This morning, I missed my train.
No big deal, catch the next one, right? Not exactly…
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When I’d like to go somewhere on the train, here are the two big rules:
RULE 1: Call to request assistance at least one hour prior to the departure of the train.
RULE 2: Report to the information kiosk at the station 15 minutes before the train departs to inform the attendants that I am present and ready for assistance.
DON’T FORGET ‘EM!
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Now I don’t mean to be negative…because the systeM does work fairly well, especially if you follow the rules.
But today was not a rule-following day.
Here’s my story…
I was running late, ok? And for those of you who know me, you know this is not an infrequent occurrence :/
All aspects of my morning routine (including pressing snooze one too many times) aligned in such a way that I was dashing out of the house frantically with 5 minutes before my train departed.
I rode the elevator down, opened the heavy exit door, zoomed over loose gravel, pushed the button to unlock the front gate, opened the gate…why is it you never notice all the little steps and how long they take until you’re in a hurry…??
And with that, my trusty Firefly scooter had me cruising towards the station.
I breezed past rule number two (not actually taking it that seriously)…pulled onto the elevator at 10:01… and looked down just in time to see my train’s information disappear from the screen as it pulled out of the station.
Now, this is an awful feeling on any day…but I found it even worse in this particular scenario. You see, this was my first time travelling fully solo on public transportation in the Netherlands.
As the train pulled away, I realized something…
With this train also departed my ability to have any assistance getting on or off another train for at least the next hour…remember rule number one?
The problem was, I had an appointment to make. An appointment in a city two and a half hours away via public transportation…and I didn’t have an extra full hour of time built into my travel plans.
In stubbornness (and embarrassment from missing my fist train), I refused to surrender to the system…so I buckled up and got creative.
Upon my asking, three people helped load me and my scooter onto a train to Dordrecht. These individuals had all exited at different stops along the way, so I asked some of the people left on the train if they’d help me get off as we pulled into the station. A man and woman lifted me down.
My connecting train in Dordrecht was a ground level Sprinter and therefore accessible! All the praise hands! I still don’t understand why they’ve phased out these roll-on, roll-off versions of train car…but I was sure grateful to see one on the track!
This second hour-long train journey took me to ‘s-Hertogenbosch, where I caught a bus to take me closer to my appointment location.
All of the buses were equipped with handicapped ramps…such a treat when you’ve been scrambling to ask people for help all day.
Upon exiting the bus, my trusty Firefly and I scooted the remaining 10 minutes to the final destination, arriving minorly exhausted and a bit frazzled, but only 3 minutes late.
My appointment went great
I trialed an adaptive bicycle with FES stimulation called a Berkel Bike. I use the RT300 FES bike at home, but wasn’t able to bring it with me. After some online research, I discovered the Berkel Bike, which was invented here in The Netherlands! It was awesome, and my hope is that I’ll be able to buy or lease one during my time here. If you’d like to check it out, visit: https://berkelbike.com .
More details to come on this…but long story short, 2.5 hours later I was back on the road towards Delft.
Here, I discovered a new problem with rule number one.
Having no idea when my appointment would be over, I had been unable to gauge which train I’d want to take home until this point in my day. Based on the one hour call ahead rule, I was looking at about 1.5 hours in s’-Hertogenbosch before I’d be able to get onto a train with assistance.
Refusing to surrender to the inconvenience of the system, I selected an itinerary involving a bus and two trains
The bus was accessible…I was able to call and request assistance onto train number two…
But what to do about the first train…?
Enter Wanberg persistence, and yet again, two strangers hauled me and my scooter up into train number one…and another two helped me to unload in Breda.
After unloading in Breda, I was starting to relax a little. I had called ahead for assistance onto train two to Delft, so all was good…(meaning no longer asking strangers for help lifting me). My connecting train in Breda departed from the same platform I was unloaded onto, so I didn’t have to rush off into the maze of stairs and escalators and elevators…until I remembered…
Rule number two. You’re supposed to report 15 minutes in advance to the information desk to alert them of your arrival.
Fortunately, an attendant came looking for me, and I was successfully loaded onto the train back to Delft. PRAISE. But she did inform me that often, if a passenger requesting assistance does not report to the kiosk in advance, the attendants move on to assist other passengers.
I’m so grateful this was not the case for me on the last leg of my 6 hour public transportation adventure…but it definitely gave me a new respect for rule number two.
I unloaded with assistance in Delft and scooted home a tired lady…but definitely more seasoned and empowered.
So…what have I learned?
1. The train system is not flexible. It works, but it does not allow for much spontaneity if you need assistance to load and unload. Plan ahead. Be on time. Don’t push snooze and you’ll be fine 😊
2. Respect rule number two. Arrive early and leave plenty of time between train transfers, allowing yourself the chance to check in with the information kiosk 15 minutes prior to the departure of your next train.
3. People are kind and most-often willing to help. If you’re like me and are not shy about meeting people (and maybe asking them to do some lifting LOL), I have never had anyone tell me “no”. It’s definitely a difficult thing to have the courage to reach out to a stranger…but I’ve actually learned a ton about the goodness found in most people through this act.
There are so many quirky aspects of this journey that I’d have nowhere near enough space to detail…but in a nutshell here are my thoughts.
I was so frustrated with myself and embarrassed for missing my first train of the day…but life doesn’t always go as planned, and looking back, I’m grateful for what I learned.
I’m grateful for the kind people I met along the way, and for the reminder that no matter how much I plan and actually think I am in control, The Lord is the one who provides. Although I’m proud of my independence and courage, I have no doubt that He is the reason why I arrived on time to my appointment, and back home safely to Delft in the evening.