Interesting people you shared a journey with
Discussion
Real downer this one. I was on an overnight sleeper train from Moscow to Kiev, 1991. We were a bunch of students in high spirits, drinking and laughing. There was a very ill chap in our compartment, properly f
ked, verge of death stuff. Coughing, wheezing, skin lesions, the lot. Poor sod, we thought. Anyway, at one point of the journey the train passes quite close to Chernobyl and my mates and I started talking about it. The ill bloke chimes in - "I was one of the first firemen on the scene that day. From the local town, no proper protective gear issued. We weren't told the real situation. Now I'm like this, I'll be gone in a couple of months."
Proper shut us up that did. Makes my skin go cold thinking about it now.
ked, verge of death stuff. Coughing, wheezing, skin lesions, the lot. Poor sod, we thought. Anyway, at one point of the journey the train passes quite close to Chernobyl and my mates and I started talking about it. The ill bloke chimes in - "I was one of the first firemen on the scene that day. From the local town, no proper protective gear issued. We weren't told the real situation. Now I'm like this, I'll be gone in a couple of months."Proper shut us up that did. Makes my skin go cold thinking about it now.
Was working late one night and jumped on the Stansted Express and sat behind Gerry Adams and a few of his entourage, a very surreal experience.
Been in a lift with Sir Richard Branson when he was visiting his legal advisers and wished I would have talked to him but was just in awe of him. He was dressed as if he had just walked off a beach.
Same building I also shared a lift with Lord Sugar when he was going to see his legal advisers.
Been in a lift with Sir Richard Branson when he was visiting his legal advisers and wished I would have talked to him but was just in awe of him. He was dressed as if he had just walked off a beach.
Same building I also shared a lift with Lord Sugar when he was going to see his legal advisers.
Was on the way back from a holiday in Scilly, sat on the back seat of the helicopter, chatting to a nice old chap with a bunch of flowers. My Dad recognised him as the Bishop of Truro.
As a student caught the train home one weekend... Sat next to some chap about the same age who was a court witness for something quite nasty. Apparently he was on the fringes of this gang and they were trying to drag him in to discredit him as a witness... He had court travel documents when the inspector came round. He bought me a couple of beers - my wallet was empty and I figured it was a crowded train, my bag had nothing in it other than dirty pants and socks so I had nothing to lose. Was quite an interesting conversation with an interesting bloke!
As a student caught the train home one weekend... Sat next to some chap about the same age who was a court witness for something quite nasty. Apparently he was on the fringes of this gang and they were trying to drag him in to discredit him as a witness... He had court travel documents when the inspector came round. He bought me a couple of beers - my wallet was empty and I figured it was a crowded train, my bag had nothing in it other than dirty pants and socks so I had nothing to lose. Was quite an interesting conversation with an interesting bloke!
Andy OH said:
Was working late one night and jumped on the Stansted Express and sat behind Gerry Adams and a few of his entourage, a very surreal experience.
Been in a lift with Sir Richard Branson when he was visiting his legal advisers and wished I would have talked to him but was just in awe of him. He was dressed as if he had just walked off a beach.
Same building I also shared a lift with Lord Sugar when he was going to see his legal advisers.
I picked up Richard Branson when I was driving a black cab in London, he lived in Holland Park, and asked me to go the long way from Portland Place W1, via the A40 (M) to Shepherds Bush, rather than the direct route, (with traffic), through Paddington and Bayswater, as the A40 would be quicker in time.Been in a lift with Sir Richard Branson when he was visiting his legal advisers and wished I would have talked to him but was just in awe of him. He was dressed as if he had just walked off a beach.
Same building I also shared a lift with Lord Sugar when he was going to see his legal advisers.
I was only too pleased, the customer is always right, it must have added £4 or £5 to the fare.
I think my most memorable was sharing a 4 berth sleeper on a 24 hour train ride from Jo'burg to Cape Town.
There were three Afrikanner types, one an old oak who didn't speak English, a young fellow who was pretty quiet and a bloke I thought of as middle aged - he was probably mid-thirties but I was 19 at the time.
