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Another thread reminded me of something that happened years ago. I was college-aged at the time.
So my friend got married over Memorial Weekend. I looked into options with my very limited budget and very old car and decided that riding a bus would be the best option.
Let me say that with me I had three bags: my overnight suitcase, my travel bag (books, Sudoku, etc.), and my purse. The rule, at least at the time, was that everyone was allowed 2 bags, not counting purses, as long as one fit in your lap/under the seat and one in the overhead compartment. I decided to check in my overnight suitcase since, even though it'd fit in the overhead compartment, I didn't need it with me and someone else could use the room.
So my plan worked for the bus ride on the way to the wedding. There were no problems. I had a good weekend visiting friends. Then Monday happened.
I got a ride from my friend and her mom to the bus station. It was closed. I waited for them to open, but they never did. Finally, my bus pulled up. I asked the bus driver how I was to check in if the station was closed and his answer was, "Since it's a holiday, no stations will be checking in baggage. You'll just take your luggage to the bus driver at each leg of the trip, he or she will tag your bag, and stick it in the luggage compartment." He also said there were more people waiting on the bus than there were seats, so at least 1 of us didn't reserve tickets and would have to go do so at a computer with a printer somewhere since he had no way of doing that. It wasn't me, as I had my printout in my hand, but I did see a young couple argue with him and then with each other as they left, not on the bus.
So I rode from friend's city to another city. At that city, it looked like they were checking bags in, so I got in line, but as I was waiting, I heard the guy working telling a guy in front of me, "You don't need to check in. Just tell your bus driver you want it put in the luggage compartment." So, I got out of line.
My bus came, and I went out there with my bags, and while I was standing next to the bus, I realized that there were all kinds of bags that had been checked in. There were also workers loading the bags. So I tried to give them my overnight suitcase and they said they couldn't take it since it wasn't checked in. Well, crap.
I decided that since I technically am allowed the bags I have on me inside the bus, I'll just take them inside.
As I'm putting the overnight suitcase in the overhead bin, some other passenger decided to chime in.
Other passenger: You know, you shouldn't have that on the bus.
I ignored her.
Other passenger: It probably doesn't fit.
I ignored her.
Other passenger: Why would you even think to bring that onto the bus?
Me: Actually, I wasn't going to, but considering I can't check it in, I don't exactly have any other options, do I?
I'm not sure if she said anything else, because by this time, my suitcase was in place, so I just turned and sat away from her.
This is where I get really sucky. At the end of the trip, I went to get my suitcase out, and it got stuck. Another passenger had to help me get it out while a whole line waited for me. It was so embarrassing, especially knowing that the woman mentioned above was probably watching.
Side note unnecessary for the story---it probably worked out better that I didn't check any bags in, in the end. The way the bus had me going was for me to have a layover at a city bordering my town for 2 hours then take a 15 minute bus ride to my town. My parents saw this as pointless and said they would just pick me up in the city. If I had checked the bag in, the workers probably wouldn't have taken it off the bus, which means I would've had to drive to the bus station in my town and meet my suitcase later.
Edited to add: My theory is that at big city stations they do check in, but in small towns they weren't. That would explain a lot of the miscommunication that happened.
So my friend got married over Memorial Weekend. I looked into options with my very limited budget and very old car and decided that riding a bus would be the best option.
Let me say that with me I had three bags: my overnight suitcase, my travel bag (books, Sudoku, etc.), and my purse. The rule, at least at the time, was that everyone was allowed 2 bags, not counting purses, as long as one fit in your lap/under the seat and one in the overhead compartment. I decided to check in my overnight suitcase since, even though it'd fit in the overhead compartment, I didn't need it with me and someone else could use the room.
So my plan worked for the bus ride on the way to the wedding. There were no problems. I had a good weekend visiting friends. Then Monday happened.
I got a ride from my friend and her mom to the bus station. It was closed. I waited for them to open, but they never did. Finally, my bus pulled up. I asked the bus driver how I was to check in if the station was closed and his answer was, "Since it's a holiday, no stations will be checking in baggage. You'll just take your luggage to the bus driver at each leg of the trip, he or she will tag your bag, and stick it in the luggage compartment." He also said there were more people waiting on the bus than there were seats, so at least 1 of us didn't reserve tickets and would have to go do so at a computer with a printer somewhere since he had no way of doing that. It wasn't me, as I had my printout in my hand, but I did see a young couple argue with him and then with each other as they left, not on the bus.
So I rode from friend's city to another city. At that city, it looked like they were checking bags in, so I got in line, but as I was waiting, I heard the guy working telling a guy in front of me, "You don't need to check in. Just tell your bus driver you want it put in the luggage compartment." So, I got out of line.
My bus came, and I went out there with my bags, and while I was standing next to the bus, I realized that there were all kinds of bags that had been checked in. There were also workers loading the bags. So I tried to give them my overnight suitcase and they said they couldn't take it since it wasn't checked in. Well, crap.
I decided that since I technically am allowed the bags I have on me inside the bus, I'll just take them inside.
As I'm putting the overnight suitcase in the overhead bin, some other passenger decided to chime in.
Other passenger: You know, you shouldn't have that on the bus.
I ignored her.
Other passenger: It probably doesn't fit.
I ignored her.
Other passenger: Why would you even think to bring that onto the bus?
Me: Actually, I wasn't going to, but considering I can't check it in, I don't exactly have any other options, do I?
I'm not sure if she said anything else, because by this time, my suitcase was in place, so I just turned and sat away from her.
This is where I get really sucky. At the end of the trip, I went to get my suitcase out, and it got stuck. Another passenger had to help me get it out while a whole line waited for me. It was so embarrassing, especially knowing that the woman mentioned above was probably watching.
Side note unnecessary for the story---it probably worked out better that I didn't check any bags in, in the end. The way the bus had me going was for me to have a layover at a city bordering my town for 2 hours then take a 15 minute bus ride to my town. My parents saw this as pointless and said they would just pick me up in the city. If I had checked the bag in, the workers probably wouldn't have taken it off the bus, which means I would've had to drive to the bus station in my town and meet my suitcase later.
Edited to add: My theory is that at big city stations they do check in, but in small towns they weren't. That would explain a lot of the miscommunication that happened.
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