Who Was Your Worst Ever Traveling Companion
May 24th, 2006, 06:43 AM
#42
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My then 15 yr. old daughter was my best and worst traveling companion that year. Best on a weekend to San Francisco, just the two of us. Worse on a family vacation 2 months later to Hawaii. She didn't want to go, and was not pleasant on the trip. We ended up letting her stay at the condo (on the BI) instead of day tripping with us, just so we didn't have to put up with the attitude.
May 24th, 2006, 06:46 AM
#43
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Traveling in car to Padre Island for minivacation with then boyfriend, who got stung badly by jellyfish. Went crazy with pain, drank bottle of Jack D. while asking strangers for "ludes" for pain, then drove car (!) down beach, honking and screaming obscenities at everyone in the way (some very scary-looking people, too). Finally got control of car away from him (BIG guy) when we reached paved road--moral is don't travel with drunk/stoned people?!
May 24th, 2006, 08:13 AM
#48
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I think me and my two sons were my husband's worst travel companions on a trip we made to Ft. Lauderdale several years ago. During the trip, my younger son contracted a stomach bug, which my older son caught the second we returned our rental car! He got sick right in front of the metal detector at security!
Guess who caught it on the plane? I felt weak and really needed to be close to the bathroom, so I laid down on the really clean floor in the back of the plane. My husband comes back to use the bathroom, sees me, and asks what I'm doing there. As I tell him that I'm OK but would prefer to stay in a prone position close to the bathroom, the FA comes back and tell him that my son just threw up in his seat! We were so pathetic!
Once the plane landed, the airline ordered us one of those carts to drive us to baggage claim. While waiting, my son and then I got sick again. My younger son copies everything his older brother does, so he got sick, too. My older son and I were prepared with a bag - my younger son was not.
Baggage claim in PHL is NEVER easy, but this time someone's bag tipped over (the way we were going, it was probably ours!) and clogged up the mechanism, delaying all bags by 1 hour. By now, people who were at first horrified by us, were starting to feel really sorry for us and were offering to get us ginger ale, watch the kids so I could use the bathroom, etc. My husband had left. No, he didn't abandon us, although could you blame him?! He went to retrieve the car so we could leave as soon as our bags arrived.
That is one experience I hope to never, ever repeat in this lifetime!!! We are rarely a stomach bug type of family, but now, I have a huge carry-on bag every time I fly stuffed with pepto, immonium, etc.!
Guess who caught it on the plane? I felt weak and really needed to be close to the bathroom, so I laid down on the really clean floor in the back of the plane. My husband comes back to use the bathroom, sees me, and asks what I'm doing there. As I tell him that I'm OK but would prefer to stay in a prone position close to the bathroom, the FA comes back and tell him that my son just threw up in his seat! We were so pathetic!
Once the plane landed, the airline ordered us one of those carts to drive us to baggage claim. While waiting, my son and then I got sick again. My younger son copies everything his older brother does, so he got sick, too. My older son and I were prepared with a bag - my younger son was not.
Baggage claim in PHL is NEVER easy, but this time someone's bag tipped over (the way we were going, it was probably ours!) and clogged up the mechanism, delaying all bags by 1 hour. By now, people who were at first horrified by us, were starting to feel really sorry for us and were offering to get us ginger ale, watch the kids so I could use the bathroom, etc. My husband had left. No, he didn't abandon us, although could you blame him?! He went to retrieve the car so we could leave as soon as our bags arrived.
That is one experience I hope to never, ever repeat in this lifetime!!! We are rarely a stomach bug type of family, but now, I have a huge carry-on bag every time I fly stuffed with pepto, immonium, etc.!
May 24th, 2006, 08:46 AM
#49
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OK, this can't compete with the previous ones, but here goes:
About 10 years ago my hubby and I decided (actually it was his decision) to bring his two brothers with us to Vegas. We paid for the whole trip and and the only money they needed to bring was for gambling and souveniers. (My hubby felt sorry for them because we had a good life and they didn't , even though that was their own doing)anyway, They had 6 months to save up their money ...we get to Vegas, only to find out one of his brothers (older brother, at that) only brought...$30...for the whole week...needless to say, anytime we won, my hubby gave him $$....and he did nothing but complain the whole time that his feet hurt!
About 10 years ago my hubby and I decided (actually it was his decision) to bring his two brothers with us to Vegas. We paid for the whole trip and and the only money they needed to bring was for gambling and souveniers. (My hubby felt sorry for them because we had a good life and they didn't , even though that was their own doing)anyway, They had 6 months to save up their money ...we get to Vegas, only to find out one of his brothers (older brother, at that) only brought...$30...for the whole week...needless to say, anytime we won, my hubby gave him $$....and he did nothing but complain the whole time that his feet hurt!
