Made any travel mistakes lately?

[Seat0B]

Been there - done that! Only 2 scissors though!

Me too.

 

[ellen10]

We lost a good Swiss Army knife

 

[VPS]

At Gatwick a couple of years ago I had a lovely Security guy who was going to confiscate my Swiss Army knife and I laughed and said to him if I get to Italy tonight and can’t open my wine you are in deep coughe. He said I can break the tip of the longest knife which is the only reason why it was non-compliant. I said great and he snapped the end off and away I went with my knife.

 

[Seat0B]

We lost a good Swiss Army knife

I did not mind losing the scissors, but the Swiss Army knife was embossed and one of the first gifts I gave to Mr Seat 0A when he was just the boyfriend back in 1982. Luckily we had time to go out, put it in a back pack and check that in, even though we didn’t originally intend to.

 

[CaptJCool]

Getting to Brandenburg at 4.44am and a breeze through checkin (gold card to the front of the queue)

Arrive at the lounge for 5am opening

It’s closed til 6am!


Someone was late out of bed !
And here I was scoring barely 3 hours snooze

Idled around to find this
Worst airport feature
A-perambulator that serves one gate A38…

 

[Xrayspice]

Leaving a tablet in a plane seat, leaving a night light in the hotel bed, and leaving a drink bottle a restaurant.

 

[Flyinfish]

This morning when I packed my bag to check in, I forgot to pack my toiletries bag. Rather than unlock it and move stuff around, I just put it in my backpack to carry on, without giving it much thought.
3 pairs of scissors and a waiters friend were confiscated at security. $50 or so gone.

I used to do a bit of dressmaking once upon a time. I had a garment carefully pinned together which somehow ended up in my carry on . They let me keep the garment, but I had to remove every single pin! Imagine terrorising flight staff with a dressmaking pin

 

[Seat0B]

I used to do a bit of dressmaking once upon a time. I had a garment carefully pinned together which somehow ended up in my carry on . They let me keep the garment, but I had to remove every single pin! Imagine terrorising flight staff with a dressmaking pin

oh that just sounds mean AF

 

[Scr77]

Not sure if I should post in this thread or travel insurance thread. We’re in Washington state, USA. Managed to get T-Boned by a truck. Luckily, in a low speed zone.

I paid for a Loss and Damage waiver on the rental car, so it looks to be a monetary free mistake.

View attachment 401163View attachment 401163

 

[yachty]

Not sure if I should post in this thread or travel insurance thread. We’re in Washington state, USA. Managed to get T-Boned by a truck. Luckily, in a low speed zone.

I paid for a Loss and Damage waiver on the rental car, so it looks to be a monetary free mistake.

I hope you're okay! I've always wondered how the LDW stuff works, whenever I rent a car in the US I'm holding my breath. Is it $0 with an LDW if you're in a no-fault accident?

 

[JohnM]

I hope you're okay! I've always wondered how the LDW stuff works, whenever I rent a car in the US I'm holding my breath. Is it $0 with an LDW if you're in a no-fault accident?

I once had a crash in a Hertz rental car a few hundred metres from my hotel near DEN at the end of a long day's driving and the day before I was flying out. Prior to that, I had usually not bothered taking the LDW, but for some reason I did for that rental. Divine providence!

Basically, it was my fault. When I told the other driver that it was a rental car and I was a foreign driver, he felt that he needed to ask the police to attend. I concurred, as I would want to do the same in his situation. I was issued with a ticket for failing to give way or something like that. Fine was $US100.

I managed to get the now undriveable vehicle into the hotel parking lot, called Hertz and they sent a tow truck. It was carted away and that was it. Zero excess and no fuss. I told them a replacement was not needed. A cab to DEN the next morning was more direct than returning a rental car to the remote lot.

It was fortunate that it was at the end of my trip, not part way through. I had been in a lot of more remote mid-west areas, so it could have been much more disruptive to my program.

 

[JohnM]

BTW, I can say that when several airbags go off, the noise makes it seem worse and more frightening than the metal-to-metal impact.

