Will I Survive? - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

phlipfudge23 · 03-12-2004, 11:03 AM

Hey all, just wanted to say: I'M OFF! See you in a week or so. Two days at home

(with horrible dial up internet that I don't want to use) then off to loverly Mansfield, England!

(Near Nottingham) Have a great week!

**Carisia** · 03-13-2004, 06:47 AM

Have a wonderful time!

phlipfudge23 · 03-24-2004, 06:40 AM

BACK! After a great two days containing 35.5 hours of travel time I am finally back in my dorm. Had a wonderful trip, with pics soon to follow. Managed to survive grandmother's attempts at food, and enjoyed the lovely 60-70 mph winds which were in place half of the week. Also, warning to anyone going through the Detroit airport: there are NO drinking fountains... but they would be glad to sell you a water bottle

stupid $8 sandwiches...

**voyd** · 03-24-2004, 06:53 AM

^ You're back in the US already? You were only in the UK for a week???

**Sijuki** · 03-24-2004, 07:00 AM

HEY! You can't pick on my airport! hehe... just kidding, pick on it all you want. It blows. I haven't been there since they built the new sections, but I am told it still sucks its just newer looking. It was a big project so the county commissioner could pay his friends millions of dollars to do a half assed job. BOOO!

He's under federal investifation now, so maybe he can get a good taste of bending over he gave the county for so many years.

phlipfudge23 · 03-24-2004, 07:14 AM

Yep, Monday to Monday (family visit over spring break) but it was so nice to be out of the US. For some reason everything ended up touching on the Isle of Man (strange coninkidink). I have to pick on the Detroit airport: first is was the dirtiest piece of cr*p airport I had ever been in (with not even a foodcourt still in service) and now, although one of the cleanest, and brightest I have been in, they have jacked up the prices on EVERYTHING and it still isn't clearly marked. Plus the stupid/ rude INS searched my dad's bag and didn't bother to relock one of the sides, so it was sitting 2 inches open the whole flight and a bunch of the cookies we were bringing back got smushed

. It was just a very rude, poorly done entry through customs, and that sort of set up everything else to seem worse. On the other hand, I had a great trip: visited Chatsworth Manor (gorgeous), Chesterfield Market (family tradition), wandered Nottingham (although we ran out of time so we never made it to the Trip), and generally spent my spring break in the time honored way: pleasantly intoxicated.

**Sijuki** · 03-24-2004, 08:18 AM

Yeah I have heard that Detroit Metro is one of the worst rated Airports. So basically it is in line with all of our other transportation services. A+ for consistancy... F for quality. So who wants to visit?

Glad to hear the rest of your trip was good though. I apologize for the rude people at metro.

**worldwidemike** · 03-24-2004, 08:57 AM

Now here's an odd one...an OSU grad defending Michigan. I happen to love Detroit's airport...well, at least if you're flying through the Northwest terminal that is all nice and neat and new. Hadn't noticed there were no water fountains...that was pretty cheesey. Same in London Luton, though, which I flew through last week. No drinking fountains...gotta buy water.

Speaking of which, on Easyjet, NOTHING is free. Not even water. A woman ordered a tea and it was 3 pounds sterling! Even Southwest Airlines, who they are a blatant British copy of, gives you free soft drinks and peanuts or pretzels!

Glad you had fun, Fudge!

worldwidemike

**space virgin** · 03-24-2004, 10:49 AM

I had a stop in Detroit last year on Northwest. It was actually really nice, I was surprised. But then again I didn't go looking for a water fountain, and I wasn't looking at how well-made it was.

phlipfudge23 · 03-24-2004, 12:38 PM

I was actually really impressed by how nice the Northworst terminal was, but by that point I had already been travelling (by either train or plane) for 14+ hours (I think) and was not in a good mood. Add in the water fountain issue and I now have a semi-permanent grudge. I know it isn't logical, especially since it was soooooo much cleaner and nicer than last time I was there, but travelling for a long time makes me cranky. If I was leaving from there I would be fine, but as it was I wasn't headed anywhere fun and didn't feel like trying to stay in a good mood.

Sorry about all the venting... give me another day and then I will be focused on all of the really fun stuff we did, as opposed to still being pissed at all of the transportation facilities I have gone through in the last two days (train, plane, taxi, and bus!)

It really was a great trip, I promise my next post about it will be more positive!