Lost and (quickly) found on the tube!

So yesterday started out OK (so I thought) when I got onto the Jubilee line at Canary Wharf. I actually got a seat right away which was nice considering that I had to travel 7 stops to get to Green Park. I always carry my purse and then have a separate shoulder bag with my shoes, book, water bottle, random stuff in it. When I got onto the tube, I sat down next to this guy that was reading the Metro and literally was at LEAST a third of the way over into my "space." Because of this and him "not getting" my less than pleased body language about him invading my "space", I had to put my shoulder bag on the floor between my feet. *1st mistake*

The train car was PACKED by the time we got to Green Park, and I was just vegging out with my iPod trying to pretend I wasn't in a smelly, packed tube *2nd mistake* When we stopped at the station, I was about to stand up and then was knocked my this guy next to me who was trying to get out as well. In an effort to balance my coffee cup, I forgot to do my standard "bag count" that I always do before getting off the train. *3rd mistake*

I was already well on my way to the Piccadilly Line at the station before I realized that the load on my shoulder was less than it should have been. I immediately panicked b/c I knew that there was not a gosh darn thing that I could do b/c the train had already left. Losing the bag on that particular day was MORE of a big deal b/c of the fact that it has ALL of Stuart's friend Marc's important mail in it. He's traveling right now and has no London address so he has his mail delivered to Stuart's address and then Stuart forwards it to his parent's house in Germany ever so often. This wknd Stuart asked if I could run it by the post office this week b/c he forgot to on Friday. So yesterday before work, I chucked it all in my shoulder bag and headed on my way. It had several of Marc's pay slips in there as well as other important stuff from his company. THAT'S what made me more sick than my stupid shoes or my book! I was like, "This guy is gonna lose his identity and it's my fault!" (Although it of course wouldn't have been b/c he's the one having his mail sent to an alternative address - but you know how your mind thinks in those situations)

I literally RAN down to the supervisor's office at the station and the second I walked through the door I just burst into tears b/c I suddenly realized that it had all of my important docs for my work permit in there as well! The guy was nice and understanding at first, but then his true "tube worker self" where he cares, but only to a point, came out and then I realized it was prolly hopeless.

He called the Bond Street station (the next one after Green Park), but I already knew that was a dumb thing b/c it wouldn't have been turned in that quickly. He handed me a card with the "lost property number" on it and told me to call in THREE DAYS!!! Talk about feeling hopeless!
So I left the station and headed toward the office, trying to make myself look a bit more presentable.

When I got into the office though, it suddenly occurred to me that my train was terminating at Willesden Green instead of way far out in Stanmore, where the tube guy told me it would prolly end up. So I called the lost property office and asked if they could transfer me to the Willesden Green station, and of course they said no but I begged the lady to call them herself and ask if they by chance had my bag. After a couple of minutes she came back on, asked for my last name, and said they had it!!!

I immediately left the office and headed over there to pick it up. Apparently no one had touched it (because people are obviously paranoid about touching unattended bags over here for good reason) and the driver picked it up when the line terminated.

So all was well but then I got back to the office and realized that they had ripped open Marc's pay stubs!!! There was no reason to do so, b/c the address was clearly printed on the outside of the envelope. Tube workers have the reputation they do for a reason, but I'm obviously not complaining TOO TOO much b/c I got my bag back and everything was still there! No thanks to the help of any tube member trying to track it down to help though! It was b/c I called myself!

Anyway, so that's my exciting (and miraculous) tube story for the week! People really CAN be reunited with their lost bags afterall!

:-) V