Continued from Adelaide(1)
About 2 hours before boarding time wevhead for the Adelade city station to make our way back to the cruise port. It's a cautious interval since the train ride is going to take 45 mins plus enough time factoring for any incident that might cause delay
Doesn't help to be complacent
The electronic departure board flashes our train and its platform. Relieved, we make our way over, find a pair of seats and settle in. We have about thirty minutes to wait.
Then, a nagging thought interrupts our comfort.
Wasn't there more than one port?
There it is on the board: Port Adelaide... but there's also Outer Harbor. Our ship is docked at Port Adelaide, isn't it? Or is the station nearest the terminal actually Outer Harbor? Suddenly, the certainty we'd felt moments earlier evaporates.
Rather than trust our own interpretation of the timetable, we approach a uniformed railway employee standing on the platform.
"Is this the train for the cruise terminal?"
He smiles politely before delivering the news we least expect.
"Wrong platform."
Our hearts skip a beat.
With no time to waste, we make a dash across to the correct platform. So much for a relaxing wait! It's a timely reminder that overconfidence and travel are not always good companions.
Back on the right platform, we finally relax. One reassuring sign follows another as more and more cruise passengers appear, many recognisable by their lanyards and backpacks. We exchange knowing smiles. We are definitely in the right place this time. The must have felt the same.
At the expense of local passengers
When the train arrives, passengers pour out before we gratefully claim a seat each. After almost three hours of walking, our legs are ready to give in.
The relief is short-lived. At every stop more people squeeze aboard until the carriage is packed. Latecomers are left standing shoulder to shoulder. We can't help noticing that many of them are impressively tall and well-built. If anyone loses his/her balance, there won't be much room to fall!
A few stations later, an elderly woman clutching a shopping tote boards the train. She steadies herself as it pulls away, determined to remain standing. Only then do we notice the walking stick tucked beside her.
The hero
Before anyone else can react, the elderly gentleman seated opposite us rises and offers her his seat. Ironically, he looks several years older than she does and probably needs the seat even more as his wife quietly mumbles to me. A lad applause greets his gesture as he joins the standing commuters. Does he look inconvenienced? Far from it. He spends the rest of the journey chatting cheerfully with those around him while his wife keeps a watchful eye on him.
The grateful woman, a local, explains that she has been shopping and had no idea the afternoon train would be so crowded. Her heartfelt thanks seems to embarrass the gentleman more than the standing itself.
This small act of kindness leaves a lasting impression. Oftentimes,the most memorable part of a journey isn't the destination—it's the people you meet along the way.
The wait
Boarding time has come and gone, yet the ship remains motionless. That is unusual. If our departure had been delayed for operational reasons, the captain would surely have made an announcement. Instead, there is only silence and growing curiosity. As usual conspiracy theories abound.
Wait, I'm on my way!
A passenger has contacted the port agent to say he is on the train back to the port but will arrive about twenty minutes late. Out of consideration, the gangway will remain in place. We wait patiently, assuming it will only be a short delay.
Ten minutes later,the captain blares out another message. The passenger is on the wrong train!
A grim realty
A moment of laxness has suddenly become a much bigger problem. He now has to retrace his journey, wait for the correct train, and then endure another forty-five-minute ride back to the ship. Depending on the connections, it could easily take two hours before he reaches the port.
It is remarkable to think that an entire cruise ship, carrying thousands of passengers, can find itself waiting for one person whose day has unravelled through a single wrong decision. Travel has a way of reminding us how easily the smallest misstep can grow into an unexpected drama.
There is no choice but to leave the passenger behind. We have a few sea days before we reach our next destination. The individual has to make his own way to meet us in Fremantle !
I assume he did join us there.
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