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.

This thread reminds me of a work colleague about 20 years ago now who told me that she and her adult sister both enjoyed going to the local Merry Hill shopping centre every Xmas eve with with no agenda other than to laugh at people doing last minute shopping.

I was so flabbergasted as this was pre internet shopping when a lot of centres would be rammed every Sat never mind at Xmas eve and I couldn’t believe anyone could get joy inserting themselves in such retail hell for absolutely no reason at all.

She was an utterly forgettable person otherwise who I’ve only remembered this long because of her weird revelation. She was a very plain and quiet person and it scared me in a way that seemingly normal no drama types people could be quite psychotic on the inside and to be extra cautious with who I trusted as I continued into adulthood!

OP does your solo travel consist entirely of hanging out in airline terminals and railway stations? Presumably not “loitering” around beaches / cultural landmarks / beautiful views. Not when you could be joining a nice queue or two. 😬

Oh, how I’d love to be at the train station for 4am to wait for my train for 3 hours (travel to London for work every couple of weeks)!

i always chuckle when I witness that because I know for sure that it is their fault

You sound lovely op 🤔

How do you know that they didn’t come across a multi-car pile-up on the motorway?

Or they had a last minute issue with an elderly relative?

Or their pet was ill?

You have no idea why they are late!

They may even be catching the first train or flight it was possible to book at the last minute because of a family emergency?

Yes we should all do our very best to be on time and allow for delays but some are unavoidable and I certainly can’t imagine laughing at someone else’s misfortune. Especially not with the price of flights being what they are atm.

No OP, I'm never happy to hear someone has missed a flight/train or connection. How odd.

A couple of years ago elderly sight impaired Aunt came to visit - unfortunately none of us could drop her back to the airport due to work (although assistance at the airport was booked)

Duly booked an uber with masses of time to spare for Aunt, off she went, call a couple of hours later - driver had dropped Aunt off at East Midlands instead of Birmingham airport. Flight duly missed - Aunt was only going to Dublin, so not a massive disaster - however very upsetting for a half blind 82 year old.
Funny much? Not really, but you do you, I guess.

@joseline I’ve missed 2 flights in my life. First one I fell asleep in the airport and the second one I went to the airport on the wrong day. It wasn’t a problem at all and I don’t need you to feel sorry for me - I just booked myself into a hotel and bought tickets for the next flight. No sweat. No panic. Nothing. Just an oh dear and a 17 hour flight to Miami the next day in the same Qatar Airways business class. And the other one? That was an even longer business class one to NZ on Singapore airlines.

And you think not feeling bad for me bothers me? 🤣

This. Honestly some people are just hollow and shallow.

Leaving earlier doesn't always work though. I missed a wedding once... the wedding was at 1pm and an hour from my house, a friend was picking me up on the way and we agreed that we'd aim to get to the venue for 12 to give us extra time, which means she had to get to mine by 11. This meant leaving her house at 10, she left at 9:15 to give herself even more extra time. We left mine at 10:30. Giving us 2 1/2 hours to get to a wedding an hour away. Yup, you guessed it... motorway closes as we are on it and we can't get off. Luckily we made the reception and the bride was lovely about it.

Why have you started such an unpleasant unnecessary thread, you sound awful if you're even real. No one cares what you think.

Surprised you dont bring a picnic just to sit at airports to laugh at people

Well aren’t you the ultimate travel martyr? Now clear off!

What a cunty thing to say.

My last big experience of being late / missing a connection, was that some poor soul had thrown themselves on the tracks further down the line & although I was already seated on the train, it hadn’t departed. We were delayed by around 50 minutes while his remains were dealt with. Only 1 train an hour from St Pancras to Sheffield. I would have been arriving for my meeting 45 minutes early, instead I was 15 minutes late. I didn’t cry but it was a close thing. I’m not sure how this was possibly my fault & luckily for me, my manager & the client I was meeting with in Rotherham didn’t hold the same smug views as you do.

OP probably does ( and gets to the shops super early to grab all the decent food!)

The only time I missed a flight was when I got stuck on the motorway going to the airport. There had been an horrendous accident and it took me 4 hours to get off the motorway. Hardly my fault. But hey, if you want to laugh and be all smug about other people’s misfortune, you just carry on. Just be warned; Karma is a bitch

Yawn, what an exceptionally pointless post @joseline

Up yours 😡 I missed a very important flight because of a very serous road accident where someone died.

I’m very sorry that we don’t all match up to the smug, superior human being that you are, OP.

How is that possible on a train? When they are two hours apart you just randomly hang around in the station for that time just in case the first is late?

I can think of a time I'm what you described. Travelling Inverness to Liverpool. At Edinburgh the west coast mainline had been shut.

Had to go down the east. Got to Newcastle and train delayed due to police incident. Had to transfer to a York train which was packed and at three minutes notice with a baby and toddler in tow where we sat on the floor squashed by a door.

Got to York and ran for the train. Doors shut as I got to the end of the platform. I did react badly that day!

You have no idea of why anyone would be late.

Oh and then I had someone tut at me because I let my toddler watch something on my phone (on mute) on the final train and mutter about how people can't entertain kids.

She shut up when I said he'd been travelling for 11 hours, it was well past his bedtime and would she prefer him to cry.

OP you sound like a smug cnut who relishes in the misfortune of travel plans which are often outside of the control of the traveler.

181 comments and not a single person agrees with you! Interestingly, you’ll probably still convince yourself that you’re right.

Gingercatlover
You can’t just judge everyone

Well, Joseline can, but only at the price of looking a complete nitwit.

This has got to be rage bait or a very sad lonely & bored person 😆

Bravo OP! We all bow in awe at your magnificent time-keeping, and name you the Keeper of the Sacred Hourglass, Sovereign of the Sundial, Vanquisher of Clocks!

I, a most wretched worm, prostrate myself before your ineffable punctuality, crushed beneath the weight of my shameful tardiness.

Did I do it right?