Off To a Bad Start

20th of July 2007 Chris started his day at 07.00hrs by taking a local family of five from Torquay to Gatwick airport through some areas of very heavy rain but had an uneventful journey, getting them there in plenty of time. However on starting his journey from there towards Stafford to pick up 6 customers after their week long training course for Gymaphobics at Exeter.

It became obvious that he was not likely to arrive on time, as the roads became clogged with bad traffic due to the bad weather. So after arranging to swap journeys with another driver, he headed for Heathrow to pick up passengers going to Exeter and Dawlish, asking the other driver to pick up his passengers at Stafford. Unfortunately during the following few hours plans were spoilt when the driver heading to Stafford contacted Chris to let him know that he had broken down due to water damage to his engine.

Flooding Causes Big Delays

During this period Chris was making an extremely slow journey from Heathrow, because the M4 had closed at Reading due to the collapse of a bank near junction 12. In Reading at brief stop at a garage for a comfort break, his passengers were approached by the Black Thunder Crew from the local commercial radio station 2 10 FM. They asked about their journey so far took some photos for their web site and gave his passengers some home made cakes to cheer them on their way.

As soon as Chris found out that the vehicle that was going to pick up his customers in Stafford had broken down, and that the flooding was becoming a big problem throughout the Midlands, he contacted Gymaphobics head office in Stafford to appraise them of the situation, promising to keep them updated and that he would get to them somehow.

Get Me To The Church on Time!

Chris had remembered that one of the group was supposed to go to their best friends wedding the following day. At 19.00hrs Chris dropped the last of his current passengers in Dawlish. He then set off towards Stafford to do his best to get the party home to Exeter at whatever time he could. Keeping in touch with the passengers who by now were waiting stoically at the hotel in Stafford, very happy that Chris was still trying to get them home that night. However after eleven and a half hours on the M5 travelling just sixteen miles, with snatches of sleep parked in the solid traffic during the night, he finally arrived shortly before 09.00hrs on Saturday the 21st of July.

After a good cooked breakfast they all set off at 09.30 to try to get to Exeter in time for the wedding ceremony that was to be held in Bovey Tracey early that afternoon. His passenger was resigned to the fact that they were unlikely to get to the church on time and that she would have to satisfy herself with attending the reception. Every possible route was explored and 1-2ft floods were gingerly driven through and eventually after a further nine and a half hours they arrived back in Exeter.

Chris Saves The Day!

After much thanks and praise for his efforts, saying they were so grateful to get back that day, as they believed that they would have to wait until after the weekend to travel. With a hug from the young lady who missed the wedding but still would get to the reception, Chris joked you see we will getuthere come hell and high water.

As far as Chris was concerned, it was all part of the job, if you agree to carry passengers somewhere you have to do all in your power to finish the job. Thank goodness that this is the first time anything as difficult as this has happened to me in 27years thought Chris, hoping to see out the next 27years before anything like this happened again.