The afternoon from Hell

[davidgillon]

AAaaaargggghhh!

It's been a hell of an afternoon. I popped out at 2PM for what should have been a 20 minute errand to book a couple of train tickets. I only took my crutches because the station is a nightmare in a chair. I realised while I was in the queue that the bank holiday is this weekend, not next, which meant I also needed to go to my GPs, pick up my repeat prescription and go to the chemists (the alternative being spending Monday in opiate withdrawal, which is really not my favourite thing).

So I got to the station counter and told them what tickets I needed, and she punches it in.
Me: "And I need the wheelchair seat, I'll be travelling in my chair".
Her: Tap, tap, "It's not giving me the option to book the wheelchair seat. I think they've changed it so you can only book it through passenger assistance".
Me, dubious: "I booked here just a couple of weeks ago without a problem".

So she gets on the phone, and she talks, and she taps, and different receipts keep coming through her printer and she keeps screwing them up because some of them are for two people etc. It gradually becomes clear that whoever is on the other end can book the wheelchair space, but doesn't know how to use the booking system, so she is coaching them key by key.

Half an hour later (and my comfortable standing time limit is about 10 minutes), the system finally spits out the tickets.

I look at them "I don't think these are the wheelchair seat" (They might be, they're at the end of a carriage, but the wheelchair seat is normally coach C, not Coach F)

She gives me an "Oh, god, no." look and says "You'll need to ring passenger assistance."

Then I had to shoot over to Rochester to my GPs, who hadn't done the repeat yet (as it's 48 hour turnaround and I only put it in yesterday), but fortunately the receptionist went and got the doctor to sign it straight away. Then whip home to pick the chair up as there was no way I was going to make it to the chemist's on crutches, and drive back over to Rochester to go the chemists.

My 20 minute errand has taken 3 and a quarter hours, I still have to ring passenger assistance, and I just took my boots off to find one sock is stuck to my foot with dried blood.

I need a beer!

Comments

[shehasathree]

Oh, jeez, what a shitty afternoon!
<3

[kaberett]

(If it helps any, I have yet to experience problems with Just Showing Up and being mildly apologetic about "not having known which train I'd be on"...)

[davidgillon]

Fortunately there's time to sort it out, I'm not travelling til Thursday. I've done turning up and finding out they haven't booked the wheelchair seat once already, which is why I'm now slightly paranoid about checking - we had 9 minutes to sort it out, 4 of those were used up rolling from one end of the platform to find passenger assistance and then rolling back again. That's tighter than I like my connections!

[jesse_the_k]

Beer is good, beer plus hot water for your feet is even better.

Sincere sympathies (and virtual beer) headed your way.

[davidgillon]

Virtual beer virtually appreciated ;)

[lilysea]

I just took my boots off to find one sock is stuck to my foot with dried blood.

Oh, no! :(

Current Location: In the foothills of Mount Oh, crap, what next!

I really do like your location names / sense of humour.

and I'm impressed you still have a sense of humour after such a shitty day.

[davidgillon]

When life throws you lemons, learn to duck!

[sovay]

Current Location: In the foothills of Mount Oh, crap, what next!

Your locations are the best.

Also, gyaah! Is your foot all right?

[davidgillon]

Also, gyaah! Is your foot all right?

It's the toe that's had an infection since December. I tripped on Sunday and scraped it open and it's been bleeding intermittently ever since (not serious amounts, just annoying). I need to soak the sock off it, but as that'll probably start it bleeding again I'm a little reluctant.

[sovay]

I need to soak the sock off it, but as that'll probably start it bleeding again I'm a little reluctant.

I can see that. Bleh. I agree with your implicit decision not to try to peel the sock off dry, however, since that can only end in existential horror. Is the infection at least getting better?