May 24th, 2006, 08:46 AM
#50
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I once had a travel companion on a back packing trip through Egypt. The whole thing was about roughing it. It was hard, dirty and hot temp. travel in August. We were not getting along at all. the whole thing came to a shouting match on a 112 degree day when he accused me of using TOO MUCH TOILET PAPER! Not his toilet paper, it was my toilet paper. I tried to dump him in southern Egypt but it didn't work. He was very capable of fending for himself and so was I.
Just today I got an email from him. We are still friends but I will never travel with him again, at least not on a survival trip.
Just today I got an email from him. We are still friends but I will never travel with him again, at least not on a survival trip.
May 24th, 2006, 09:04 AM
#51
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Thanks for the laugh people. I have no story that can even come close to these, I am glad! I am a little worried about my next trip, in a little less than a month. A concert tour with over 40 of us thru Belgium and Netherlands.
HMMM, I was thinking that it would be very tame, and sedate, as I am the youngest at 38. Mostly people in their 60's. But I guess you never know what you are getting into when you travel with people. I hope my roomate isn't weird. She seems like a really nice, and quiet lady.
HMMM, I was thinking that it would be very tame, and sedate, as I am the youngest at 38. Mostly people in their 60's. But I guess you never know what you are getting into when you travel with people. I hope my roomate isn't weird. She seems like a really nice, and quiet lady.
May 24th, 2006, 09:09 AM
#52
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karens~ I remember reading your original post and almost falling off my computer chair. It was such an awful but funny(to me) story.
How you guys were able to get through that trip is admirable and you should have been issued a travelers trophy of grace under pressure(from both ends).
How you guys were able to get through that trip is admirable and you should have been issued a travelers trophy of grace under pressure(from both ends).
May 24th, 2006, 09:56 AM
#53
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This business trip will go down in history...for me anyway.
Myself and 2 upper level executives ( them male, me female ). Going to be a long 2 week trip visting different locations throughout eastern seaboard. I was psyched, as I hadn't travelled much to date.
I should have figured things were going to be ??? when the big boss man #1 comes out of bathroom in airport wearing hawaiian shirt, shorts, and bare feet. He then proceeds to tell us that he never travels with his shoes on...? Ok, I can kinda see this ( not really, but he is the BIG boss man...)
Than as we are waiting to check luggage, less big boss man #2, asks politely if I minded taking a walk as his wife was very jealous and he hadn't told her I was going on this trip ?! Huh. Number 1, he's old enough to be my Dad, and number 2, YUCKKKKKKKKK.
OK, so I walk to see if I can find an easy way to get the heck out of this trip.
To make a long story short, there was the incident in a small town, where after a business dinner, both BIG men are drunk as skunks, I am left to drive this monster SUV, and they are in the back seat mooning cars passing by. God help me, but I actually pulled the SUV over and heard myself say," If you two don't stop this this minute, we won't move until you behave". Somehow my mother snuck in there somewhere...I had to get out and ask directions as dumb and dumber couldn't get me directed back to hotel.
Then there was the night that a, lets call it, a female issue came up and I declined to attend a football party. Both ended up at my door, around 4am, demanding to know if my period was any better ( loudly, in the middle of the hotel hallway ), and could I wake them up in the morning. Oh yah, I'll wake them up alright...Needless to say, that was the last trip I took with upper level management. Really all good fun, but I felt like there mother for better part of the trip and I was atleast 20 years younger than them !
Myself and 2 upper level executives ( them male, me female ). Going to be a long 2 week trip visting different locations throughout eastern seaboard. I was psyched, as I hadn't travelled much to date.
I should have figured things were going to be ??? when the big boss man #1 comes out of bathroom in airport wearing hawaiian shirt, shorts, and bare feet. He then proceeds to tell us that he never travels with his shoes on...? Ok, I can kinda see this ( not really, but he is the BIG boss man...)
Than as we are waiting to check luggage, less big boss man #2, asks politely if I minded taking a walk as his wife was very jealous and he hadn't told her I was going on this trip ?! Huh. Number 1, he's old enough to be my Dad, and number 2, YUCKKKKKKKKK.
OK, so I walk to see if I can find an easy way to get the heck out of this trip.
To make a long story short, there was the incident in a small town, where after a business dinner, both BIG men are drunk as skunks, I am left to drive this monster SUV, and they are in the back seat mooning cars passing by. God help me, but I actually pulled the SUV over and heard myself say," If you two don't stop this this minute, we won't move until you behave". Somehow my mother snuck in there somewhere...I had to get out and ask directions as dumb and dumber couldn't get me directed back to hotel.
Then there was the night that a, lets call it, a female issue came up and I declined to attend a football party. Both ended up at my door, around 4am, demanding to know if my period was any better ( loudly, in the middle of the hotel hallway ), and could I wake them up in the morning. Oh yah, I'll wake them up alright...Needless to say, that was the last trip I took with upper level management. Really all good fun, but I felt like there mother for better part of the trip and I was atleast 20 years younger than them !