After a couple of beers we talked about why we travelling - I was on a gap year (yah) but Mr mid-30s claimed he was going to start a new life after doing a 18 month stretch for shooting his girlfriend's other shag. He said he caught them in the act and he shot him in the arm as he tried to jump out of the window. He then proceeded to show us his .38 revolver - "I did it with this - I use dum-dum bullets and it nearly took his arm completely off at the elbow. fking black bd." (imagine said in a strong South African accent).
I have no idea if it was true - the other two nodded along as if it were a completely reasonable thing to have done and other than that he seemed a decent, friendly bloke. I made sure not to drink too much and if I were black I think I would have been looking for a different berth. This was in the mid 90s so I guess it was a reminder of just how divided the country still was.
There were three Afrikanner types, one an old oak who didn't speak English, a young fellow who was pretty quiet and a bloke I thought of as middle aged - he was probably mid-thirties but I was 19 at the time.
After a couple of beers we talked about why we travelling - I was on a gap year (yah) but Mr mid-30s claimed he was going to start a new life after doing a 18 month stretch for shooting his girlfriend's other shag. He said he caught them in the act and he shot him in the arm as he tried to jump out of the window. He then proceeded to show us his .38 revolver - "I did it with this - I use dum-dum bullets and it nearly took his arm completely off at the elbow. f
king black bd." (imagine said in a strong South African accent).I have no idea if it was true - the other two nodded along as if it were a completely reasonable thing to have done and other than that he seemed a decent, friendly bloke. I made sure not to drink too much and if I were black I think I would have been looking for a different berth. This was in the mid 90s so I guess it was a reminder of just how divided the country still was.
Met this chap: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_P._Hall on the platform at Brough (East Yorks) station years ago...
He used my phone, a rarity in those days and bought me a coffee to say thanks.
Totally unimportant, however remember him - strange!
"Ivan P. Hall is an American historian specialized in Japan's history, and a former diplomat who came to prominence with the publication of his 1997 book Cartels of the Mind: Japan's Intellectual Closed Shop."
He used my phone, a rarity in those days and bought me a coffee to say thanks.
Totally unimportant, however remember him - strange!
"Ivan P. Hall is an American historian specialized in Japan's history, and a former diplomat who came to prominence with the publication of his 1997 book Cartels of the Mind: Japan's Intellectual Closed Shop."
kdri155 said:
I've spoke to quite a few interesting passengers in my 30 years of driving a taxi, but one that sticks out most was a job from the local train station to a religious retreat in the North Wales countryside a couple of years ago.
Two nuns who as well as being sisters were sibling sisters, whilst chatting to them I noticed their accent and asked where they had travelled from, the reply was Argentina but they were of German descent. They moved to Argentina as the war was ending as their father was a high ranking Nazi official, no names were offered or requested by them or myself, they were 7 & 5 at that time.
Their mother was also a respected member of the Nazi party, one of the sisters said she was given a doll by Hitler on her 5th birthday in 1943.
Following their fathers death in 1954 their mother disclosed to them who their father was within the Nazi party and what their father actually did during the war and gave them information as to what role she took. The girls as they were then approaching their late teens and both after some discussion turned to religion and a life of service to atone for their parents deeds.
Obviously the chat was a little longer but I couldn't help but admire them for making such a life changing decision at such a young age and I hoped they felt that they had repaid for their parents misdeeds whatever they may have been.
That's an interesting one, did try a little google to see if I could find any Nazi officials who died in Argentina in 1954, no luck though bet someone with more skill and knowledge could take an educated guess at who the father was,Two nuns who as well as being sisters were sibling sisters, whilst chatting to them I noticed their accent and asked where they had travelled from, the reply was Argentina but they were of German descent. They moved to Argentina as the war was ending as their father was a high ranking Nazi official, no names were offered or requested by them or myself, they were 7 & 5 at that time.
Their mother was also a respected member of the Nazi party, one of the sisters said she was given a doll by Hitler on her 5th birthday in 1943.
Following their fathers death in 1954 their mother disclosed to them who their father was within the Nazi party and what their father actually did during the war and gave them information as to what role she took. The girls as they were then approaching their late teens and both after some discussion turned to religion and a life of service to atone for their parents deeds.
