After my sad past few months when I lost my baby, the sun shines for me again even though autumn is coming when I just got my new full time job. Firstly, it made me busy and got me moved-on. Secondly, it helps me a lot for my financial circumstances after having no work when I had difficulty with my pregnancy at that time and had a miscarriage.
Anyway, my main mode of transportation of going to work especially if I'm in a hurry is by taking an underground train like most people do. No traffic, no busy road apart from signal failure. Although the train fare is twice more expensive than the bus fare, I still prefer to go for the train. What I usually do to save a couple of quid is to buy a weekly travel pass rather than on a daily basis and it saves me queuing at the ticket machine or at the cashier particularly in rush hour it saves me from being late to work.
A day before my weekly travel fare runs-out, I always renew it after work on my way home so that I don't need to think about it in the morning when I am going to work. Morning rush hour comes and you can see people walk so fast to be the first one to get inside the gate of the underground station. And when I touched my travel card on the travel pass scanner at the train station gate, I can hear the loud sound of the beeping implying that I can't get in.
So, I tried again to the other gate still loud beeping which makes other people look at me. I took off my travel card from my card purse, maybe because of too much advantage cards from supermarkets, shops and even air miles card that barred the travel card in reading from the electronic gate. Sometimes, it does happen especially if you're using the travel card for years and it gets old and slowly diminish the chip or whatever they call it.
So anyway, I approached the gate man and told him about the problem of my travel card and when he checked it, he told me that there is no money in my travel card. Obviously, I said to him, how come that there was no money on it, since I just renewed it and I always do a weekly renewal. He seemed like he didn't believe me so, I showed him my receipt and I was proud that I had just paid it yesterday and when he checked it, the receipt was in different travel card number and the amount paid was for weekly bus fare which is cheaper than I am supposed to be paying for a weekly travel card. And now, the gate man was looking for the other travel card from me!
I was late already for my work, I lost my money that I paid for my weekly travel and the worst thing was, I was in trouble already because he was accusing me that I am using two travel card that I never ever had any idea about it.
I told him that how could I produce another travel card when I only have one? And what would I do with another card that as I've not got anyone else in my house except my husband? I told him that I remember exactly who served me at the cashiers when I renewed my travel card. Since that was morning rush hour and he had to stay at the gate, he told me to go to the cashier/customer service about my problem.
I queued to the customer service and again I told him about what happened to my card, I described to him the person who served me when I renewed my travel card, he is an older man, he even gave me change and I never checked my receipt because I am confident that my receipt was correct which is always usually accurate etc. I told him to show me any identification or photos of all the staff who was on duty at that time and I can point out who served me. I even told him what time I renewed it and in my mind even the CCTV can show the same time that I was there.
Of course, the customer service will tell me the same story as the gate man told me. I was so devastated of what happening to me, I am already late for my work, I was accused of using two travel cards and I lost my one week travel fare for the train from Zone 1-3 which is a lot of money already for me, I am only a working class person. I have to work hard even extra hours just to cover my fare. I didn't realize that my tears were coming out.
I said to the customer service that, it was my last money until I get paid that's why I had to secure first my fare so that I can go to work everyday to avoid losing even just one day of work. I took out my wallet and was crying while counting my pennies in front of him just to see if I have the fare for a one day travel card to get to work. And then when I was giving my money, he said to me, he will talk to the duty manager.
When he came back, he issued me a new receipt and I voluntarily gave him my office contact numbers, home number and my husband's contact number for his reference and he said, he don't need it and he said don't cry, it's alright and he said sorry for his colleague. I thanked him so much, I told him I was crying because I am not cheating and I've not got money anymore. And when I turned back I didn't realize that the queue was so busy already just because of me.
I finally got thru the gate with my new receipt and was sitting on the train peacefully and couldn't stop smiling on my own when I think back that I cried. I cried because I know that I was honest about my fare and I didn't have money anymore.
When I got home after work, I told my husband what happened to me and I phoned my close friend Jophine, and both of them couldn't stop laughing when I told them that I cried in front of the customer service and other people.
Lessons that I learned from my underground train experience is that first, when you purchase something especially in a huge amount of money, check what you paid for and that the receipt is correct before you leave the cashier. Secondly, some people know if you're telling the truth. Last and most important is, simple things, simple acts God is always there to help you when you need Him.
