Wanting the ground to swallow you up

Despite it being many, many years since the incident in question occurred, I will never, ever cease to be acutely embarrassed about the time - when I was a mouthy, know-it-all little brat - that I was run over, in front of a load of watching bystanders, on a UK preserved line.

By a level crossing gate.

#-o

 

don't worry, I managed to hit my self with the crossing gates at Bridgnorth last friday!

 

Went to get car from garage after MOT. Paid up, then walked out and off up the road. Bloke comes after me "don't you want your car then?" Doh! Group of mechanics all hooting with lafter in the workshop ](*,)

 

Asking the supermarket cashier if they do "cash back", then remembering that I'd just paid in cash. #-o

Richard

 

Being the proud possessor of a first-class free pass, thanks to my father's job perks, and on my way to uni. Then forgetting where I'd put it and rummaging through all my bags and pockets for what seemed like a quarter-hour, as the ticket collector gradually became less jovial, and the two other people in the compartment (thank God the trains weren't all open-plan yet!) wound themselves up ready to explode in righteous outrage, as and when I was "escorted out".
In the nick of time - the TC was just getting out his fixed penalty docket or whatever they used in those days - I discovered the ticket in the breast pocket of my jacket.
Not a word was exchanged in the compartment during the rest of the journey

 

I did a plane spotting trip to the US about 10 years ago with Northwest Airlines (a US Airline with mostly US passengers) As a smoker then I had to go 8 hours without a cigarette. 5 hours into the flight I made a loudish statement "I'm dying for a fag" There were many sniggers and odd looks and one guy who kept winking at me for the rest of the flight.
Also on the same trip we pulled into a service station. I asked for 20 Marlboro from the cashier who didn't seem to believe me for some reason and asked if I was sure I wanted 20? I thought this a bit odd and just replied 'yes please' She sighed, went out the back and returned with 20 packets!

Steve

 

I was working a few weeks ago and pinched my finger with a coupling, I swore, then about 20 minutes later I was on the floor with a Paramedic, Doctor, Air Ambulance on the way and a meat wagon... That was fun... A&E for hours for them to say, "You can go home now.."

 

Many years on Peak Rail we were track laying near Bridge 37, for some unknown reason i was getting rather stressed with something and nothing and decided kick something.... maybe a sleeper wasn't the best thing to kick - torn ligaments in ankle / week off work. You feel a bit of an idiot trying to explain that you had done it kicking a railway sleeper

 

Yes... quite...

On the first week of secondary school I had stomach cramps - double overs.

Year 7 - A few weeks in I had done my right knee in and couldn't walk
Year 8 - Broke two of my fingers and couldn't write.
Year 9/10 - Done my back in and couldn't walk, made worse by the Physio.

Year 11 - tiredness, collapsing, teenage syndrome...

Year 12 - same thing..

 

0100hrs, Bridgnorth shed, yesterday.

jtx, (on ground) "Excuse me mate, is there a gauge frame lamp on there? Alan May says he left his on the Flying Pig."

fireman, (on footplate) "This is 42968."

jtx (reading cabside number, 2 feet from his eyes) "Right. Leaving now."

Exits, stage left to assorted abuse from shed onlookers.

 

Which only goes to show that all black liveried engines look the same, especially in the dark!!!

 

Working in the C+W dept, doing various jobs and on the lookout for more. "When you've finished what you're doing, you can rub down the paint on the Mk I doors ready for top-coat...". Which I duly did, and a very thorough job too, if I may say so. A short while later the painter came back from his lunch break. Turns out he'd spent most of the morning putting on the paint I'd just taken off (bloomin' quick-drying stuff!) and he'd wanted me to do the (undercoated) doors on the other side. Ooops.

 

Very sill mistake, I bet we have all done something equally as stupid