Obviously the chat was a little longer but I couldn't help but admire them for making such a life changing decision at such a young age and I hoped they felt that they had repaid for their parents misdeeds whatever they may have been.
Sat next to and chatted to Jim Henson (of Muppets fame) on a flight from London to LA in the late 1980's, he'd just been to Germany flogging the Muppets series to a German TV channel.
Met Ian Smith (of Rhodesia fame) in 1976 when we were on the same ship from Durban to UK via Cape Town where he got off, seemed like a decent bloke to me.
Met Ian Smith (of Rhodesia fame) in 1976 when we were on the same ship from Durban to UK via Cape Town where he got off, seemed like a decent bloke to me.
SilverSixer said:
Real downer this one. I was on an overnight sleeper train from Moscow to Kiev, 1991. We were a bunch of students in high spirits, drinking and laughing. There was a very ill chap in our compartment, properly fked, verge of death stuff. Coughing, wheezing, skin lesions, the lot. Poor sod, we thought. Anyway, at one point of the journey the train passes quite close to Chernobyl and my mates and I started talking about it. The ill bloke chimes in - "I was one of the first firemen on the scene that day. From the local town, no proper protective gear issued. We weren't told the real situation. Now I'm like this, I'll be gone in a couple of months."
Proper shut us up that did. Makes my skin go cold thinking about it now.
I think it's very surprising there were so few casualties, given the nature of the disaster.ked, verge of death stuff. Coughing, wheezing, skin lesions, the lot. Poor sod, we thought. Anyway, at one point of the journey the train passes quite close to Chernobyl and my mates and I started talking about it. The ill bloke chimes in - "I was one of the first firemen on the scene that day. From the local town, no proper protective gear issued. We weren't told the real situation. Now I'm like this, I'll be gone in a couple of months."Proper shut us up that did. Makes my skin go cold thinking about it now.
shakotan said:
SilverSixer said:
Real downer this one. I was on an overnight sleeper train from Moscow to Kiev, 1991. We were a bunch of students in high spirits, drinking and laughing. There was a very ill chap in our compartment, properly fked, verge of death stuff. Coughing, wheezing, skin lesions, the lot. Poor sod, we thought. Anyway, at one point of the journey the train passes quite close to Chernobyl and my mates and I started talking about it. The ill bloke chimes in - "I was one of the first firemen on the scene that day. From the local town, no proper protective gear issued. We weren't told the real situation. Now I'm like this, I'll be gone in a couple of months."
Proper shut us up that did. Makes my skin go cold thinking about it now.
I think it's very surprising there were so few casualties, given the nature of the disaster.ked, verge of death stuff. Coughing, wheezing, skin lesions, the lot. Poor sod, we thought. Anyway, at one point of the journey the train passes quite close to Chernobyl and my mates and I started talking about it. The ill bloke chimes in - "I was one of the first firemen on the scene that day. From the local town, no proper protective gear issued. We weren't told the real situation. Now I'm like this, I'll be gone in a couple of months."Proper shut us up that did. Makes my skin go cold thinking about it now.
Everyone you speak to has a story when you delve below the surface. One of the best things about traveling by yourself is talking to people and learning about their experiences.
Nobody famous, but talked to a pair of actors on the way home from Thailand one time, they started treading the boards and then took over managing a travelling troop of actors putting on shows all over the world, starting in the 70's. Had worked with some very famous characters and been to some interesting places.
Nobody famous, but talked to a pair of actors on the way home from Thailand one time, they started treading the boards and then took over managing a travelling troop of actors putting on shows all over the world, starting in the 70's. Had worked with some very famous characters and been to some interesting places.
alorotom said:
Ended up sat on the train from
Kings Cross to Newcastle with the irratating guy from the windows adverts ... I say you buy 1, ya get one free, ya buy 1 ya get one free!!
He was an ok guy but he was a tad annoying and left a slip of paper with my (female) colleague with his number on to call him ... she never did
http://metro.co.uk/2016/05/05/you-buy-one-you-get-...Kings Cross to Newcastle with the irratating guy from the windows adverts ... I say you buy 1, ya get one free, ya buy 1 ya get one free!!
He was an ok guy but he was a tad annoying and left a slip of paper with my (female) colleague with his number on to call him ... she never did
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