Transcript

SPEAKER 1 My first flight arrived late, and I ran across the airport even though the screen already said the gate was closed. Well, an airline employee stopped me and quietly booked me onto the morning flight. I spent the night in an airport hotel feeling annoyed. The next day I realised the rebooking was much easier because I had kept all my travel details in one folder on my phone. Now I also pack a clean shirt in my hand luggage. I wasn't calm at the time, but the staff member's clear instructions stopped me wasting energy arguing at a closed gate. The airline message is still saved, in case the delay claim asks for the original times. I'd also check the connection time before booking. SPEAKER 2 I boarded the right bus in the wrong direction and only noticed when we crossed a river that wasn't on my map. The driver laughed, showed me where to change and gave me a paper ticket that worked on the return service. I was embarrassed for about five minutes. After that, I saw a quieter part of the city and found a brilliant bakery beside the next stop. I still check the direction now, not just the route number. Well, I hadn't allowed for the route beginning on the other side of the street. Now I look at the final destination displayed on the bus. I check the map before any unfamiliar service. I'd been watching the route number, not the destination. SPEAKER 3 I reached a small hotel and the receptionist had no record of my reservation. I'd booked through a site that had closed down a week earlier. Luckily I had the confirmation email, including the price. The hotel was full, but the receptionist rang another place and arranged the same rate. Since then I book directly when a hotel is independent, even if the website looks slightly old-fashioned. I didn't blame the hotel. The receptionist could have simply said the booking wasn't theirs, but she stayed on the phone until another room was confirmed. The direct booking also gave me a person to contact rather than an anonymous form. I've kept the receptionist's email. SPEAKER 4 My suitcase arrived, but the tiny key for the lock had vanished from my pocket. I was about to force it when the owner of the guesthouse produced a box of old keys and found one that opened it. The funny thing was that nothing important was inside; my passport and phone were in my backpack. I replaced the lock with one that uses a number, though I wrote the number somewhere sensible rather than trusting my memory. I can't lose a key that no longer exists, although I can still forget the number. That's why the written note matters. I chose a four-digit code I don't use for anything important. I'd written the number in my notes. SPEAKER 5 We followed a path marker that had turned in the wind and ended up above the village instead of beside it. It added an hour, but the weather was clear and we had water, so it wasn't dangerous. A farmer pointed us towards a lane and explained the sign problem. We told the local information office when we got back. Now I download the route as well as carrying the printed map. We weren't short of daylight, so the extra distance remained an inconvenience rather than a danger. I'd have turned back in poor weather. The office replied later to say the marker had been fixed. We'd left enough time to turn back.