| 1.2-1 Seattle to Boston |
On Tuesday, February 4th, 1991 my father drove me in, yes, you guessed it, a rain
storm from Seattle to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver is only an
hour and a half north of Seattle by freeway and unfortunately for them they have
the same weather pattern as Seattle. My dad dropped me off at the Canadian
Pacific train depot in Vancouver at about 7 p.m. and he headed back to Seattle
before it got too late. I checked my bags and waited to board the Canadian
Transcontinental train that night at 9:30 p.m.
I boarded the train, found my sleeping compartment, and then headed straight to
the domed viewing car. I had always dreamed of riding a train with a domed viewing
car since I was a kid. I must of seen it on a Public Broadcasting Station travel show
and couldn’t get it out of my head. I stayed in the domed car past midnight watching
as we passed scenery all so new to me yet not all that much different from where I
grew up. I loved each and every minute. It seemed so unreal seeing lumber mill
workers along the MacKenzie River working late into the night, some wearing only T-
shirts in the cool misty weather. As we headed further and further away from the
city the view only became full of the night and the darkness. I made my way to my
sleeping car and drifted off to sleep with the rock and sway of the train.
The next morning I awoke as the train’s brakes squealed loudly and I was lurching
forwards as we quickly slowed down. It was our first stop - Kamloops, British
Columbia. It was cold yet sunny in Kamloops - a nice change from the rain. Before
the train began to rolI, I dressed and headed for the viewing car. From this vantage
point my eyes were suddenly drawn to a beautiful young man boarding the trains
dining car. I quickly decided I wanted to have breakfast too and left the domed car
through the length of the train to the dining car. Amazingly, the dining car Maitre
‘De seated me with the fellow I had spotted. His name was Ron and he was from
Toronto, Ontario. Ron was currently on furlough from the Canadian Pacific railroad
- the Canadian freight train company. His father worked for VIA, the Canadian
passenger train system, the one we were currently on. Ron had just traveled on a
free pass out to Vancouver from Toronto, stayed only for the day and was now
heading back home to Toronto. After breakfast we both headed for the viewing car
to watch the train pass through the majestic Canadian Rockies. It was a great ride
that day and Ron and I enjoyed chatting with each other while viewing the sites. We
met a young lady named Rose who was also on her way back home to Toronto.
She had just flown into Vancouver from a long stay in Australia where she worked
on a ranch for the past few months, during the Australian summer, and traveled the
outback in her spare time. She shared with us her many experiences in the
Australian outback. (see actual video here from Kamloops through the Canadian
Rockies)
Late in the afternoon we stopped in the ski town of Jasper where two fellows
boarded the train and placed their belongings in the bunks near Rose and me. One
of the fellows was multiply wrapped in hospital bandages. He looked badly mangled
and in pain, so neither Rose, Ron nor I talked with him that evening. The next
morning Rose talked with Darrel, friend of the fellow who was in the bandages. She
discovered Darrel and his friend Clint were from Australia and that they were
traveling around the world too. They started their trip in San Diego, California on
January 1st, 1991. Then they headed up the West Coast to Vancouver where they
caught the train to Jasper. While in Jasper they tried their hand at skiing (against
Clint’s mother’s wishes). On their second day of skiing Clint missed the clear path
and accidentally ran into a tree, breaking both of his arms and wrists and injuring
other parts of his body (see photo). This was his second and last time skiing. The
first time he went skiing, he apparently injured his knee. I think he is lucky to have
lived to decide it would be his last time skiing.
Ron, Rose, Darrel, Clint, and I spent the remainder of the trip together playing
cards, reading, listening to music, and chatting with each other in the domed café
car. We arrived at our final stop in Toronto on the morning of Friday, February 7th.
While the others went on their way, Ron and I ate breakfast together in the Toronto
Station. Here he offered to show me around Toronto on the following Tuesday. I
accepted his offer and told him I'd call to confirm the date. He headed home and I
headed out on the next train to Windsor/Detroit to visit with an ex-coworker Janice
from General Dynamics in San Diego who was now living in Detroit. I stayed in
Detroit for a couple of days with Janice and then I made plans to reach my next
destination, Syracuse, New York. In Syracuse I would visit my ex-boss Rich and his
family. Rich was my boss from General Dynamics in San Diego.
