(I am on the train to work, and it’s pretty early in the morning. We’re heading into the city, and most of the people on board are pretty sleepy, myself included. The guy next to me has fallen asleep, and I mean solidly asleep. The one stop the train makes before the city, where a huge influx of people board, does nothing to wake him up. He is out of it. As I’ve known people who have missed stops — and flights — before due to being asleep, when we arrive at the station I decide to help. Big mistake.)

Me: *very gently touches him on the shoulder* “Hey, we’re–”

Guy: *jerks upright* “I was not sleeping!”

Me: “Oh, sorry, just didn’t want you to miss your stop.”

Guy: *glares* “Well, I wouldn’t have, because I wasn’t sleeping!”

Me: “Okay, sorry?”

Guy: *huffs and starts muttering under his breath*

Me: *to my partner, who was in a different seat, as we’re walking out* “Jeez, next time I’ll just let him sleep through his stop!”

Partner: “Right? I mean just ’cause it’s Monday, there’s no need to be rude.”

(I’m taking an interstate overnight train trip. I have booked a sleeper cabin to ensure I get a decent sleep. I join the train a few hours into the journey, only to find the door to my cabin locked.)

Me: “Excuse me, but I can’t get into my cabin.”

Train Staff: “Oh, sorry. Sometimes the staff who make up the cabins accidentally lock the door. Let me fix that for you.”

(After checking my ticket and confirming that it is my cabin, she unlocks the door and leaves. I walk in to find a woman already there playing on her phone.)

Woman: “What the h***? Get out!”

Me: “What? This is my cabin.”

Woman: “No, it’s not. Get out!”

Me: “My ticket says this is my cabin. I think you’re in the wrong one.”

Woman: “I don’t give a f*** what your ticket says; this is now my cabin. You’re in car D, seat 8. Now, f*** off.”

(I realise that she booked a normal seat and then just found an empty cabin:)

Me: “Look, lady. I paid for this cabin. You need to get out and let me get some sleep.”

Woman: “I don’t give a f*** what you paid for; this is my cabin now and I’m not leaving. Now, f*** off!”

(I decide to get a staff member. I find the same lady who unlocked the door for me and explain the situation. She grabs the head staff member.)

Head Staff: *again unlocking the door* “Ma’am, this isn’t your cabin. I need to see your ticket.”

Woman: “You wouldn’t expect a pregnant woman to sit in a small, uncomfortable seat the whole way, would you? She’s only on here for a few hours. Surely she can sit in the seat and let a poor, pregnant woman have a bed?”

Head Staff: “Ma’am, if you wanted a bed, you should have booked a cabin. This is this lady’s cabin. I need you to vacate it immediately.”

Woman: “Well, too bad. I’m not moving, and if you touch me, I’ll have you arrested for assaulting a pregnant woman and sue you for everything you’re worth. Now, f*** off and let me sleep.”

(She then slams and locks the door. All three of us are stunned.)

Head Staff: “I’m so sorry about this.” *to other staff* “Take her to the buffet and get her anything she wants on the house. I’ll sort this out.”

(I get a coffee and a sandwich and wait. As we pull into the next station, an announcement is made:)

Announcement: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will be delayed here for a while. Please feel free to stretch your legs, but please do not leave the platform.”

(I got out to have a cigarette and walk around, and I saw the two transit cops and four police officers escorting the woman off the train in handcuffs. It turns out that she’d refused to go back to the seat she’d paid for and had assaulted the transit cops who tried to move her luggage from the cabin. The train was delayed by nearly an hour while this took place and I had to wait for another half-hour while my cabin was cleaned and remade.)

(I ride the train to school every morning. Unfortunately, this train line is known as the most unstable in the country, so most of us passengers are used to it. One morning, the train is very late and we keep stopping between the stations because of some technical error. It is becoming clear that everyone will be late to work or school. The train driver and the conductor update us a little over the speakers. Suddenly, we hear a message over the speakers:)

Conductor: “This is the conductor speaking. Thank you so much for your patience this morning. I know that you are all stressed, but most of you have been so kind to me. We are doing the best we can to get you to your destination. Thank you for not yelling at the staff, except for the gentleman who spent five minutes complaining and yelling at me. We hope to get clearance to continue on our journey soon. I wish you all a pleasant day.”

(The mood lightened after that. Several people smiled and started talking to each other — in Denmark, you generally don’t talk to strangers unless absolutely necessary. I don’t know who the rude man was, because there hadn’t been any yelling in my car. I hope that man learned not to yell at innocent staff.)

(I’m the bad customer in this story. I drop my fare card after passing through the subway gantry, so when I reach my destination, I have to talk to the station staff. I pay my fare in cash on the spot so he lets me through, and they call to my entry station to ask them if they have found my card. Luckily, it was in a distinctive cardholder, and they are able to find it. That evening on the way home, I stop at the office to collect my card. The next morning, I have a bout of asthma, so I’m running slightly late. When I reach the station, I try to use the card, only to be told “exit error.” The card was used for an entry yesterday, but not an exit. I have to talk to the station staff.)

Me: “I dropped my card yesterday after tapping in.”

Staff: “Yes, it’s showing that you tapped in, but did not exit.”

Me: “Yes, but I collected my card from the office here yesterday evening. They knew that I’d dropped it; why didn’t they reset the card?”

Staff: “Oh, perhaps it was a different staff member who found the card.”

Me: “But when I collected the card in the evening, I had to explain the situation again. The staff member who passed me the card could have done it then.”

Staff: “Okay, I’ll do it now.”

Me: “I’m going to be late.” *panicking by this point*

Staff: *scanning the card* “Okay, so when you reached [Destination] did you pay your fare?”

Me: “Yes, I paid the fare in cash. You can call the station and check with [Staff] who helped me yesterday.”

Staff: “Do you have the receipt?”

(I try to search but I can’t find it.)

Me: “I don’t think I kept it.” *panicking*

Staff: “Okay, but I know there’s no way you could have gotten out unless you’d paid. Since you’re standing here and not stuck at [Destination], I’ll reset your card and refund the charge on your card.”

Me: *relieved* “Thank you!” *realises that he is trying to make me feel better with a joke*

(I get to work on time, thanks to his quick thinking. Later, I find the receipt, which fell to the bottom of my bag. On the way back a few days later, I see him on the night shift. I stop by to apologise.)

Me: “Hi. Do you remember me? I was the girl who dropped my card and was not able to tap in the next day. I found my receipt, and I wasn’t late to work, thanks to your able assistance.”

Staff: “That’s great. Yeah, I remember you. I’m glad you made it to work on time.”

Me: “I’m sorry if I was impatient the other day. It wasn’t that I was upset with you. I had a bout of asthma before that, so I was running late for work. I would usually be there in plenty of time.”

Staff: “No wonder you were in such a panic. I could see you were just frazzled and in a big rush. I didn’t take it personally. But it’s nice you stopped by to say thanks. I appreciate it.” 

(He looked quite happy. Thank you, friendly station guy, for helping me, keeping your cool when I was upset, and trying to make me feel better with a joke!)

(My friend is buying a train ticket and hears this conversation between the person in front of him and the employee selling tickets.)

Employee: “Sir, that will be $4 for your ticket.”

Customer: “How about an IOU?”

Employee: “Sir, I will never see you again.”