I do not feel bad for people who miss their flights or trains.

[joseline]

In general it is not hard at all to be on time. People miss flights or trains because of their own poor plannings, time management and irresponsibility.

when I travel by train from one city to another city far away, I see other travellers running to catch their trains. Sometimes they manage to make it onto their trains before they leave, a lot of time they miss them and they complain and throw a fit and sometimes even cry.

i always chuckle when I witness that because I know for sure that it is their fault. When I travel and I have a train or flight to catch I make sure to leave my house early to I can arrive early. At least 3 hours early. If I have a flight at 9 AM for example and the airline recommends me to be at the airport at 7 AM I am there at 6 AM. Of course I take myself to the airport so that nobody can dictate what I can and can’t do. I don’t let relatives take me to the airport anymore. I use uber or public transport.

the only time I’ve ever missed my flights or trains was when I travelled with older relatives. But ever since I started travelling solo, I never missed my flights or trains.

so when I am at the train stations or airport and I see people running, I feel 0 sympathy for them. They most likely loiter at home and decide to leave their homes close to the time of their departures.

What a weird post.

And I was. Literally more early than the airport could physically accommodate. What, pray tell, is your simple solution for that?

Also, ‘than run’ and ‘whether’. You’d think someone as infallible as you would be able to spell.

🙄

i always chuckle when I witness that because I know for sure that it is their fault.
Well aren't you a lovely person, having a laugh at other people's misfortune? And no it isn't always their fault. The only times (twice) I have come close to missing a plane, were (a) when unexpected snow fall blanketed the route between me and the airport depite having set out with a four hour window of "spare time" and (b) again, leaving a four hour window of spare time, when the entire of the motorway stopped due to a serious crash - and in fact we all made the plane only because the pilot of the plane parked in front of hours was stuck in the same traffic. I would love to have personal control over the weather and RTA's.

On 2 occasions in my life I have sat in stationary traffic on the M25 for 6 hours because of fatal accidents. Nothing to do with my planning.

I will agree for the first leg of a trip. Unless someone encounters one of those rare traffic jams that lasts for hours and hours, they did not leave enough time.

however, if you have never had the first leg of your travel delayed by many hours or even days, you are very, very lucky.

I once sat for two hours on a train and nearly missed my connection as there was an “incident” on the line. No matter how much you plan things can go wrong

OP must be living somewhere with good public transport options.

I usually fly via Manchester. It's a complete pain in the arse whether you go by car or train. Roads and particularly the motorways around Manchester can be snarled up for hours due to accidents. Trains to Man airport from our town are frequently cancelled, at least one cancellation per day, and with a 2 hourly service, that means you're stuffed if your planned train is cancelled last minute, or when the line is blocked due to a tree on the line or breakdown due to lack of alternative routes.

Trains are likewise a pain from one town to another. Far too many 2 hourly services that are cancelled at the drop of a hat with no alternative routes.

Many of those you see running for trains/airplanes have probably been let down by crap public transport and crap road infrastructure. Not everyone can travel the day before and stay in a hotel overnight for flights, not many commuters have other options as often the first trains of the day don't get you to work before 9am start unless you live/work on one of the busy/regular corridors of train services.

Next up...
...always carry two spare tyres.
Just in case

I'm always early & plan ahead & thankfully have never missed flights etc but I do remember witnessing a family running through the airport & the dad stopping & saying 'we've missed it' (the flight) & the children started crying & I felt awful for them. Sometimes people are late due to bad planning & sometimes it's traffic/accidents etc. It can't always be helped.

You might have seen me crying last time I missed a train because I was scared of missing my oncology appointment. Sorry about that. I left plenty of time and I'm never normally late, but the person giving me a lift's car wouldn't start. Then the rural bus was delayed and it takes twice as much time anyway. Because of that bus delay I missed the second bus and had to wait for the next one. Then my suitcase broke, and a staff member was rude when I asked which way to the platform. I got there just as the doors shut. So yeah, I was pretty emotional.

Luckily the next train just about got me to the hospital late, but in enough time to check in and get seen.

Shit happens and you're weird for laughing when people cry.

Usually if I'm running for a train it's because I've got to the station early and if I run I'll save waiting 20 mins for the next train because I'd rather run for 2 minutes than sit in a usually freezing station and the regular connection I get lines up such that I often arrive early enough to get the train before the scheduled one. Nothing to do with leaving the house earlier.

Smuggy mc smuggerson and judgy mc judgerson.

You've no idea what causes people to be late. Sometimes it's lack of planning, most of the time it's unexpected circumstances or late connections.

Yeah, right. You've never been in an unforeseen traffic jam en route to an airport, have you? And I'm guessing you've not experienced a delayed train causing problems with connections either?
Your smugness is more due to your naivety and inexperience, bless your little heart.

Yawn

So you've obviously never been already on the tube and then it has come to a sudden halt because someone decided to jump in front of it? Or been on a major motorway that has had to close in both directions for several hours while the fire brigade try to bring an oil tanker fire under control? Or that the motorway is closed in both directions to allow the air ambulance to land? Or checked your train times, got to the station and found that they've all been cancelled due to emergency engineering works and you've only got the option of a replacement bus service that takes five times as long as the train? Or lost your keys, or had your bag nicked? Or got caught up in a meeting at work and been unable to leave until it finishes? Or been on your way to the airport when your car breaks down and it takes ages for the recovery truck to arrive? Or had some fuckwit crash their car into yours and writes it off? Or you've been sent on a long diversion due to unexpected flooding? Or found that your chosen flight is still on the ground at Charles de Gaulle because the French air traffic controllers have decided to go on strike? Or going at 3 mph on the M25 for about 15 miles because there's been a multiple pile-up in fog? Or been stuck the wrong side of the Severn Bridge due to it being closed because of high winds? Or had a phone call with bad news from the hospital just as you are about to leave the house?

Wow. You must lead a charmed life to have never been delayed for any reason, ever.

I never missed my connections either because I pick long layovers. Specially when I am flying. Minimum 3 to 5 hour layovers.

OP, never travel without a dictionary.

No, to mimic the OP, I laugh when I see posts like theirs as I am happy they have sad unfulfilled lives

I feel for them
because I doubt they actually think this (I doubt this op ever travels beyond her local post office tbh) but they just want some attention. Any kind of attention

I’d hazard a wild guess and say the OP is not just bored and lonely this afternoon.

I’m laughing at the idea of planning a 3 - 5 hour “layover” (assume OP means connection time) at most UK stations

There is a particular station where I change trains quite a lot, and the incoming train is quite often delayed. If I scheduled in a long connection time, I would definitely have to wait. I might even have to buy two separate tickets, which would lose me some of the protection you get with a through ticket. If I buy a through ticket with a normal connection time, I either (a) manage to get my connection, or (b) have to wait for the later train, which is the same as if I'd planned it, but the train company gives me some or all of my money back.

I would have loved to see you chuckle at me at 5am on BH Monday when I ran down a steep flight of stairs to a train that was on the platform ready to depart, frantic pressing the button and the doors didn’t open, it rolled away in front of me. I missed it by seconds.

Reason? I got up on time, an hour before, got ready at quarter to 4. This being BH and early hours, Ubers were sparse, once I finally got one I had just missed it. Trains every half an hour, was late to work. If I’d witnessed you chuckling at me that particular morning, you’d be on the tracks.

It's ok, OP, I will feel sorry for you. Be well, friend. Life can be nicer than this if you let it. x