Trip to Chicago - a crash

[Jeff Wrangler]

Lunch is an ABSOLUTE DISASTER.  The burgers are the same burgers they serve in the cafe car, they just put some Ruffles chips on your plate and a pickle.  They'll usually offer a salad, and that's ok.  There might be a warm sandwich offered, which will have processed cheese goo on it, stay away from that.  But with lunch, you still get dessert.

You forget I'm from Philadelphia, home of the cheese steak. It isn't a real cheese steak if it isn't made with processed cheese goo. 

[Kerry]

My dad was a tueb driver in the London underground for about 15 years I believe (we're not close so not sure fo exact timescales and he took early retirement about a year ago)

He had 2 jumpers in his time - but he knew of one who had had 9. 

You automatically get signed off on full pay for 3 months.. more if required but you can't take any less. You also have to see a councillor for a specific length of time whether you need it or not.

A friend of mine had been a policeman in London before coming to Australia, where he also worked as a policeman, before deciding on a career change to the ambulance service. He is now retired to Queensland (the Australian equivalent of Florida) and says that he saw more blood and gore as a Sydney ambulance officer than he ever did as a policeman in London. He told me that people regularly jump in front of trains in Sydney. So often, in fact, that they are not reported in the media, because they're just a regular event. Sad but true. A story did make it to the media some years ago when the wife of a train driver made a public appeal to potential suicides. She pleaded with them to consider another method of suicide, because several had jumped in front of her husband's train and he was in a very distressed state about it (the train drivers here in Oz mustn't get 3 months off when this happens). My ambulance officer friend told me that he always tried to detach himself from the situation when he was called to a jumper. He said that they usually collected variations on three separate body pieces, which they respectfully placed in correct order on the stretcher. It's not a job I could do. Thank goodness there are valiant people like my friend who can do it.

[Kelda]

Thank goodness there are valiant people like my friend who can do it.

Aint that true....

[KristinDaBomb]

Wow that is scary. I hope it doesn't affect your view on Chicago though, it's one of the greatest cities in the world.

[delalluvia]

Wow that is scary. I hope it doesn't affect your view on Chicago though, it's one of the greatest cities in the world.

Thanks.  No it didn't.  Chicago was wonderful. 

[SFEnnisSF]

I never did ask, did you fly back or take the train back?

[delalluvia]

I never did ask, did you fly back or take the train back?

Took the train back and do you know, it seemed a whooooole lot faster getting back?  I swear, I read a book and a magazine and BAM! - it was time to sleep.  Slept, woke up at 8 am, had peanut M&Ms and a water - breakfast of champions - read another book and magazine then BOOM! - we were twenty minutes out from my town.

It didn't feel like I'd been on the train more than 3 hours.

I caused a bit of ruckus at the taxi station, but other than that, it was uneventful coming home.

[SFEnnisSF]

I'm glad to hear your trip back was uneventful.  Did you do sleeper both ways then?

[delalluvia]

I'm glad to hear your trip back was uneventful.  Did you do sleeper both ways then?

Oh, no.  I took the train because I couldn't find a flight I wanted at a good price.  The price of a sleeper cost the same as the airfare I didn't want to pay.

I slept in my chair, grateful that I had no one sitting beside me either going or returning.