Transport troubles

So, since the holidays things have been quite eventful and not always in a good way. The French transport system and I have an interesting relationship, sometimes I appreciate it a lot, other times I want to curse it! There have been at least 5 mishaps I could tell you about, but I shall tell you the two most recent to save you from boredom.

Just over a week ago I was making my way to work as usual on the train. It was a Friday so I was off to Pérenchies. The announcement of the stops the train was going to make on its journey came over the tannoy, and either I misheard, or the train guard slipped up. It seemed that he announced the stops I would expect - bar one - the stop before mine. So I thought ‘we mustn’t be stopping there today for some reason, so I’d better make sure I don’t miss my stop’. So I got off at the stop before mine without checking the name of the station (I was looking for it but it wasn’t visible on my side). I realised I had got off too early when I was standing on the platform, and swiftly moved back towards the train to re-open the door, but it was too late, the train was departing. Oh dear. I was stranded in some small French village I didn’t know. And I was going to be late for work.

I looked at the train timetable and the next train stopping there was going to be four hours later!! Panic starts to set in. ‘How am I going to get to work?’ The station was closed, so I couldn’t ask anyone there. There was a man in the car park who I asked and he said he didn’t know, but maybe there was a bus, pointing me in the general direction of the bus stop. I also stupidly didn’t have the school’s phone number on me, so I phoned Mum to ask her go on the Internet to find it. She was a good calming influence.

I walked over to the bus stop and found which number bus would take me within walking distance of the school, then phoned the secretary and explained everything to her, she was very nice about it. I then looked at the timetable and ‘L’ was marked next to the time for the next bus. ’What does ‘L’ mean?’, I wondered. It means that the bus has a shortened route at these times, meaning it was only going a few stops on from the one I was at, and not within walking distance of the school! Back to square one. I walked into the small village high street to see if there was any sign of a taxi company or something which might help me. I realised that there was a bus which goes quite frequently to and from Lille city centre. So that was my only option, to go back to the city on the bus in order to take the metro to the end of the line and then either go by bus or by foot for the last part. Complicated and frustrating (where I had to go to take the metro is less than 10 minutes walk from my flat!), but it had to be done. I got into school in break time, with 5 minutes to spare before the next lesson. Phew!

The following Monday, just 3 days later, I had further transport issues. This time I was going to the other school, which is even further out of town. I got to the station and found to my dismay that there was a strike which I didn’t know about and my train was not running, the next one being over an hour later and the previous one having gone hours before. Cue - panick! I looked up the bus timetable for the bus which could take me from the end of the metro line to Armentières, but worked out that if I went that way I’d be late. So I decided in my haste to get some cash out and take a taxi…big mistake! I think I only made such a hasty decision because of my trouble on Friday. I asked the driver to take me to the station at Armentières because I knew it was closer than the school and I could walk from there. It took a long time in the taxi and I was thinking ‘This can’t be good’ (in terms of cost). We got to the station and I asked him how much, and he said 40€!! Ouch. I didn’t have the time, the guts or the language to dispute, so paid up and went on my way. To add insult to injury, I got to school and the lesson I’d made all that effort for didn’t happen because the teacher was off ill! I was out the house 7 hours to teach for one (Me and my colleague had to wait ages to get a train home)! These things happen I suppose, and I’ve learnt from it at least!

Fiona x