If you enjoy the convenience of a BumbleBar , it’s probably because you lead an active, on-the-go lifestyle! We can relate, having an office full of on-the-go adventurers! Traveling is certainly fun, but it can also be challenging and a bit stressful. We got together and shared some of our most embarrassing, scary, and stressful traveling situations (along with a list of helpful tips on how to avoid these scenarios) so that you can learn from our globe-trotting blunders…
Aimee’s Stranded in Scotland:
The Story
“Once upon a time I went to see Duran Duran in Glasgow Scotland. I got dressed up, had some dinner with friends, and then we all piled into a cab and went to the venue, which was on the outskirts of the city. The cab took us through some pretty rough neighborhoods, but I didn’t think too much about it. I assumed there would be cabs available after the show. I had never been to a show that didn’t have a swarm of cabs, trains or buses ready to take people back home so I didn’t even think about it. The concert was great and I walked out of the venue happy and ready to go back to my hotel.
This was when I noticed people milling around the venue, lost, searching for w
ays to get home. There was no public transportation back to Glasgow because the busses stopped at 9 and it was now 11. There were also no cabs to be seen because the five cabbies that work after 9pm were all busy. We stood there and waited for an answer to appear. This was pre-Uber, and pre-smartphone. We were all from the United States and we had no friends in Scotland. Could we walk back? It was then that I remembered the rough neighborhoods we had traveled through to get there, so no. My friends and I were stranded.
There was a large hotel that looked to be about a ½ mile away. So we hiked up our dresses and made our way to the nearest hotel through some undeveloped land. When we got there, there was a bar and lots of people…and a cab line wait of two hours. It was a frustrating night. ”
The Solution
“My advice is to always know when public transportation stops for the night, know how you’re getting back from wherever you go and carry cash, a smartphone, and an Uber reservation. Or make more friends.”
Hannah’s Haphazard Hike:
The Story
“Whenever I visit my family in Burbank, Washington I always take my parent’s mopeds out for a ride. The farmland is beautiful in the summer; it rolls into the woods and there are very few residential buildings around. My favorite time to moped is around sunset when it isn’t too hot outside. I put my headphones on, cruise around and enjoy the smell of earthy alfalfa in the warm air. On one particular evening, I thought it a great idea to moped up to the top of a large secluded hill; locals in the area refer to it as The Hidden Bird’s Nest. Half way up t
he hill, my headphones went silent. Realizing my phone battery had died, I stuffed the earbuds in my pocket, along with my cell, and continued up the incline.
By the time I reached the top, the sun had completely set and Burbank was cloaked under a beautiful purple sky. Turning the key to the off position and nudging the kickstand with my foot, I slid off the bike to stand, stretch and take in the view. Digging around in my pocket, I pulled my phone out to take a picture, already forgetting that my battery died, just minutes before. Oh, well. I hopped back on my bike, ready to ride back down the hill. The bugs were now out and I was ready to head home.
Holding down the left break with one hand, while turning the key with the other (a safety feature on these bikes) I waited to hear the engine rev. Hearing nothing, I tried again…and again…and again. Once more, I turned the key, now desperate to turn the bike on. No luck. The moped’s battery had died. At this point, I knew there was nothing left to do but start walking down the hill. To make a long story short, I ended up hiding the moped in the bushes and walking just about 6 miles to a friend’s house, where I could call my parent’s to come pick the bike up. It was a very, very long walk…”
The Solution
“Make sure your batteries are charged! Phone batteries, moped batteries, camera batteries, car batteries, laptop batteries, flashlight batteries, – whatever batteries you’re carrying with you – charge them before you travel! And if you’re traveling on a moped or motorcycle alone, I also recommend carrying a small can of pepper spray with you, just in case.”
Check out this official Traveler’s Checklist from the US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
Liz’s Car Calamity
“Sometimes we live no particular way but our own.”
Back in another lifetime, Liz used to follow the Grateful Dead. She had a series of old VW vans which were super fun but not very practical. One particularly memorable bus was the one that had a nonworking gas gauge. This was especially challenging given that Liz drove thousands and thousands of miles all over the US to see her beloved Grateful Dead. Of course, she ran out of gas numerous times. The most dramatic occurrence happened right in front of the Holland tunnel which is a tunnel under the Hudson River going directly from New Jersey into Manhattan. It was very nerve wracking when the van stopped but fortunately because of the help of some sympathetic bystanders she and her friends were able to push the van off the road without having to pay any of the circling tow trucks. There were so many great things about traveling but the best was probably all of the wonderful people she met. As fas as advice she has to offer, one of Liz’s favorite lines is “Without love in the dream it will never come true.” BumbleBar stands as a testament to those immortal words. 🙂
