2024
Trips with Train!
Written on June 26, 2024
Just want to tell you guys about my wild trip with not very good German train. Once they were really great, but not anymore.
On June 25, 2024 my present care person, Dominica, and I wanted to take the train to Aschaffenburg, with me in my darn wheel chair.
Having bad experience once before, the elevator at our home station showed in the internet that both elevators worked, but when we got there, the one we wanted wasn’t working! So we changed our plans and in stead of going to Seligenstadt, as originally planned, we went to the other track (No. 2) which was to Aschaffenburg.
This time both elevators were working. But, the “adventure” wasn’t over yet! We went up to the proper track, the train was scheduled for an 11 o’clock departure. We were, as usual, early, but at 11 the train didn’t arrive yet and there was NO announcement! Finally it arrived, but on track No. 3, !!! That meant, everyone had to leave this track and go to the other one. We rushed to the elevator, but someone got there before us. It finally came, we went down, but the one we needed for the other track was constantly busy with people with bicycles. By the time it arrived for us to use, we could hear that the train already left!!
That meant waiting for the next one that was scheduled for 12 o’clock. We went to the small waiting room where there was also a small dispensary offering drinks. I didn’t want anything but Dominica bought herself something. She sat down with her drink and handy (cellphone).
I could look around and there was a wall with book cases full of books. They were free to take so I looked to see if there was one I might like. They even had books in English and I found one by the very well know British writer Rosamunde Pilcher. Great!. I have seen many movies from her books but never read one. There was one about Ramses by Christian Jacq, but I already had that one at home. We then went back up to track 2 and the train soon came. But we were both quite angry, especially Dominica.
We got an board and our “tickets” were soon checked by a young porter. Since I have a special ticket, allowing someone to accompany me, there was no problem.
We soon arrived at Aschaffenburg main station, track 5, but there the elevator didn’t work! We mentioned our problem to the young porter, he left us but only short. He came back and told us this train will pull forward, then backup into track 2, which it actually did! He put down a ramp so we could get back on very easily. He also did that at track 2 so there no problem getting off. He was very nice guy (plus points).
We knew from our months before that at that track we didn’t need an elevator because they had a ramp leading down into the station. Then we walked, as planned, to the big shopping center where Dominica wanted to pick up something she had ordered. Before we went to the particular store, she sat down at a bench and started making a phone call on her handy, (I think with her mother in Poland). She told me I could go around, whatever I wanted, but at that area there was nothing interesting for me to look at.
After she finished her call, we walked to the store she needed and picked up what she had ordered. After that we went to Karlstad, which actually still existed in Aschaffenburg, since many in Germany have closed down because of the company being bankrupt, like many companies in Germany. There she wanted some particular shoes but they didn’t have what she was looking for, so went to another store, a shoe store, but they also didn’t have them.
So we slowly started walking back to the train station. We hadn’t had anything to eat and there was a McDonalds there but Dominica didn’t want to go there. She preferred to call our favorite restaurant in Babenhausen, placed a take-home order which we would pick up later and eat at home. Good idea.
We had to wait quite a while for our train. We found a bench where Dominica could sit down and play with her handy (yes, she’s addicted to it, LOL).
Finally we could board the train and again a very nice porter helped us with a ramp to get on. We told him about our problems that morning and he said it’s usual that tracks get changed but ours did! He told that the elevator on track 5 had not been working for some months! Unbelievable. He also said that the station in Offenbach was also quite bad and there were some towns that didn’t have any elevators at all! When we arrived at Babenhausen he again put down the ramp for us, again plus points). Domica said she never wanted to try a train trip with me again. She would rather take a bus, which I don’t care for, but so what.
I thought we were going to walk home and she would drive with her car to pick up the food, but no, the restaurant was closing at 3 and it was now about 2:30 so we went directly there, got the food, and walked on home.
I forgot to mention it was a very hot summer day. And neither of us had to go to the bathroom. My mood was also a bit sharp by now, and when we went by a café with people sitting at tables outside, there were a couple of bicycles blocking our way. I got really upset and yelled at the people sitting there but they hinted the bikes were from someone indoors. Dominica was able to push a chair aside and we had enough room to continue. We got to the restaurant, I waited outside, there was a fat man sitting practically in front of the door so I couldn’t go in without telling him to move aside. Oh, well….we survived and the food was great, as always by that restaurant.
Dorrie/Westy