back to my home town because it was getting very late. I do not know what I would have done if that hadn't been possible. I have heard of people having to sleep at airports and train stations. That might have been me.

Yes, I know this makes me sound like someone who has (or had) literally no idea about airports or travel. And you'd be right. That flight home was my second flight ever. There'd been no weird little bus on the way out and I'd never seen them in TV shows or in movies featuring airports.

Anyway by the time I got to my home town, buses had stopped for the night, so I needed a taxi. Thankfully there was no shortage of those.

I haven't travelled since. Not for any of the above reasons particularly because I know more of what to expect now. It's been more of a mental health, financial thing.