I Hate Public Transport.

You know what I'm sick of hearing? How great European public transportation is and how The United States should learn some things from it. No. America stay the way you are because the trains here blow. So hard. The buses are gross too, maybe it's just Italy but no. I can't even deal with the stupidness I dealt with yesterday.

On Saturday I took the train to a beautiful place to visit a friend, I had little to no trouble getting there and minus the fact that it took for-freaking-ever I made it there on time. I had a good time with my friend and blah blah blah it was then time to go home. He took me to the train station and I got on my first train, I got to my first change and the train that pulled up wasn't the usual one which I thought was weird but went with it anyways. The train guy proceeded to tell me since my normal train as striking I had to pay extra to get on this train to take me where I needed to be. Really? I have to pay extra because your coworkers are striking and I can't catch the normal train? How in the world is that my fault? Regardless I had to get where I needed to go so I paid the man and took a seat. I then got to my second change over and that's when all the ridiculousness ensued.

When I got there I couldn't find anyone to help me figure out what train I needed to take so, I ended up going to customer service. They were able to inform me (soooo kindly) that my train was cancelled and, I'd have to buy a new ticket for a different train to take me the long way around. So that annoyed me because I am not made of money and again, how is it my fault that the train workers are striking? I bought a ticket you should get me to my intended freaking destination! I don't know if it was the exhaustion I was experiencing or just the face that I can be a bit of a hot head but, I really felt the need to punch an Italian at this point. I begrudgingly bought another ticket and waited an hour and a half for this train to arrive. TWO minutes before the trains scheduled arrival the intercom informed us the train had been cancelled. I then found other Au Pairs who were having my same issue (and they spoke Italian) so we banded together to figure out what to do. We went back to customer 'service' and the man delightfully informed me that I was stupid for trying to take a train today when I should have known they were striking and that there was no possible way for me to get back to Mantova.

literally my face as she was kicking me out

Real fast I want to interject and tell you what happened at this station in one of their stores when I went to buy credit for my phone. I went into the store, kindly asked the old man working to buy one of the cards with the credit and gave him my money, and he gave me the card. The lady working there had been talking to me in English so I thought I would ask her to help me get the credit on my phone (all the instructions are in Italian). As soon as she realized I didn't speak Italian she did this (I kid you not) she took the card out of my hand, handed me my money and told me to get out of her store. Uhm...excuse me? If you didn't want to help, that's fine I would just find someone who could but I kind of freaking need credit! I was so shocked...like, excuse me lady but there is no need to be an epic biotch!

I then used one of the girls phones because mine was still out of credit and called my host family to figure something out, as I was quite far from home. Ugo told me that if I could get to Verona it would be easier to retrieve me so I tried to see if I could go to Verona. I absolutely refused to buy another ticket though so I waited for the train to Verona and luckily I was able to get on it! I was just waiting for the train man to come check my ticket that didn't exist so I could give him a piece of my mind. I was so pissed, sooooo pissed. Lucky for whoever that man would have been, he never got to meet me so I didn't get to give him a piece of my very angry mind.

My next issue would be finding a train to Mantova once I got to Verona. I happen to be texting Lilja who was also trying to get back to Mantova from Verona so I was able to find out before I even got there that the train was cancelled (surprise surprise). Luckily her family is here from Iceland and after a freaking long day of travel (I left my friend's at 1:24 and got home at 11:30) I was able to get to Levata and Ugo was able to pick me up.

I am not happy and this isn't the first time that the train workers have gone on strike while I've been here but, it is the first time it has effected me so much. Honestly, if I could say anything to the workers is why go on strike for like, a day at a time every once in awhile? If you want to strike for whatever cause it is you think you have, strike until you get what you freaking want.

Ugh. Anywho that was my weekend and it really makes me miss driving. I would like to point out other than the train factor I had a VERY good weekend! That's all for this rant post though, until next time!
<3
Rachel