The German Efficiency has finally Failed me...
It's been a pretty strange day.
I ordered this Bluetooth Laptop card off of eBay a couple weeks back, and seemed to miss the delivery guy every time he came by. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, as I could simply go to the local post office 10 min. away and get it. But, this time it was sent through another company, in which the ONLY office in my area is about an hour away, close to where I did my exchange back in high school.
So I called up the company and asked if theres any other way I can get the package without travelling all that way, they gave me a stern 'NEIN!', in the polite German way. I decided then that I have no other option other then make the trek. I figured out where I have to go, etc. And after my last class today hopped on the subway to start my journey. I could tell by the map that I had a bit of a walk after I got off the train to the package depot.
After switching a couple trains and waiting, and waiting, and waiting, I arrived. I loooked towards the direction of where the depot should be, and all I see is farmland. Something like this:
because Im a tek-geek, I took a digital picture of the map of where I need to go, checked it on my camera, and decided that that was where I needed to go. So I start. By the way, its COLD here, the wind was howling and my face was numb.
Im walking through these little boony paths, Im the only one around, and questioning the whole situation. I wind in and out, through one field, into another, etc. And finally I get to a section of huge industrial buildings (including the Porsche factory, which is pretty cool, everyone there drives a Porsche). So now, instead of farmland, Im surrounded by huge machinery, and loud rumbling trucks all around me.... still questioning...
But, my keen map senses paid off, as I found the street that I need to be. score! I walk another 10 minutes down it, and find the address of the building, half expecting a small package depot that I can simply walk into, and grab my stuff. I get to the address, and find myself staring at no less than 100 huge trucks in this monstrous compound with the symbol of the company on it. I kinda mill around trying to figure out how I just walk on in. I find a security gate with a guard taking the names of everyone going in and out, checking cars for I dont even know what, and decide to ask him what the heck Im supposed to do.
He was very nice, and looked in the system, for my name. 'Did you call?' he asks me, I hadn't, which blew him away. 'You DIDN'T call?!, one second, sir'. He calls around to someone, asking if I have clearance to walk inside the compound, and decides I pose no threat, and lets me walk in. He says if I'm lucky, my package is still there, as its been there for a few business days already and may be sent back to the sender (which would have really pissed me off, I figure). He gives me some directions to where i need to go. And I continue further.
I get to the packge recieving place, and ask them if they can find my package. 'Did you call?' I get asked, to which I of course say no. Again I get the 'oh man, you didn't call?!!!'. By now, the only thought going through my head is 'these crazy Germans'. I get told to wait, so I wait for about 10-15 minutes, and FINALLY a man walks up with my package. I can't express the joy I felt to be simply handed a package. I sign, all that jazz, and Im on my way. Now, I have to get back. because when I came there, I really took a long route around, I decided to find a shortcut back to the train station. What better way then to follow the train tracks? Off I go, climb through some bushes, and onto the tracks. This is very dangerous, and I don't condone this to anyone, but I was getting desperate. So like a hobo, Im walking alongside the tracks, jumping off when I hear a train coming, all the way back to the station. I end up going through some more fields for a bit, getting a bit dirty, but I didnt care much by that point.
After another 20 minutes of walking, I end up at the station, having to run to catch the train, but I JUST made it (patting myself on the back for taking the shortcut). So after another hour of switching trains, and waiting, I FINALLY get home.
Weird, wild, strange day it was, I open the box I got, and had to laugh. After all that mayhem, this is my reward...
Anyway, so that is my story of how the German system has finally failed me. I asked the girl at the counter if there is ANY other way of me getting my package, as this is a LITTLE hard for me to get to. Her only answer, 'you should have been home'...thanks
I ordered this Bluetooth Laptop card off of eBay a couple weeks back, and seemed to miss the delivery guy every time he came by. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, as I could simply go to the local post office 10 min. away and get it. But, this time it was sent through another company, in which the ONLY office in my area is about an hour away, close to where I did my exchange back in high school.
So I called up the company and asked if theres any other way I can get the package without travelling all that way, they gave me a stern 'NEIN!', in the polite German way. I decided then that I have no other option other then make the trek. I figured out where I have to go, etc. And after my last class today hopped on the subway to start my journey. I could tell by the map that I had a bit of a walk after I got off the train to the package depot.
After switching a couple trains and waiting, and waiting, and waiting, I arrived. I loooked towards the direction of where the depot should be, and all I see is farmland. Something like this:
because Im a tek-geek, I took a digital picture of the map of where I need to go, checked it on my camera, and decided that that was where I needed to go. So I start. By the way, its COLD here, the wind was howling and my face was numb.Im walking through these little boony paths, Im the only one around, and questioning the whole situation. I wind in and out, through one field, into another, etc. And finally I get to a section of huge industrial buildings (including the Porsche factory, which is pretty cool, everyone there drives a Porsche). So now, instead of farmland, Im surrounded by huge machinery, and loud rumbling trucks all around me.... still questioning...
But, my keen map senses paid off, as I found the street that I need to be. score! I walk another 10 minutes down it, and find the address of the building, half expecting a small package depot that I can simply walk into, and grab my stuff. I get to the address, and find myself staring at no less than 100 huge trucks in this monstrous compound with the symbol of the company on it. I kinda mill around trying to figure out how I just walk on in. I find a security gate with a guard taking the names of everyone going in and out, checking cars for I dont even know what, and decide to ask him what the heck Im supposed to do.
He was very nice, and looked in the system, for my name. 'Did you call?' he asks me, I hadn't, which blew him away. 'You DIDN'T call?!, one second, sir'. He calls around to someone, asking if I have clearance to walk inside the compound, and decides I pose no threat, and lets me walk in. He says if I'm lucky, my package is still there, as its been there for a few business days already and may be sent back to the sender (which would have really pissed me off, I figure). He gives me some directions to where i need to go. And I continue further.
I get to the packge recieving place, and ask them if they can find my package. 'Did you call?' I get asked, to which I of course say no. Again I get the 'oh man, you didn't call?!!!'. By now, the only thought going through my head is 'these crazy Germans'. I get told to wait, so I wait for about 10-15 minutes, and FINALLY a man walks up with my package. I can't express the joy I felt to be simply handed a package. I sign, all that jazz, and Im on my way. Now, I have to get back. because when I came there, I really took a long route around, I decided to find a shortcut back to the train station. What better way then to follow the train tracks? Off I go, climb through some bushes, and onto the tracks. This is very dangerous, and I don't condone this to anyone, but I was getting desperate. So like a hobo, Im walking alongside the tracks, jumping off when I hear a train coming, all the way back to the station. I end up going through some more fields for a bit, getting a bit dirty, but I didnt care much by that point.
After another 20 minutes of walking, I end up at the station, having to run to catch the train, but I JUST made it (patting myself on the back for taking the shortcut). So after another hour of switching trains, and waiting, I FINALLY get home.
Weird, wild, strange day it was, I open the box I got, and had to laugh. After all that mayhem, this is my reward...
Anyway, so that is my story of how the German system has finally failed me. I asked the girl at the counter if there is ANY other way of me getting my package, as this is a LITTLE hard for me to get to. Her only answer, 'you should have been home'...thanks
posted by SunPowered at
5:58 PM
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