NWP 33. Going to the police station right now

16-Sept-24 Bangor, Maine, USA

Not the best night’s sleep. Tad tired. Plus early start. Had rung to book a taxi at 0745hrs this morning last night but could tell it was a driver driving who promised he would remember to book it in. To be on the safe side ring taxi company again to confirm the booking. Don’t want to have come this far and fall at the final hurdle and missing the ferry.

Young lad taxi driver arrives bang on time. But control is going beserk. A young lady has been waiting for a taxi for ages. She’s going to be late. Any driver free to pick her up. My driver radios to control that he has picked me up and on the way to the ferry terminal. Control still going berserk. Desperate for a driver to pick up lady who is dreadfully late.

My driver then radios in with those immortal words, “Sorry for the chaos I’ve caused.”

Well at least I’m on time.

Have to be at ferry terminal by 0830hrs for the 0930hrs sailing. For customs and immigration. Expecting a queue of people. To go through Canadian customs and immigration and then USA customs and immigration.

Well. Not what I had been led to believe.

There is no queue. Only 16 foot passengers.

Obtain boarding pass from a counter. Then go to a scruffy bloke sitting at a plastic table who takes boarding pass from me. He’s the sort with straggly long hair, baseball cap, tattoos, rings on fingers. Like an ageing rocker high on drugs. Looks like he might enjoy a few beers too. Needs to have a rummage in my bags to check for the usual. Guns and ammo. And pepper spray. His grubby little hands rifling through my bags. Needless to say doesn’t find any guns and ammo. Or pepper spray.

Then proceed to the passenger terminal. A few steps past his plastic table. I say passenger terminal. What I really mean is transport café. Without the café. Small waiting room that’s fallen out of the 1970s. Plastic chairs. Mr & Mrs Georgia from yesterday waiting patiently. A few odd bods. And a woman who is yakking non stop to a stranger who just sat down near her. Telling her life story. Turns out she’s just had brain surgery. That’s why we can all see bumps in her shaven head. At the top of her voice. Which reverberates around the austere tiled waiting room. No carpet to soften the sound. It’s harsh. Welcome to my Monday morning. And not had second and third brews yet, dear reader.

Boarding sooner than expected at about 0815hrs. Aboard a ten man golf buggy. No walking allowed. Zoom up to the loading ramp and its reversed all the way up to the car deck at some speed. And we jump off. Up in the lift and first onboard.

Grab front row seat at the pointy end. A small table with two chairs fixed to the floor. Spread out. So no one can sit in adjacent chair. After yesterday’s cramped conditions I’m going all in for leg room and space today. I’ve earnt it.

And then car passengers arrive. Everyone fussing about where best to sit to avoid sea sickness. Yesterday’s email confirmation from ferry company said in big bold letters that you are to take motion sickness tablets 1hr before departure.

Check Windy.com app. Just to see if I’ve missed the weather. Nope. Forecast to be dead calm.

More people arrive. A good few are taking sea sickness bags and placing them on tables in front of them. What is going on?

Check Windy.com app. Again. Make sure it’s refreshed and not showing an old forecast.

Nope. Still dead calm.

And it is dead calm. For the whole three and half hours.

During the crossing. Some whales spotted blowing. Everyone stands up to look out of windows. I am working at my table but now have a woman standing behind me literally on my shoulder. Not wanting her to see my work. Have to stop working and close down. So now I can’t work. As she’s looking for whales. Standing right over my shoulder.

Not having this. Do what Dad did on an Iceland and Norway cruise once. Walked into the bar saw no seats available said ‘Ooh look at that whale!’ pointing nowhere in particular. Everyone vacated seats to look for non-existent whale. Dad got a seat.

So.

Following his lead.

I say.

Ooh there’s a whale.

And point to somewhere on the starboard side.

Woman quickly scurries off to look for non-existent whale.

Problem solved. Can continue working.

And that, dear reader. Is how you do it.

