Job Discussion Forums

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Taxi: stuck in a tin can in a seated position for three hours with a driver who possibly wants conversation to keep him awake from 1-4 am.
Continuous risk of accident due to a) sleepy driver of taxi AND b) sleepy/drunk/impaired other drivers.

Train: comfortable seating, walk-around and restroom opportunities continuously available without stopping at some dodgy roadside facility....
very low chance of accident in Europe (not commenting on trains in other regions).

Why would anyone choose three hours in a taxi to three in a nice modern train??

Actually, Sash, I was once stuck on a Russian train for three hours where all the washrooms were permanently locked. I admit that a taxi WOULD have been preferable in that situation!

Sashadroogie · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 2:38 pm Post subject:

Dear Johnslat

Most Russian flats are far more efficient than imperialist ones. We don't waste construction materials on designing separate rooms: all our flats combine bedrooms with living rooms. Anything else would be totally bourgeois. What next? A boudoir?! So no taxis needed. In any case, I spend so much of my time in bed these days, vodka to hand, that I am considering changing my name to Oblomov.

Who needs airports anyway when you are already in the Workers' Paradise?

Hic! Zzzzzz

Mr. Kalgukshi · Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 3:30 pm Post subject:

MOD EDIT was for a reason. The next step will involve more than a MOD EDIT and can be avoided by addressing the message and not the messenger and no longer throwing those zingers low and inside intending to brush the other forum member back from the plate.

Yes, I used to be an umpire.

Wait! I still am. Wink

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

Strangely enough, if I was traveling 3 hours to an airport, I think I would have mentioned that in my post to give it some context Cool

(remember, this poster doesn't give a location for home).

The taxi ride to Haneda in the morning was about 35 minutes. I guess Schipol doesn't have any rooms you can rent (or you didn't consider taking a hotel the night before nearby before you caught the 6 am flight)? No other airport nearby?

AGoodStory · Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 738

artemisia · Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 875 Location: the world

The whole point of this thread for me was to get as much of a run down as possible of other posters' personal experiences of needing to crash out at airports for an extended period of time.

It happens for all sorts of reasons. On a number of occasions I've been worried about flights being late, missing connecting flights and wondering if I'd be stuck all night at the airport and would it even stay open? Some don't. A memorable experience years ago was being booked to arrive in the States very late at night. Not long before I was due to leave, I discovered that the tickets about to be sent to me had the wrong airport on them. I'd been mistakenly booked by the agent to arrive into the Big Bad Apple in the early hours.

I've often had long treks across cities to get to airports (London is often a nightmare for this). It makes sense if an airport has good facilities to get yourself set up there for the night for an early flight and even earlier check-in. I don't see anything unusual about these kinds of strategies but then I've travelled a great deal. What people have posted here is just the sort of info I was hoping to get.

(On the Russian frontlines: I recall a travel story about Aeroflot (?) - a Russian airline anyway. They didn't use to be allowed to land in many European airports due to safety standards (-or lack of). On the trip I heard about, all the hand baggage was stowed above people's heads, as usual, except that it was all open. There were no compartments, just a rack of some sort. This made for some interesting moments during turbulence).

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

artemisia · Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 875 Location: the world

"Look, if you don't like my parties, you can leave in a huff. If that's too soon, leave in a minute and a huff. If you can't find that, you can leave in a taxi."

Groucho Marx

sparks · Joined: 20 Feb 2008 Posts: 632

I, for one, can not understand why anyone would choose to spend the night drinking champagne in an airport. It is utterly absurd! Absurd, I tell you! Unfounded! I never...! For the love of...! What is this world coming to?

Mr. Kalgukshi · Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2011 1:00 am Post subject:

We are now one member less for violating board policy regarding commenting on Moderator actions, disregarding a posted Moderator warning in the thread and some other reasons.

The thread is now permanently locked.