Never again.
Please remind to never again use public transport with a suitcase. It was quite possibly the worst situation I’ve ever been in.
I always knew coming home from university wasn’t going to be easy as soon as my parents dropped the bombshell that they wouldn’t and pick me up. After much deliberation (and arguing) on the phone we came to the conclusion that I could either come home with the bare essentials and be taken back in the car to collect my suitcase OR I could battle my way home (alone, might I add) with my suitcase. I immediately chose the latter as the thought of even surviving a day without more than four different t-shirt options was just too awful to bear. Around twenty minutes before I was due to leave for my train, I decided to begin packing. I pulled out my human sized suitcase and rammed in as many clothes and necessities as I could. No sooner had I shut the case and pulled it out the door, one of the corners ripped. ‘Not a problem’ I thought whilst stuffing up the whole with a towel and an old pair of jeans that were full of holes anyway. I also realised that the handle on the suitcase wasn’t long enough, meaning that I was slightly stooped when pulling my suitcase along the pavement. This created a reasonably unattractive Quasimodo style walk which I attempted to make my own on several occasions, entertaining various passers by. I finally made it on to the train at Epsom Station, not before getting the suitcase jammed in the gap between the train and the platform. Suitcase and I both found seats and waited for the train to depart. The journey was going swimmingly until we reached Sutton. A woman boarded the train and marched over to where I was sitting, demanding that Suitcase was removed from his seat, so that she could sit down. After many failed attempts at pulling Suitcase off the seat, she joined in and pushed him on to my lap. She clearly did not realise just how heavy Suitcase was and I’m fairly sure I had lost all feeling in my legs by the time I reached Victoria but at least I had made it. But this wasn’t the end of the journey by any stretch. I still had the challenge of the underground. I was obviously seen as some sort of hazard with Suitcase as I made my way on to the escalator as people had left a gap of at least 6 steps in front and behind me. The tube was easy, I sat on Suitcase the entire way and finally made it back to Walthamstow Central where my parents had agreed to meet me. But did they come through with this agreement? Of course they didn’t, they were in the pub. Can I also add at this point that it was raining? Well it was. I pulled Suitcase through Walthamstow where his wheels got stuck in numerous pot holes in the road which resulted in me kicking him on a few occasions. We finally made it home a whole 2 and half hours after we left. I don’t think either of us will ever be the same again.