May 24th, 2006, 10:12 AM
#54
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Annabel - it was quite a mess. She was accusing me of 'abandoning' her in Nassau and then complained to HR that I was spreading rumours about her at work re her drug use. Both not true - I even asked the cruise line about what would happen to her and was told they have a contact in the port who will take care of getting her on a plane home. I tried to just ignore her at work, but she truly was a psycho. Luckily, she eventually left the job. Unfortunately, I still hear about her as other people I work with still talk to her.
The worst part was that my poor hubby was at home dog sitting (he's not a fan of cruising) and got a call from the cruise line and American Airlines trying to track down my co-worker's family. Since I was the one that booked the trip, they only had my contact info. So my poor husband was left at home wondering WTF is going on! The cruise line was really great thruout this whole sad tale and let me call him and explain everything.
The worst part was that my poor hubby was at home dog sitting (he's not a fan of cruising) and got a call from the cruise line and American Airlines trying to track down my co-worker's family. Since I was the one that booked the trip, they only had my contact info. So my poor husband was left at home wondering WTF is going on! The cruise line was really great thruout this whole sad tale and let me call him and explain everything.
May 24th, 2006, 11:01 AM
#55
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With a pouty teen, at least you can give the 'straighten up and deal with it' speech. With a pouty adult in-law, it really isn't possible. My (adult) blood relative was doing as best as possible, but it's not a situation I'd like to be in again.
May 24th, 2006, 11:27 AM
#56
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kingfisherqueen, I can't think of one traveling companion disaster story.
I'm a pretty good judge of people and knock wood, I've been lucky. I've also never had a bad roomate either.
Funny story though.
I was traveling to Chicago with my gay boyfriend for St. Patrick's Day and his carryon luggage kept setting off the scanners; we're talking at least 30-45 minutes. We tore that bag apart and could not find anything.
Turns out it was his foil wrapped condoms hidden in an inside pocket. That was quite the embarrassing moment!
I'm a pretty good judge of people and knock wood, I've been lucky. I've also never had a bad roomate either.
Funny story though.
I was traveling to Chicago with my gay boyfriend for St. Patrick's Day and his carryon luggage kept setting off the scanners; we're talking at least 30-45 minutes. We tore that bag apart and could not find anything.
Turns out it was his foil wrapped condoms hidden in an inside pocket. That was quite the embarrassing moment!
May 24th, 2006, 11:29 AM
#57
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We traveled to Las Vegas with another couple and had ajoining rooms. One morning they were testing the fire alarm system and started ringing the fire alarms. The guy in the other room jumped out of bed and was running down the hallway naked yelling fire. His wife caught him at the elevator and got him back to the room. However quite a few people saw him in all his glory. He explained that since that was the year of the Hilton fire he wasn't taking any chances. The following morning they tested the alarms again. This time he ripped the sheet from the bed wrapped it around his torso and once again ran down the hallway. His wife was very annoyed because both times he left her to fend for herself.
May 24th, 2006, 02:54 PM
#58
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Mine is tame, but I always find it a fun story to tell. Took a trip to Thailand with a group and was paired up with a woman for a roommate. Every thing I did, she would reply (without me asking) - "Oh, you are doing THAT" or "Oh, you are eating THAT." Almost every waking moment she was judging me. I had the wrong brand guidebook, I'm wrong to sit down while waiting for connecting flights, I check in too early for flights, I visited the wrong stores, etc. Then, because things are so inexpensive in Thailand the difference in american dollars between taking a water from the mini-bar or going across a busy street to a convenience store to buy water was literally 10 cents. Well, I heard it from her when I took a water from the mini bar, even though it was my 10 cents.
The kicker was when we checked out and the hotel receptionist came running up to me - saying the desk blotter was missing from our room. I was baffled and said I think she has us confused with someone else. After trying to convince the hotel worker that I'm not a thief and why on earth would we steal a desk blotter, my room-mate (and lots of eyes were on us at this point), pulls out the desk blotter from her bag. She had "taken" it to keep drawings she purchased flat.
I was getting so frustrated because it was not worth being confrontational with her every day, so instead I kept a daily list of all the things she said and did. I love pulling it out to review it!
The kicker was when we checked out and the hotel receptionist came running up to me - saying the desk blotter was missing from our room. I was baffled and said I think she has us confused with someone else. After trying to convince the hotel worker that I'm not a thief and why on earth would we steal a desk blotter, my room-mate (and lots of eyes were on us at this point), pulls out the desk blotter from her bag. She had "taken" it to keep drawings she purchased flat.
I was getting so frustrated because it was not worth being confrontational with her every day, so instead I kept a daily list of all the things she said and did. I love pulling it out to review it!
May 24th, 2006, 04:26 PM
#59
I must say the two guys, the one who sharted and the other Kingfisherqueen's great beau were the best stories! The naked girl in the Bahamas was pretty comical too.
I have nothing that ever compares to that, but I will say that I feel sorry for the girls who married those guys.
Like Nina, I am glad I married young.
I have nothing that ever compares to that, but I will say that I feel sorry for the girls who married those guys.
Like Nina, I am glad I married young.
