Falling asleep on the train ( it’s that time of year )

[T4tomo]

I have done the odd miss your stop on the last train out of Euston, but always had the presence of mind to get off at "the next stop with a taxi rank" as opposed to "the stop in the middle of nowhere".

certainly around xmas time there used to be a decent passenger comradery on the late trains, where those in danger of falling asleep would announce they were supposed to get off to those sat near and people would keep an eye out or nudge / wake people as those stops approached. Probably more reliable than proximity alert I suspect.

 

[figbat]

Do what people do in Japan, hang a a sign with your destination on it and someone will wake you.

That’s the difference between Japan and here. Here we’ll start a book on how far past the stop you’ll end up, and post a video on FaceSnapTok.

 

[cougie uk]

Not fallen asleep but nearly caught out on Eurostar once. Mate was a big fan of Armstrong and wanted to see him in yellow on the Champs one year - so we drove the 200 miles plus to the station, parked there, Eurostar into Paris on Friday night and return Sunday evening. His wife was a teacher so it all had to fit into the weekend.

Long tiring day on the Sunday - up early to baggsy a good spec on the barriers and had to fight off annoying yanks who tried to get in front of us repeatedly. I'd not advise anyone to bother tbh. Boring and hot and they speed past way too fast.

On the train back it was close to midnight by the time we got through the tunnel - the train slowed for a signal or something. Nothing could be seen out of the window. It was only at the last minute that we realised this was OUR station - no signs visible. No announcements.
Mad scramble to get our bags and get through the doors.

God knows what we would have done if we had missed it ? Taxi journey from Kings Cross or Waterloo wherever back to the station ?

 

[Dave7]

2 stories.
Many years ago after a night out in Liverpool my mates got me onto a train and asked 2 girls to get me off at my station.
I woke in West Kirby sidings at 04.30.
I started the 8 mile walk and met another drunk going the same way.
Amazingly a car pulled up and gave us 2 drunks a lift.

Someone I know took his daughter to Warrington station. He carried her case onto the train only for the doors to close.
It was a through train to Milton Keynes .

 

[ClichéGuevara]

I've fallen asleep on the bus so often, the drivers got fed up of trying to wake me up in the bus garage, and would stop at the top of our street, where the other passengers would wake me so they could get on their way.

I also fell asleep on the bus, and it did a full circle, with me waking up exactly where I'd started, and still 20 miles from home. I huffed, chuntred and got a taxi. It was only the next day it dawned on me that where I'd started and finished, was not only very close to several homes of family and friends that would have happily put me up, it was also near a fully furnished, but empty house i owned and was trying to sell, and had the keys in my pocket for.

 

[cougie uk]

2 stories.
Many years ago after a night out in Liverpool my mates got me onto a train and asked 2 girls to get me off at my station.
I woke in West Kirby sidings at 04.30.
I started the 8 mile walk and met another drunk going the same way.
Amazingly a car pulled up and gave us 2 drunks a lift.

Someone I know took his daughter to Warrington station. He carried her case onto the train only for the doors to close.
It was a through train to Milton Keynes .

Clearly you get a decent class of drunk in West Kirby.

 

[nickyboy]

Went to Cheltenham Races as a guest of some company. Drank loads of champagne and they even gave me a bottle to drink on the train on the way home. I remember changing at New Street but after that....zilch. I must have really zonked out because the next I knew was being woken at Macclesfield by the guard. Macc....great, almost back to Manchester. Except not great...train had already been to Manchester and was now heading back to Birmingham
Jumped off, somewhat disorientated, got a pretty expensive taxi home to Glossop.

 

[Bazzer]

Before I was married it happened a couple of time after work nights out. The one I remember most was I was supposed to get off at Marple, but was woken by the guard at the terminal stop of New Mills. The train was due to return to Manchester empty and the guard very generously spoke with the driver, who stopped on the return journey at Marple to let me get off.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Fell asleep on last train from Kings Cross. Woke up in Cambridge. No trains till morning. Ended up at student party till morning. Then train home.

 

[Adam4868]

Went to a concert in Manchester before covid.Drunk far too much....anyway caught last train home to Blackpool which was hot,packed,no seats etc.Decided I needed to puke 🤢 rushed to bog ! Next thing I knew was locked on the train at Blackpool.
Had to do some explaining to the transport police before walking home.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

2 stories.
Many years ago after a night out in Liverpool my mates got me onto a train and asked 2 girls to get me off at my station.
I woke in West Kirby sidings at 04.30.
I started the 8 mile walk and met another drunk going the same way.
Amazingly a car pulled up and gave us 2 drunks a lift.

Was that the third drunk 😒 ?

 

[lazybloke]

Some 6th sense usually wakes me up at my station, so I've rarely missed my stop. Although have cut it fine and had to do a few flying leaps through the closing doors!

My bigger problem is just getting on the wrong train. Sometimes due to poor info on the display screens, but sometimes just my mistake from hurrying or being pissed. The problem is my train line goes to a terminus that can also be reached by two other lines, so it's easy to jump o nthe wrong train which doesn't go near my station.
One of the lines does go within 3 miles of home, so that's not a bad walk if it happens on a sunny summer's day. Not so good if it's midnight and I've had 8 pints, and have already vomited on the platform! Not a regular or recent event, I hasten to add.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Late 1960's and visiting my parents for Xmas, train from Portsmouth to Waterloo Station was fine, but I'd had a few beers in the pub in Gosport before I left and on the next train from Waterloo down to Folkestone I fell asleep, woke up in Deal and had to get a train back to Folkestone

 

[oldwheels]

My wife coming home from a visit to her sister in Dumbarton got on the Oban/Mallaig train but got on the Mallaig section by mistake. This was only discovered after the train left the splitting point at Crianlarich so she got off at Tyndrum Upper station into snow which was knee deep and sprachled down to the main road where she managed to get a bus to Oban.
I was at work when the phone rang and was answered by our Head Girl who came through with "do you want the good news or the bad news first?"
"Good news is you are having your tea in the pub tonight and the bad is Marta is stuck in Oban but got in to the Caledonian Hotel."

 

[PK99]

25 or so years ago, my team Preston played Luton. Three of us got the train from London and on arrival Big Neil was dispatched to check the Time Table for the train home.

Post-post-game pint we got to the Station. Neil had misread the timetable and the last train had gone. We negotiated with a friendly local and got a cab back to 3 separate drops in South London....££££££

A week later we played St Albans in the FA Cup. I checked the timetable. We got the right train - Thames link via London Bridge and Croydon. Plan was I would get a late tram from Croydon to Wimbledon.

Various people get off the train at various stations and I wave cheerio to the last one at London Bridge.
Seconds later. I wake up. Jump off the train.
At Hassocks.

WHERE the Effing Eff is Hassocks.? I did not have a clue.
(Later transpires it is one stop from Brighton)
As I wandered the platform, all the station lights clicked off.

Now, this is pre-mobile phone...
Stumble into an underpass. Find public phone. Call directory inquiries for a local taxi firm. Breath on glass, write the number in the condensation. Call taxi firm. No reply.
Call directory inquiries. Repeat.

Now, this is November/December. 12:30 at night. in 7 and a half hours time I have a contractor arriving to start a landscaping contract in Wimbledon.

What did I do?

Well once and only once in a marriage does one phone one's wife and ask her to get the kids out of bed, and drive to Hasssocks
"Where?"
"I haven't a clue, somewhere on the line to Brighton, I think"

"you must be FU****G JOKING"

Bless her she did!

We are still married, but the Brownie point mountain is no smaller.

100% true story. Do I win?