I had called Rich about two weeks earlier to let him know I was coming. I told him I
would call him when I arrived in Syracuse so I wouldn’t have to spend a lot of money
on long distance calls since I was traveling around the world and trying my best to
be frugal. My current travel plan was to take the train from Windsor, Ontario to
Niagara Falls, Ontario using my free train pass. I would then cross the boarder and
rent a car in Niagara Falls, New York and drive to Syracuse. I left early Sunday
morning from Windsor/Detroit and arrived at about 7:30 p.m. in Niagara Falls. I
walked across the boarder carrying my backpack, suitcases, video camera, and
sleeping bag to an empty, shut down, dark and cold freshly snowed upon demi-city.
Fortunately, I was prepared for the snow and cold. Niagara Falls, New York was not
as big as I had expected. I found the first pay phone after crossing the boarder and
called the rental car agency. They informed me that the nearest place to rent a car
tonight was at the Buffalo airport 15 miles away. So I was either stuck in Niagara
Falls or I could head to the Buffalo airport. I contemplated taking my sleeping bag
out and lying it on a drift of snow somewhere out of sight to bed down for the night.
Instead, I decided to be civilized. I carried my heavy bags to the bus station about
two miles away where I took the last bus of the night to downtown Buffalo to catch
the last bus to the airport to rent a car. In a spasm of bad luck, my bus arrived at
the Buffalo station five minutes after the last bus for the night left for the airport. So,
I now had the choice of paying $20 for a taxi or waiting all night in the bus station for
the first bus out in the morning. In the interest of being thrifty I waited until morning.
After all, I was heading around the world and I needed to be thrifty somewhere. I
called my friend Rich to let him know I should be there sometime tomorrow
afternoon. I also called Budget Rent-a-car to reserve a car at the airport for the
next morning.
After six hours of sitting in hard as rock bus station seats, I rode the bus to the
airport to pick up my pre-arranged car. I first went to the off-site rental office where
the cars are parked. The lady at the desk found no reservation for me. So she
sent me to the airport terminal Budget office (um, there are no cars parked at the
terminal so I don’t know why she had to send me there). At the airport terminal
office I was greeted by Katie. I could tell from her accent that she was a displaced
New York City resident. Katie was also cold and rude, another sign of an ex-New
Yorker. She was one of the reasons I was skipping visiting New York City on my
trip. I could tell she did not wish to deal with me at the early morning hour of 7:00 a.
m. She obviously needed her morning coffee and cigarette yet.
Ignoring her personal problems, I took a risk and informed her that I was here to
pick up a car I reserved last night. As we all know, I had plenty of spare time in the
bus station the previous night to arrange this reservation correctly via Budget's toll
free number. The problem at this moment was that Katie had no such reservation
on her computer.
She went ahead and started writing up the rental without any problem and she told
me the price. Unfortunately for me and for Katie it was $15 more per day than the
price quoted me by the toll free reservationist. I informed her of this and she
replied, "I'm sorry sir, but the reservationist is wrong. The price is $45 for the day."
Instead of arguing with her I calmly gather my belongings, walk behind the counter
to a pay phone and call Budget's toll free number. I talk to a reservationist in Dallas
who confirmed that I indeed had a reservation and that they had quoted me the
lower price. She calls Katie in the terminal and tells her my reservation number and
the price quoted me. I go back to the desk and we continued with the rental
agreement. By the look on Katie’s face I could see she wasn’t impressed with my
maneuvering around her back.
She writes up the rental contract and then takes out her next weapon to frustrate my
rental plans. She informs me, "You will have to wait for the manager to approve the
price reduction. He's not available yet and I don't know when he'll be in."
Unknown to Katie though was that I also had a weapon to frustrate her right back.
As if the rental wasn't complicated enough for Katie, I complicate it further by
informing her that I will be returning the car to the downtown Buffalo office free of
charge as promised by the toll free reservationist. Katie shakes her head and says,
“No way. You will have to pay an extra $25 charge to leave the car downtown.”
I just smile at Katie, grab my belongings, and walk around the counter back to the
pay phone and call the toll free reservation number again. I talk to the same
reservationist in Dallas I had just spoken with about the price problem. Again she
calls Katie at the airport to inform her of our agreement. I returned to the counter
with a big smile knowing that my counter attack to Katie had worked. Katie tells me
in her rude manner, "You’ll have to wait for the manager to approve the price
change and return location." We complete the paper work for the rental agreement
and I begin my wait for the manager.
World Turned Upside Down
Clint from Australia with his two broken arms - Toronto Station 8 Feb 1991
Janis & Kory - Windsor Train Station, 10 Feb 1991