 

[Scr77]

I hope you're okay! I've always wondered how the LDW stuff works, whenever I rent a car in the US I'm holding my breath. Is it $0 with an LDW if you're in a no-fault accident?

Thanks, we’re ok. LDW seems better than insurance. It’s an agreement that the car company won’t hold you liable as long as you’re abiding by the rental agreement. Ie not under the influence, not driving through a creek, not speeding. I always take it out to avoid the worry of car park door dents and having to throughly document prior damage. There is no excess (in my agreement at least) and applies even if you’re at fault. There’s no dealing with any insurance company.

My experience was very similar to JohnM, except there’s been no talk of a fine.

 

[JohnK]

There’s no dealing with any insurance company.

Does that increase the rental cost?

In Thailand I only ever take the basic insurance offered which is usually 5,000-10,000 baht maximum for any accident and 30,000 baht if car is stolen.

From memory I have $5000-$6000 rental insurance excess with $0 excess for any claim. Am I not covered? I don't mind dealing with travel insurance but luckily have never had an issue with hire cars.

 

[Scr77]

Does that increase the rental cost?

In Thailand I only ever take the basic insurance offered which is usually 5,000-10,000 baht maximum for any accident and 30,000 baht if car is stolen.

From memory I have $5000-$6000 rental insurance excess with $0 excess for any claim. Am I not covered? I don't mind dealing with travel insurance but luckily have never had an issue with hire cars.

Sorry John, I don’t have experience in Asia. When you book on AU websites for North America, the LDW is often non-removable. The cost is shown in the price breakdown.

 

[RealtimeY]

I believe LDW is mandatory in a lot of places for obvious reasons, and does increase the cost. It's not mandatory for the US when booking in the US because personal car insurance there covers rental cars too.

 

[randompunter]

Yep the US is different, from my research for past road trips I recall they don't have the included insurances we are used to, eg. a $4000 excess that you can reduce further (or have covered by travel insurance). Over there if you don't take out the LDW/CDW I believe you are liable for up to the entire cost of the vehicle . But as stated by RealtimeY above, Americans are typically covered by their personal car insurance policies, but I believe even that varies state by state.

 

[RooFlyer]

Thanks, we’re ok. LDW seems better than insurance.

There is no excess (in my agreement at least) and applies even if you’re at fault. There’s no dealing with any insurance company.

Not always, as you intimated. I scoped an Avis rental in Sth Africa recently. Took out LDW and everything else I could get. Took a lot of asking, but found that there was a liability for an at-fault accident - about A$5k for a medium-sized car. My travel insurance would have covered it, but they were so evasive to deal with I gave up on them and got a driver instead.

 

[CaptJCool]

Recently In mid June

Twas a free transfer from Cairo airport to hotel which I unfortunately booked a day early
2.30am morning pickup and got the day wrong - drivers messaging on WhatsApp - oh lord what a mess

So swung by b**k***.com and bought one for the next, correct day. A$17. We’ll blow me down and flights run 80 minutes late we arrive Cairo 3am and then one of us has a real delay getting through immigration. 8 Italian students arrive WITHOUT passports and so stuck waiting it out.

Driver heads home but the front desk Michael was awesome so the driver comes back at 4.30am. Arrive hotel about 5am tired and hungry so it’s a US$10 tip for his inconvenience yaddi ya. Luckily an all night cafe at the hotel so it’s a lovely hummus before falling into bed at 6.30am only to be up at 9.30am to meet my neighbour who was our 3rd in the Egypt party. Him Orf an overnight bus from Luxor. We all be tired lol

Lots of travel mistakes in Egypt. Oh boy where do I start ?

 

[Happy Dude]

Rented a Tesla. Only 80% charged on pickup (common IME with Europcar). No 240v charging cable provided and no public charge stations in the area were operable. Nervously rolled into Tathra on a few % and then had to wait 3hrs at the pub (silver lining I guess) to get enough juice to get to Cooma for a fast charge.

Off topic commentary, but there's still a ways to go for EVs to be used widely and reliably, stress-free for regional travel.