Multi-Modal-Mayhem - To Toronto with a bevvy of Economy madness...
Sep 25, 2011, 6:28 pm
#16
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: yyz
Programs: Non-Rev Lifetime
Posts: 1,925
And that saddens me in a lot, in respect as there are some wonderful places yet to explore in the north (from Montreal to Edmonton, to Calgary and to the far north of the great country). The people once you get past the border are friendly and warm, and the mixture of types of food you can eat is quite frankly amazing. However, the bottom line is that whilst Canadian Border Services seems to enjoy picking on me each time I go into the country, I’ll avoid the place, and take my tourist money elsewhere.
I no longer travel outside Canada.
Last edited by PropWasher; Sep 25, 2011 at 6:47 pm
Sep 25, 2011, 7:15 pm
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Birmingham, West Midlands, UK
Programs: Mucci, BMI*G, M&M SEN, FB Gold, PC Plat, Father of GhettoIFE
Posts: 3,972
I like the description of the fix to the server. So simple, but one must maintain a certain level of mystery concerning such things. No need to let the children know all the secrets, if we want to remain indispensable and thus employed. I used to do that sort of work before I began teaching others how to do so. I do miss spending many a happy hour in a dim and cool server room with no sound other than the gentle humming of cooling fans.
And it keeps me in a job
Alas, my comms room has about 14 servers, 3 switches, and an industrial air con system to keep the lot cool. But it's a nice place to go away when the rest of the office is being a pain
Chiltern has offered a "rover" ticket where for GBP39 you can get a ticket good for unlimited rides on their system for 3 days (all hours on the weekends, after 0930 on working days). I found this when doing a combination mileage run and "four racetrack, four day trip" (Aqueduct in New York on Thursday, Monmore Green greyhounds on Friday (I made it a doubleheader by attending a rare Friday night fixture at the Hawthorns in West Bromwich), Warwick National Hunt on Saturday and Vincennes trotting races on Sunday. I stayed at a nice little inn just down the ramp from the Warwick stop on the Chiltern line. I flew Delta to LGW, used my GBP9 national rail ticket to go to Clapham Jct via Southern and then connect on a SouthWestTrain to Waterloo, then take the Bakerloo line to Marylebone. Their trains were at the very least OK, and I enjoyed my travel with them.
Chiltern offer a great alterntative to other carriers, and the rover ticket isn't a bad option. Alas, 9/10 times when travelling on Chiltern, I need to get to London, then quickly get out
Thanks ND76
Interesting. I have visited Canada several times, all by air, with no problems at all. All they ever wanted to know was why I was there, to board a cruise ship, and the name of the ship.
I have always found Canadians to be very friendly, but distinctly different from Americans.
I have always found Canadians to be very friendly, but distinctly different from Americans.
It isn't a friendly way to be greeted to another land.
Beyond the border, I have no issues with Canadians. Lovely people. It's those at the border I have a truck with (and obviously they have a truck with me).
Thanks Paint Horse.
I'm sorry that they drove you to that PropWasher. Almost makes you wish you could hold them to account in a public forum.
Sep 26, 2011, 1:18 am
#19
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: BRS
Posts: 336
It's pretty clear that Canadian Immigration has your card marked. Maybe they all read FlyerTalk: have you considered writing something nice about them by way of experiment?
I'll be flying LHR-YYZ-SEA on Saturday, so won't have to enter Canada. So I get the nice AC service without the Canadian Immigration hassle.
I'm surprised you felt the need to use the GhettoIFE on AC, though. I've never had a problem finding something I want to watch/listen to, even on their CR7!
Thanks for the TR.
I'll be flying LHR-YYZ-SEA on Saturday, so won't have to enter Canada. So I get the nice AC service without the Canadian Immigration hassle.
I'm surprised you felt the need to use the GhettoIFE on AC, though. I've never had a problem finding something I want to watch/listen to, even on their CR7!
Thanks for the TR.
Sep 26, 2011, 3:51 am
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Birmingham, West Midlands, UK
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Posts: 3,972
)), I had some content stacked on the GhettoIFE unit. Besides, Air Canada has a darn good moving map...Thanks Weean.