Once in Bar Harbour I need to get to Bangor. Having done considerable research there is no easy way. It’s a taxi or shuttle bus. Shuttle bus is from middle of town late afternoon.

According to my Uber app. A taxi costs $85 for the hour or so journey. Uber it is.

Arrive Bar Harbour. Golf buggy to US Immigration. Usual routine of why do you have a tourist visa and not an ESTA. Because been to North Korea.

And finally enter the USA after a lot of questioning. Or. To be more precise. The ferry waiting room.

This is going to be easy. Click on the Uber app. Taxi will arrive in a matter of minutes. Will be in Bangor by 1300hrs. Job done.

Erm. Nope.

Firstly. Can’t get a decent mobile phone signal for Uber app to work.

Switch to wifi. But the terminal has no wifi. The only wifi signal I can just about pick up is the Holiday Inn a few hundred metres away. Very weak signal. But a signal.

So. Click on the Uber app. Book taxi. And wait for the confirmation to say a driver is confirmed and will be with you in a matter of minutes.

Erm. Nope.

No drivers available.

No can do. No taxis available through the Uber app.

As it slowly dawns on me that this is now going to be a nightmare. Conscious of another traveller also trying to get to Bangor. Deliberately kept quiet as I want to travel solo. Not get involved in other people’s problems.

But. There’s something not quite right about him. Has had assistance from staff who have given him a list of taxi firms and confirm there’s no trains or buses. Just a shuttle from the centre of town late afternoon.

He asks if anyone else is going to Bangor. I pipe up. Yes. Me.

Great. Do you want to share a taxi. Why not. Uber is saying it’s $85 one way so that will be $40-ish each. Job done. Easy peasy.

But. Tells me his Canadian mobile isn’t working in the USA. So. Use my UK mobile number to ring a USA number. To ring for a taxi.

The sheet he has been give has about a dozen or so taxi firms printed out.

Start at number one. No availability.

Second one. No availability.

Third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth…erm nope.

Not looking good is it, dear reader.

Finally. Ring tenth company and say, “I would like to book a taxi from the ferry terminal to Bangor for now please.”

“Yes, no problem. 15 minutes.”

“How much is it please?” – and this is important for later, dear reader.

“$150”

Look to my new travel companion and tell him it’s $150…so $75 each. Is that OK? He confirms.

Taxi booked.

This is now 1200hrs. 1hr behind Nova Scotia.

Hobson’s choice really.

So.

Now have 15 minutes wait. Should be in Bangor by 1315hrs-ish. Excellent.

Ho. Ho. Ho.

So.

Get to know my new travelling companion. There’s an air of Clint Eastwood in the way that he talks.

This is his story…which explains the condition he’s in.

On 18 February 2020, Matthew was cycling to work one morning in his hometown Vancouver. The sun was low. He was cycling with the sun behind him. A driver of an SUV blinded by the low sun turned in on him. Leading to multiple broken bones, internal injuries and a severe traumatic brain injury.

He was 38.

Parents were actuaries and the family had lived in England for a few years. Matthew had later returned to the UK to set up a travel business before moving back to Vancouver. One sister still lives in London. One in Vancouver.

Educated. Intelligent. And a quick wit. Dealt a crap hand. In a sliding doors moment.

Took over a year to recover.

Now walks with a hiking pole to steady his left side. An eye patch on his left eye used intermittently when it’s bright. Left hand side of his body is not great. Almost looks as if he’s had a stroke.

But he can walk and talk. And clearly still got his humour.

Left Vancouver in June and made his way across Canada. Now dropping down the eastern side of the USA to New York to meet friends. Before crossing USA to the west coast and then heading north back home to Vancouver.

And doing all that on his own. With just a rucksack.

Brave bloke. You can tell he’s a fighter though. Given what he’s gone through.

Taxi eventually arrives 30 minutes later with name of the taxi company on side.

