This is my worst travel experience, because it was my secret travel shame. In fact, I hesitated to tell anyone about this event, because not only do I look like an idiot, but I look like an idiot who picks on people with disabilities.
When my company sent me to France to work with the engineering team in Lorient, Brittany, I flew for a billion hours with a terrible hangover and absolutely no sleep. I took a 50 euro cab downtown to the Montparnasse train station in France, and then waited for hours for my train.
The train was fairly empty; I shared a table with another woman whose grandchildren ran beside the train as it pulled out of the station, and the other three seats remained unoccupied.
I was already taken aback by the language barrier. I studied French (not immersion) for ten years in school, and assumed I had enough knowledge to get by. I did not. Not even close.
So I’m sitting on the train, so proud of myself for making it that far without being shot, when the lady across the aisle approaches me and starts talking in French.
“Je ne parle pas francais,” I said apologetically.
The lady switched to broken English, and pulled out a card with a “disabled” symbol on it.
“My daughter is ill,” she said. “Would you switch seats with her so she can move her legs?”
“Of course!” I replied, nodding furiously.
(Except the conversation did not go nearly that smooth, and so we stumbled through an explanation for about ten minutes.)
For some reason, in my sleep-deprived, brain-cell destroyed head, I assumed she meant we would switch seats at the next stop, as the train was lurching all over the place. For the next little while, her and her daughter eyed me warily, while I warily stared back.
Of course, when the train stopped, two new people sat themselves down in my booth with the two empty seats. I don’t know why this thought never fucking occurred to me, I mean come on. Train stops, people get off, new people get on. Not a hard concept.
The mother and daughter ignored me entirely after that, although I sent pleading looks of apologies their way. I was too embarrassed to do anything while the daughter rested her head against the window, her face clenched in pain. And so I left them thinking I was a stupid Canadian, when really I’m just a cognoscente of awkward moments.
(This entry is in response to Bearshapedsphere’s <Eileen> entry about the megaultrabad experience while traveling in Ecuador. Check out her blog, she’s facking hilarious.) Now go forth and share your travel shame!
Check out these others:
If being an idiot who picks on people with disabilities is wrong, then I don’t want to be right. No but seriously, I can feel your pain. One time, I was out to dinner with my brother and we were speaking in lisp and then the waitress came over and asked for our order while speaking in a lisp. Ooops. We had no idea and were completely embarrassed afterwards.
Oh sad. But I wouldn’t really blame you in that situation – I would blame the language barrier. Lola, on the other hand, is an asshole
thanks for the hilarity thumbs up. Your post and blog are linked for all to visit and enjoy. And oops over.
The idea is also that you invite others to join and we make a whole linkety mess out of the thing. For example, if Lola wanted to blog her experience, we could link to that, too. Takes a while, but it can get big, and fun!
I love awkward moments. And no, I don’t think it’s your fault. I would blame it purely on the language barrier and hangover. lol.
If you enjoy reading other people’s confessions, like I do, enjoy my awkward moment that combined way too much vodka and injuring an Estonian man…hahaha http://nancythegnomette.com/?p=105
That is awkward! I’m could see myself doing that too like that. Yesterday, in a coffee shop when a guy asked me if it would bother me if he sat across from me and I was (without thinking) like Sí! He just laughed and sat down anyways.
haha awww what a sin! don’t feel bad!! it’s definitely something a lot of people would have done (myself included!!)
…language barriers suck.
p.s. now that i’ve realized i’m allowed to comment, i will be commenting regularly hehe
It was a language barrier thing and really it was YOUR train and people aren’t supposed to be getting on and off…hello.
Hahahaa… the french speak ridiculously fast! LOL
@Lola: Hahahahahahahaha, that’s amazing. And awful. And amazing.
@Uncorked: Seriously though, I hope they realize it was a communication/lack of common sense error.
@Eileen: Agh, screwed up! But thanks for the comment. I’ll make a note that everyone else can participate as well.
@Nancy: I’m all about the awkward moments! I will have a peak.
@Sara: Maybe he just thought you were exotic! Awesome way to meet someone nonetheless.
@Jagerbomb: I freakin’ hope so, and I look forward to your contributions, my jagerbombing friend
@Linlah: Yeah, seriously! I’m Canadian, psshhh
@Nashe: OMG even if I were bilingual I could never follow a conversation….dear god
[...] Angry redhead tells her story of shame and woe here. [...]
Oh man. That’s terrible. Just… wow. (complete word failureness). Particularly when, even if you want to apologise and explain, you don’t have the language skills.
Exactly! Brutal. I was trying to work up the nerve to somehow explain in English, but I didn’t have the balls to do it.