Sep 26, 2011, 8:07 am
#21
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Gent, Belgium
Programs: Miles & Bonus *S
Posts: 448
Interesting TR, good to know that the SNCB manages to make a complete mess of things even at dark 'o hundred (then again, it's shouldn't really come as a surprise to me 
)
Oh, and I could've warned you about the fact that the machines only take Belgian bank cards.
)Oh, and I could've warned you about the fact that the machines only take Belgian bank cards.
Sep 26, 2011, 8:49 am
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Birmingham, West Midlands, UK
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I'll give them this: even though it was an antiquated 2 car unit, the poor customer service rep did here best going passenger to passenger in 3 or 4 languages explaining what had happened.
Shame the coordination at the other end was useless/non existent...
Thanks WC_EEND.
Sep 26, 2011, 9:22 am
#23
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Gent, Belgium
Programs: Miles & Bonus *S
Posts: 448
what makes this quite funny actually is that I was reading the paper today, and there was a fairly big SNCB ad which said (translated from Flemish): "service quality and punctuality, we're working on it, every minute"
That said, compared to British trains (which seem to have wifi and power sockets like airplanes do these days) ours look like relics from the Middle Ages
That said, compared to British trains (which seem to have wifi and power sockets like airplanes do these days) ours look like relics from the Middle Ages
Sep 26, 2011, 6:02 pm
#24
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Join Date: Mar 2007
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Posts: 3,972
WC_EEND, it's bizarre, but I have to agree with you (I still hold the French TGV network as one of the gold standards). Train companies are learning to adapt here and the longer distance companies appear to be doing a reasonable job dread the thought.
Go on a local train for local people though (or any commuter train), and it's a different kettle of fish completely
Just be thankful they didn't go for strapline of "We're Getting There" for an advert. British Rail tried that... and failed....
Go on a local train for local people though (or any commuter train), and it's a different kettle of fish completely
Just be thankful they didn't go for strapline of "We're Getting There" for an advert. British Rail tried that... and failed....
Sep 26, 2011, 7:17 pm
#25
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: West of CLE
Programs: Delta DM/3 MM; Hertz PC; National EE; Amtrak GR; Bonvoy Silver; Via Rail Préférence
Posts: 5,378
what makes this quite funny actually is that I was reading the paper today, and there was a fairly big SNCB ad which said (translated from Flemish): "service quality and punctuality, we're working on it, every minute"
That said, compared to British trains (which seem to have wifi and power sockets like airplanes do these days) ours look like relics from the Middle Ages
That said, compared to British trains (which seem to have wifi and power sockets like airplanes do these days) ours look like relics from the Middle Ages
Sep 26, 2011, 10:24 pm
#26
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Phuket
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Posts: 5,264
I am really looking forward to reading this one Kevincm - you really are taking the your usual style to the limit on this one - a plane or two or more? Great! Plus a boat? That's one thing, but a boat and a bus Hellfire man, get a grip
Hellfire man, get a grip
Sep 27, 2011, 2:40 am
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Birmingham, West Midlands, UK
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I mean to say, how much can I dress up an LHR-ORD-IAD-LHR run? (the answer will probably not surprise you
)Yes, I may be back on the bus
, but it's for the sole purpose of getting to LHR... and back. But that's it. You won't catch me on a bus to Brussels again for a long time... Thanks NoY.
Sep 27, 2011, 1:54 pm
#29
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,145
Your shots from Niagara were awesome! Brings back great memories of my own visit there. You really brought your trip to life, thanks again!
^
Sep 27, 2011, 2:20 pm
#30
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: AA 2MM - PLT, BA GGL, SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,221
Thanks for the report kevin. I have never had any difficulty with Canadian immigrations as a solo traveller (before or after working there).
In fact when I was working there on my second visit after a weekend in the UK (with proper working visa) the agent welcomed me back
I lived in an apartment around the corner from your hotel for 18 months. I really enjoyed living in TO.
In fact when I was working there on my second visit after a weekend in the UK (with proper working visa) the agent welcomed me back
I lived in an apartment around the corner from your hotel for 18 months. I really enjoyed living in TO.