Great. Nip outside to confirm she’s the taxi for Bangor. She is.

Nip back to grab Matthew and bags.

Nip back to taxi.

To find a little old lady putting her luggage in boot.

And saying.

This is my taxi. I booked this weeks ago. I have to be at Bangor Bus Station by three.

Whoa.

We were told this was our taxi.

Lady driver says we are all to get in. She’s going to take us all to meet another driver. Who, it is made out, will take the two of us to Bangor. While lady driver and little old lady continue on to Bangor Bus Station.

Hmmm.

That seems a bit daft.

If we’re all going to Bangor. Why don’t we all go in one car.

And split the cost. $150 split three ways. $50 each. Lady driver doesn’t disagree but needs to talk to the boss.

So I say to little old lady if we each pay $50 then she gets a cheaper ride.

Unfortunately. This confuses little old lady. She retorts with. I don’t know. I agreed to pay $150.

Yes. But that’s $150 for the taxi to Bangor. If we give you $50 each you pay the driver $150 and we give you $100. So you only pay $50. In effect.

Oh I don’t know. Flustered now. Can’t work it out. Main concern is she needs to be at Bangor Bus Station for 1500hrs. It’s now 1245hrs. Plenty of time.

Lady driver seems to agree it’s sensible that we all share one taxi. And the impression is that it’s $150 for the taxi.

Not. Per person.

Because that would be a scam.

Considering Uber taxi can do it for $85.

Pull into the rear car park of a restaurant in Ellsworth. Lady driver jumps out. The intention is that it’s to swap cars. But makes sense to swap drivers. Not cars.

Another young woman is our driver. African-American. Bit of attitude. It seems.

And we all drive merrily along to Bangor.

Thinking this is a good deal.

$50 each.

Quite by chance. The taxi drives past my hotel in Bangor enroute to the bus station.

So.

I say. Can you drop me off here please. Seeing as you’re passing.

Pulls up to the front door of the Hilton on the outskirts near the airport.

Get out. Have daysack in hand. But hand luggage still in boot.

Hand over $50 to driver. As it’s $150 for the taxi.

She’s not happy, dear reader.

And rings her boss.

Another African-American. By the sounds of it.

There follows an argument. I work on construction projects. Spend my whole career arguing. It’s what I’m paid to do. I can argue like there’s no tomorrow. And loudly when needs be.

Me holding driver’s phone on speaker. Next to little old lady sitting in passenger seat.

Voices are raised. Little old lady is flustered by the aggressive tone. Starts huffing and puffing in nervousness.

Boss man at the other end of the phone is screaming that it’s $150 per person. That would make him $450 for this 1hr trip. When Uber quoting $85 for a taxi.

Clearly a scam. And he is told so.

At this point think it a good idea to retrieve bag from boot in case driver drives off.

Judging by the nods, Matthew is agreeing with me. Driver then closes the rear side door. So now can’t see Matthew on the back seat because of the blackened window.

The argument is going nowhere. He’s screaming that it’s $150 each. To get rid of him tell him I’ll pay $150 for the two of us as we booked a taxi. So give a further $25 to make it $75 from me. Matthew will then pay a further $75 when he gets dropped off at the bus station. This seems to be agreed by the driver as she starts to pull off. Having had enough of the slanging match.

The fly in the ointment being that Matthew has no US dollars on him. Needs a cash machine.

Because she’s shut the rear door and I can’t now see Matthew and then she drives off. I don’t get a proper chance to say goodbye and good luck sort of thing.

And I’m a bit perturbed by that, dear reader. Hope he’s OK and gets it sorted. Easily someone I’d like to have a beer and a laugh with.

Checking in at hotel reception seconds later receive a text.

From the taxi boss. He had my number and had texted earlier to say driver was on the way.

This time the text reads…

I’m going to the police station right now.

Good luck with that mate.

A whole new perspective of the song.

Didn’t we have a lovely time the day we went to…