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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Leaving someone stranded at 1am at night

449 replies

dranaksjd · 30/08/2016 15:32

Honest opinions wanted here.

Here's the scenario. My friend (she's 26) foudn herself having to return home much later than she expected. This meant she had to get the last train home from Birmingham city centre.

There was a mix up on the departure board which meant she got on the wrong train and ended up in a tiny train station in a village quite far from any major city.

She was clearly distressed as she got off the train and a couple overheard her conversation to her friend. She explain she had only £10
On her, no bank card on her and no idea where she was and no charge on her phone to call anyone to see if they could pick her up.

The couple said they would take her to the main train station in the nearest city which was 10 minutes drive away.

So she got in the car. They dropped her off at that train station at 1am.

She then found a pub willing to let her charge her phone and then when the pub closed she returned to the train station at 2 am. It was at 4am before she realised she could do an emergency transaction using her natwest online banking app.
She comes across as someone who would be comfortably well off so I'm guessing the couple thought she had money but she had explained she did not have her card on her.

She then paid a lot of money for a taxi home.

Now obviously it was nice of the couple to give her a lift the the main train station, but it didn't actually help her much. And they left her at 1am with no cash on her, outside a train station which was boarded up and closed.

That doesn't sit well with me and isn't something I would do. Or am I being unreasonable? Obviously it was unwise of her to travel back at that time but she was not expecting that morning when she left the house to be travelling at that time.

Honest opinions wanted here. And I'm genuinely not the person this post is about.

Just genuinely interested in what others opinion is.

OP posts:
swingballs · 30/08/2016 16:12

Was it Wolverhampton train station?

bloodyteenagers · 30/08/2016 16:12

So she managed to let the mate know she got on the wrong train, no cards, no money, instead of hi mate, I'm stranded at wherethefuckami station?

WorraLiberty · 30/08/2016 16:12

Are you the friend she rang OP? Hmm

BombadierFritz · 30/08/2016 16:13

what a nice couple to drive her anywhere at all. at least your friend realises how kind they were. she needs to get more organised though!

as per your example I might do a bit more for a genuine seeming foreigner - bit more lost, genuinely doesnt understand the system etc. its a risk though as thats another known scam as well.

Original poster
dranaksjd · 30/08/2016 16:13

A few people realised they were on the wrong train too I presume. She won't have been the only one who made that mistake.

OP posts:
MidnightVelvettheSixth · 30/08/2016 16:13

Also a room in a Premier Inn costs £30, why not just take a room rather than pay more for a taxi?

Costacoffeeplease · 30/08/2016 16:15

I still don't get why you think the couple should have done anything more? I wouldn't have given her a lift or money - I'd expect a 26 year old to be capable of sorting her own life out. Let's hope she's learned a lesson here

MadHattersWineParty · 30/08/2016 16:15

I wonder what tomorrow's 'scenario' will be!

Pub was open late wasn't it?

Obviously the couple should have driven her all the way to her door and got her a Macca's drive-thru on the way, that's clearly what any reasonable couple would have done Confused

JessieMcJessie · 30/08/2016 16:15

I love it- it's the couple's fault she was stranded and the train station's fault that she got on the wrong train.

It is no doubt someone else's fault that she stayed late wherever she was and yet another person's fault that she had no bank card.

However to those questioning why she had a phone charger with her I suspect that someone in the pub staff had a compatible charger.

PrivatePike · 30/08/2016 16:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bambooshoots14 · 30/08/2016 16:15

I agree. The friend she was on the phone should of helped rather than a random couple

AvengeTheDoc · 30/08/2016 16:15

Yes a victim of her own stupidity

HeCantBeSerious · 30/08/2016 16:15

She had no means to pay for a hotel room.

AvengeTheDoc · 30/08/2016 16:16

Well obviously she did if she paid £100 for a taxi

notinagreatplace · 30/08/2016 16:16

From the couple's point of view, it's not their job to take charge of her.. presumably, they suggested the main train station and she agreed. It's not their job to find out exactly what her plan was from there, it's her job to have a plan from there or to suggest something else to them if the main station didn't work for her.

Is she one of these fluttering helpless women?

Naicehamshop · 30/08/2016 16:16

Sorry OP but your comments are absolutely batshit. She's lucky that anyone gave her a lift at all! Confused

HeCantBeSerious · 30/08/2016 16:17

Well obviously she did if she paid £100 for a taxi

Hotels won't take cash for rooms. They usually require authorisation in a credit or debit card before they'll hand over keys (in case you trash the place).

IHopeYouStepOnALegoPiece · 30/08/2016 16:17

To those asking about the money/no card...if you're with NatWest and have the app, you login and they give you a code to use at a NatWest/RBS cash point and you can withdraw up to £100 without a card

That's the only not ridiculous part of this story

ElspethFlashman · 30/08/2016 16:17

She didn't have time to say the station!!!

Grin

I don't even care that this thread is bullshit - it's the gift that keeps on giving.

PuppyMonkey · 30/08/2016 16:17

"Your friend sounds like an absolute pudding. " Grin

MidnightVelvettheSixth · 30/08/2016 16:18

She had no means to pay for a hotel room.

Ah but she did the app/cash machine thing as that's where she got the money from to pay the taxi, she could have easily used the money for a hotel room/Holiday Inn/Premier Inn etc

KittensWithWeapons · 30/08/2016 16:18

Are you actually consider that this ridiculous situation was the fault of your friend, or just keep coming back with more excuses as to why your friend is a pathetic eejit? I'm not so sure that you actually do want the honest opinions that you claim to in your first post.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 30/08/2016 16:19

Dropping her in a larger city gave her more options. She could have found a 24 McD and waited it out until morning. She had £10 so she could have bought something cheap and sat there with it.

I would have stayed on the train until the next big city rather than jump out in the station in "the sticks" she was lucky the couple helped her.

bloodyteenagers · 30/08/2016 16:20

I think you need to get yourself some different mates. Quite of few of them sound like pathetic, using ejjits. Unless it's all the same person which is even worse.

Hockeydude · 30/08/2016 16:20

That couple were very, very kind indeed. You can run huge risks picking up strangers who pretend to be vulnerable then pull out a knife and rob you (or worse).

Your friend made multiple errors of judgement and the full blame lies with her. I had better decision making skills than that when I was 12.

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