Worst school trip experiences

[crimesagainstwine]

What was your or your DC's worst school trip/foreign exchange/day-out?

For me it was Year 6 (though think we were then "first years" at secondary school) - week long trip to France (Brittany).

I was known to be a reasonable and strong swimmer and when other kids swam out and got in difficulty (nothing too serious thankfully) was told by teachers (the mid-eighties here) to "go and get them as you can swim".

Said teachers stood on shore whilst this 11 year old swam out in fairly choppy seas to tell other kids to come back to shore! The tide was treacherous and I was absolutely terrified the whole time. Thankfully we all got back ashore safely but no thanks from teachers - instead told that I had "taken my time" WTF??

DD1 went on exchange trip to city (foreign exchange) and at the last minute the original host company had collapsed. So new city and hosts chosen. They had a week with the "host" family in their house with her three mates.

It was so obvious hosts were in it for the money and had no interest in the students (aged 13) - two had a bed and two were on the floor.

They were given same food each day (cheese sandwich for lunch and cheap pizza for dinner) - no breakfast and then locked (literally with key) in room from 6pm til 8am each day. She was "lucky" in that only one out of the 4 who could speak the language - the others were absolutely terrified.

They were told to hand in mobiles each night and if wanted to use the loo had to knock on the door. Still makes me absolutely frigging furious this one!

@buckleten I remember the boys buying those knives. I think if the school hadn't specifically said not to buy them, I do t think they have known that they existed.

I went on Brownie pack holiday when I was about 7 or 8. My first time away from home. Holding the end of a skipping rope playing a game and somehow broke my ankle. To this day I have no idea what actually happened. The leaders didn't believe that I'd done anything until the next morning. When they finally phoned my parents.

Not a school trip as such because it happened while I was at a teacher training college; the history department went to London to visit the Tutankhamen exhibition in the early 1970s and we were all given a packed lunch from the college refectory. Each one contained a small cold burger and a small tin of spaghetti hoops...

In Y7 we went to the theatre. A very tiered seating arrangement. One guy brought to eat 6 creme eggs crisps, maltesters, fizzy cola bottles etc. Ate them, bragging away at how much food he had, eaten all before the play began. Then projectile vomited over those in the seats below. My friend was dripping in it. The staff got her showered, hair washed back stage and she was given a unused costume from.the play and had to journey home as a 1920's maid. The rest of us stunk from spew splatters.

A grey hair moment was one of my children going on a school trip and the coach involved in a very nasty crash. Horrid few days. Thankfully injuries that could be fixed.

And another trip which for some reason involved axes to cut wood and getting phone call to meet one my children and a member of staff at a hospital after my child slice his hand badly. We still admire the scar.

O level English trip to a theatre in the evening about 20 miles away, circa 1986.

After the show, teacher sent 2 boys around the corner to watch for the bus arriving. Meanwhile, the bus arrives around a different corner and everyone piles on, except the 2 boys who are left behind. Teacher never even noticed. Boys end up getting their parents to bring them home.

DD was taken on an overnight trip to the river Kwai area aged around 5.
We had only lived in Thailand for about two months so were relatively clueless. She knew about snakes and lizards but couldn’t have foreseen the danger from a macaque.
One launched itself from a tree and bit her quite badly, she ended up in hospital and me and her dad drove to stay with her for 3 nights.