About Belgian jaunt, rented car, mishap, good people and happy times
It was on May 1st that my long awaited plan of visiting my friend Ulrike in Germany materialised. I found myself at the Terminal of Dusseldorf airport on the 1st of May and I stepped foot in Alemania for the first time.
We planned this trip 2 days earlier and we already had a hired car. I had a guest room at Ulrike’s place to stay and was given a warm welcome by everyone. I have been living in a boxed apartment in Madrid for 3 months and this was a welcome change. The house is big with friendly people and a wonderful backyard. I rested well and it was the morning of the 2nd.
We planned to hit Brussles and Brugge. I would not write about the trip here as it was any normal touristic experience. But it was while coming back that we realised we had to fill our tank with gasoline. The place was near Gent and we went inside the nearest gas station. We parked and this was the first time we tried to open the fuel tank. And this is the mishap that happened. Our Citroen C1 fuel tank would’nt open!!
After both of us were tired trying, we decided to seek help. I always believe in people more than anything else. Maybe this is because I hail from India. If I am lost somewhere, rather than reading signs or maps, my instinct tells me to ask the next person I see.
Soon, we had machomen, ladies, young, old, everyone trying to open and this became the major pastime for tired travels coming to the station. We even had someone from Citroen trying. He came with a huge toolbox and both of us had this great feeling that we were saved. But, without any luck. The lid was jammed and we though we were doomed.
I have had flat tires and clutch problems at darker hours on the highways of India. We always have some shop or something open all the time. But, this is generally hard to find in Europe. Even the technican from the gas station was out partying as it was a Saturday evening.
I could sense Ulrike losing her cool (girls!!!!, can’t blame them). But we never gave up. Ulrike started calling the Star Car Rental Agnecy, her mother and the Citroen Car Company. I tried to talk to people around looking for options. Here is what I call the THIRD WORLD CONNECT happens. A guy from Morocco offered help and we started calling the trailer companies that heave off vehicles for repair. After calling Touring (the company that does it), we had an old guy with a big trailer appearing in 20 mins. He offered help for a flat fee of 130 Euros. We were confused as this amount was phenomenal. All he did was pull the lid and it came off. I did the typical Indian act of telling him that we didn’t have enough to pay 130 Euros. But he said, it was a flat fee and went to make an invoice. We went to fill the tank. He came back and said that he told a white lie to his boss that we had already figured out the problem before he came and he was God in disguise. We were so excited and thanked him.
We were by now famous in the gas station and was well known to the lady at the counter. We were so desparate to start again that Ulrike was fussy and fuming and annoyed at why the petrol flow did not start when we pulled the handle. We wanted to move to another counter, but we heard the lady announcing ” Be patient, wait for 15 secs and the petrol will flow” We were the centre of attention. I went inside to pay and thought that I’d pick a Red Bull for Ulrike who needed rejuvenation.Afterall, she drove all the way, had to listen to my poor jokes and was getting late to her friends birthday party.
I showed the can from inside the counter and she didn’t get it. The lady at the counter immediately spoke on the microphone ” Do you want a Redbull?” She was the best. Ulrike said yes and I picked it. She also wished us good luck for the rest of the journey and asked me to tell Ulrike to keep her cool while driving.
After goodbyes and farewell, we left for Cologne. We also lost our way many times and we were driving at 170 km/h all the way back….
We reached back safely and wished Christian a Happy Birthday after 40 mins belated. Maybe this blog post does not really produce the effect of this animated adventure, but me and Ulrike can get it. I am too impatient and short of vocabulary to write this as a story. This is just for recollection.
I also have to admit that the tourist/ photographer/ videographer inside me wanted to take pictures of this. I dared not do it as I was sure Ulrike would get furious. I told this to her later and she admitted she would have….So thats fine…
