It's not that I think that everyone on the dole or benefits is a scrounger, it's just that I've always felt that some of them should try harder. Pull their socks up. Buck up. I'm not here to work myself into an early grave just to pay for their colour TV licence.
Our return to the UK was delayed by Easyjet's decision to cancel the flight long after we had checked in at Geneva Airport and thought we were about to step ovet the threshold...but it was not to be. The boy was sent to retrieve our skis in one direction, whilst I stood in a queue in another direction. I wasn't sure what I was queuing for, but I'd be told to queue there, along with several thousand others. The boy retrieved the skis whilst I managed to keep my place in the queue and find the rest of our luggage as well. Mostly it was good humoured, although I'm sure that the lad who collapsed and was given a saline drip by the paramedics won't remeber it as the happiest moment of his life. We got to the front of the line after a couple of hours and were given an accomodation voucher, food vouchers and local transport vouchers. Unquestioning, we took them all and headed off for two unexpected days with the Swiss. If I'd bucked up, pulled my socks up, tried a little harder, we could probably have found another flight with another airline. But why should we...it was very comfortable staying in a 4 star hotel at Easyjet's expense.
We enjoyed every last minute of it.
We did culture - a jaunt around Old Geneva and a climb up the twin towers of St Pierre Cathedral. We did entertainment - a friend treated us to an evening of Guiness and Chinese food. We did educational - a visit to the Red Cross Musuem and The United Nations. The boy particularly treasures his UN visitors pass...we particularly savoured being in the Chamber where last year President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared Israel should be wiped off the map. Our (Japanese) guide suggested he had said 'something he shouldn't'. It felt that we were in a VERY IMPORTANT PLACE...history was all around us....
Sorry for the cancellation o your flight, but the freebie stay in Geneva must have more than made up for it.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a win to me.
ReplyDeleteIt's always nice when a transport company has to pay for a short break holiday for you.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised Easyjet were so generous! Good for you.
ReplyDeleteHave tagged you for a stories and songs meme over at mine...I know you'll enjoy this one.
Welcome back :-) TFx
ReplyDeleteI always wanted a paid-for extension to my holidays, but it hasn't happened (...yet! - I'm an optimist). So lucky you.
ReplyDeletePray tell - why the 1st paragraph? It doesn't have any obvious (to me) connection to the rest of your post.
Dear God - clearly you weren't flying Air Canada, which is infamous for cancelling flights with low numbers and blaming "the weather", which, as it is an "Act of God" they can't be held responsible for providing you with either transport or accommodations. I once had them do this to me mid-day and they wouldn't fit me on any of their later flights.
ReplyDeleteIt was 15C, sunny and windless so I stayed relentlessly at their desk - they succumbed only to the tune of a $10 voucher at an airport concession. Lovely. Cost me $120 for a taxi back and forth to downtown and $400 for the only hotel room I could find as there was a convention on.
Well - it's nice to know that there are actually airlines who take care of you! Sounds like a great trip.
Rosiero - I was quite reconciled even before we got to the airport, so quite happy to spend a few days there! Hope your Christmas/New Year were good
ReplyDeleteRol - yep, for sure!
Kevin - yes...it must have cost them a fortune
NVG - I shall have a look...
TF - glad to be back and seeing you putting pen to paper again...
Robert - ah I was just making the point about how easy it is to take when it's offered...
Sonya....Easyjet doesn't have a great reputation, but certainly came through on this occasion...
Lucky you, having a couple of unexpected days in Geneva, one of my favourite places. Have also made the trip to the top of the cathedral and enjoyed the lovely view of the roof tops, once I could actually breathe again that is. :-)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you should have gone there for a holiday in the first place!
ReplyDeleteAnd you can be fairly sure the Swiss will treat you well, so why not enjoy it?
It's only in blighty that desperate situations call for desperate measures