Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Funny Travel Incidents: Stranded And Counting!!!

Often we come across questions such as "Who would you like to be stranded with in a tropical paradise?" Some may have dreamt of being stranded with a Miss Universe or a Mr Handsome on an island. But what if you are stranded on a traffic island and the person who was supposed to give you a pillion ride on their motor cycle left without you at the back? Especially when you are left there without a dime as your handbag and purse were dangling from the handlebar of the motorcycle. This is what this avatar of Mr Bean, Mr P (not short form for Pea OR Pelican) did with his date. This is a very common event where the pillion rider gets left behind and the person who drives the motorcycle leaves on the assumption that the other person is safely seated at the back. However Mr P's date refused to see him thereafter. Because, Mr P seemed to be leaving his companion stranded everywhere!

There was that incident when Mr P took her in his car to see his uncle and after the visit Mr P got into the driver's seat and drove off. He did feel something was amiss then. He could not pinpoint it, but something was not alright. Only after ten minutes did he realise that he had a companion sitting at the front of his car on his way to his uncle's house and that seat was totally vacant on his return! So he turned his car back and drove in a hurry to rescue the damsel in distress. She was indeed a very furious damsel in distress! His excuse was a lame one ....... that he was so used to driving alone that he forgot about her!

There was that trip to Bangalore and Mr P and companion were late for the train. The train was slowly moving off the platform and Mr P ran with his bags and managed to catch it. He had immediately moved forwards  in the carriage looking for two seats for his companion and himself. Only when he found some seats and had turned around did he realise that his companion was not behind him. The train had gathered full momentum and was a long distance away from the boarding point. So Mr P had to wait and get down and take a train going back the other way to catch up with his companion who had been stranded on the platform.

There was that bus ride where Mr P had asked her to get off at a particular point and she had promptly done so, but he had absent mindedly missed the point and had gone on to the next stop. There was that boat trip from Vivekanada rock where Mr P had hurried in and embarked to beat the rush but his companion was left high and dry on the rock!

So Mr P seemed to have left his companion behind no matter what mode of travel was used. Lucky to his finances, he had not stranded his companion on a plane trip. But then, there was that incident written earlier (http://avatarofmrbean.blogspot.com/2012/01/funny-travel-incidents-mr-p-catches.html ) where he himself had missed the plane!

Now, when Mr P realised that not only was he losing his luggage during travel (http://avatarofmrbean.blogspot.com/2012/01/funny-travel-incidents-and-then-he-lost.html), but also his companions, Mr P decided to pay more attention to both. And that is why he counted the number of heads on that trip from Baroda to the Gir forest inhabited by Asiatic lions. He was travelling with a family of four (husband, wife and two children) in a hired van. Mr P and the husband sat at the front with the driver. Mr P took the head count and there were five people including the driver, travelling with him.

It was late in the night when the drive through the forest began. The destination was a hotel in the middle of the forest aptly called "The Mane". Mr P had stayed there once before and still remembered with trepedition that dark night when he had checked in. He had felt like Jonathan walking into Dracula's castle. And that sombre looking, soft footed hotel usherer in the traditional costume and handlebar moustache had given him the creeps. He was also worrying about the lions that he thought were lurking behind every tree. His nervousness made Mr P fidget so much that his friend thought he would be better off at the back with his wife and kids. They were fast asleep at the back. He asked the van to be stopped so he could get into the back. The driver stopped the van briefly and Mr P's friend got out. He nearly tripped and fell because of his shoelaces. He had loosened them so he could take his feet off the shoes for comfort while travelling in the van.

Mr P slammed the door shut and asked the driver to accelerate and drive off quickly. He was afraid that lions could attack them if the vehicle was stopped for longer than necessary. The driver asked Mr P if the other person had got in. Mr P took a quick head count peering into the gloom of the back seat. Of course there were five people in the van and said so to the driver who then calmly accelerated and drove off.

It was after some time that Mr P started getting that sinking feeling in his stomach again. Something again did not feel alright. He felt like he had forgotten something. He looked at the back of the car trying to get a look at his friend. But he could not see his head. He could only see the wife and kids who were still fast asleep. Then Mr P realised what had gone wrong with the headcount.

He had not counted himself to make a count of five the first time!










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