Narrow escapes on the road
Having been on the road a fair bit lately, I naturally find myself in the company of other travelers. Conversation invariably turns toward where we’ve been, where we are going, and a highlights list of some of our most dazzling and death defying experiences on the road.
Hoping to bump an earlier flight out of Manila recently, I found myself stalled in the airport listening to one traveler recount the blunders of his last trip to the Philippines. In the same spot, exactly one year ago, he found himself penniless and out of options after missing his flight home. His phone didn’t work, he didn’t have internet access, and he had no idea how he was going to pay for a flight out of Manila or even so much as a pack of gum. He became wistful when he told the story of how one traveler after another opened their pocket books in his aid. He never directly asked them to help him financially, but they were seized with a sort of civic duty upon learning of his circumstance. Some were seasoned backpackers, some were elderly couples or families on vacation. Some gave what spare change they had, some gave significant sums.
Through all the traveling I’ve done, I’ve never quite found myself in his situation. I’ve come close a few times on road trips, charging a few tanks of gas until I got home. Flying to the States from Europe one time, I crossed my fingers all the way to the gate that I wouldn’t be charged for my extra baggage – I planned to plead them onto the plane if the need arose. But these are hardly desperate situations. I’ve never quite been so significantly stalled due to chance occurrences that profoundly hampered my finances.
Have you ever been stranded somewhere, or in a very risky or scary situation, and been bailed out by the compassion of strangers? Or have you been that compassionate stranger? What was your experience like?
September 20th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
I had been abroad for a year on a study abroad trip and had literally just stepped foot out of passport control in the US. I head to the ATM, take out 100 dollars, and try to find my hotel. My flight had been delayed 15 hours and the airline was providing us accomodation as I had missed the last connecting flight. I was sick. I walked over to find the airline employee directing the passengers, when I realized I left my wallet on top of the ATM. I ran back. It was gone. I started to wait in line at Lost and Found when I spoke to two women about my situation. They then told me a man had been waiting to turn in a wallet, and kept asking young women (like me) if they were from my state (he had seen my license). The women then said he turned around while in line and eventually exited the airport. I was sure he had seen the $100 and decided to take my wallet. I began to cry. I was 20, without any money, credit cards, or a working cellphone. I called my parents from strangers’ cell phones so they would know the situation.
Somehow, a woman overhears this, and realizes that it was her friend that had found the wallet. Apparently they had flown together but had taken separate transportation. She calls the man, and he turns his car around and comes back. I get my wallet, with the money inside. He explained that since he realized I was from out of state that he would just mail me the wallet.
I was so relieved! After such a stressful flight and the shock of being back, it was lovely to be able to rely on the kindness of strangers.
September 23rd, 2010 at 12:01 am
I arrived in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China last summer the day the rioting there started. I decided to leave town for a place called Kuqa. Over the course of the day riding around with a taxi driver named Aden I became aware that cell phones, international calling, and international banking were all down. All I had left was the cash in my wallet, which didn’t amount to much at that point.
At the end of the day he dropped me off at the train station so I could get a ticket out of the province with the cash I had left, told me not to worry about paying for the ride for the day, and gave me a bit of cash to make sure I could eat dinner while I was waiting on the train. All while the (his) Uygher people were in chaos just a few cities away in Urumqi.
I still can’t believe how nice he was and remember well the conversations we had throughout the day. In the face of what could have been a terrible experience, he made it amazing.
September 23rd, 2010 at 7:19 am
Wow! These are some really interesting stories, you guys. The more I think about it, while I’ve never been financially helped out of a situation, I have been on the receiving end of a great amount of touching kindness – even if it’s something as simple as someone offering me directions when I might look confused. For me, these situations – and the ones that you all have shared – teach the greatest lesson.