Stupidity and efficiency

My mornings while the boys are at school are a special time that I truly treasure. It's a time when I can go to bible study, meet up with friends and get chores done around the house without being interrupted or waylaid by small children. Wednesday after I dropped the boys off I planned to complete a laundry list of errands and chores. I needed to clean the house, vacuum the rugs, do the laundry, pick up a package and return a borrowed stroller in exchange for our old one that had been at the shop to be fixed. Since the stroller was going to take the longest, I decided to that first.

I grabbed the borrowed stroller, hurried to the train, and rode the four stops to the bus station where I would transfer to get to the toys r us. While I was on the train I decided to get some work done. I got so absorbed in finishing my german homework, that when I looked up we were at my stop! I grabbed up all my papers and ran out of the train. I stood on the platform thinking how nice it was that I didn't have to wait for the elevator when it hit me, I had left the borrowed stroller in the train! My mind raced trying to think if some way to retrieve it, but no, there was no way to get to a further stop than the train I had just exited, and I couldn't call anyone on the train and ask them to leave it on the next platform for me. I wandered over to the"information" board on the platform with maps and whatnot and noticed a phone number for information. I called the number, and to my delight the woman that answered spoke perfect English. I explained the situation and she chuckled, "how did you forget a stroller?!" She asked. " I guess because it didn't have any children in it", I replied. She advised me to speak to the driver of the next train that came along, and he would radio the other driver and figured it out. That had never occurred to me, but it worked great! The driver told me ride along while he radioed the other train, and then two stops later he stuck his head out and told me to ride to the end station with him, and then I would get my stroller back there. I rode along, and two stops before the end he stuck his head out again and told me to get out there and wait for the next train coming the other way, they would have my stroller. I did as instructed and the next driver had my stroller up next to him. He had me sign a paper and returned the stroller to me.

I was honestly amazed how efficiently the whole situation was handled, and that they were willing to delay the trains each time to help me out. I expected it to be a much bigger hassle than it was. Of course, afterwards I felt really ridiculous having spent my whole morning and all my precious time riding the subway, and I didn't even have time to return the stroller, so I had to do it the afternoon with the kiddos in tow. Oh well,live and learn I guess!