Having a bad day.....?

Ever had a bad day? Let me tell you about mine (Gav's) on my first ever overseas business trip....

It all starts when I leave the office with a work colleague at around 2 for our 4.40 arvo flight to Budapest for a conference. I managed to juggle the underground train system and safely boarded a train for the 40 min train trip to Luton airport. Finally arrive at Luton station on time, help my colleague get her bag down, grab my suit bag, say good bye to the bloke I'm sitting next to and jump off the train. I catch the escallator down from the platform only to get the dreaded question "where is your bag?"...bugger... left it on the train!!

I run back up the platform just in time to see the train disappear into the distance. I managed to get the station master to call ahead but it was too late, the train had already gone past the next station and was on its way to Bradford (a good 30 mins away). For fear of terrorism they wouldn't even get somebody to take it off and send it back down on the next train.

So after a bit of uhming and ahhing I made the decision to fly to Budapest anyway. After all I've still got my suitbag with 2 fresh shirts and I could always buy some underwear and socks when I'm there. No worries.

So I jump on the shuttle bus that takes us from the train station to airport, and join the 30 min line for check in. We are just about to check in when I get a call from the stationmaster. The guy I was sitting next to on the train has turned up with my bag at the station! Great news! Disaster averted. He says he's going to bring it over to the airport. So I get out of the check-in line and wait at the shuttle bus stop for my bag to arrive.

After 5 mins I get a call from my colleague saying that they are going to close the check-in counter in 1 min and if I don't get there in time I won't be able to take the flight. So I have to run back into the check-in area without my bag, jump the queue in front of 30 unhappy people and beg the lady to let me check in. She finally abides but forces me to check my suit bag as luggage, despite me expressing concerns about its sturdiness. Five mins after that I'm finally re-united with my bag, only prob is I can't check it in (as check-in is closed) and it's too big for carry on. So I grab a few pairs of undies and socks and leave the bag in a locker until my return. Only problem is my return flight in 2 days time doesn't fly into Luton Airport, but a different airport, Gatwick, a good 2 1/2 hour train trip away on the complete other side of London! Not a good thought for the trip home.

Anyway I arrive at the boarding gate just in time but in a pool of sweat only to find the plane is delayed for a good 40 mins. Flight goes fine. Upon arrival I go to baggage collection and after watching everyone else collect their luggage I finally see my suit bag come around the corner.... with the zipper open and my two clean white shirts stuck in the black rubber moving belt...Not so white any more!

Next time I think I'll take the bus!