Today, I took the VIA train back home after a weekend away visiting some family and friends. It felt good to get away for 3 days and have a change of venue.
All of the seats in our the train car are full, with one exception. Right on schedule, the train departs at 40 minutes past the hour. However, one woman in our car runs down the aisle, yelling at the attendant:
"My daughter! We can't leave without my daughter!"
Once the woman finds the attendant, she explains that her daughter has gone outside for a quick smoke, and that they can't leave without her. The attendant radios to stop the train. A few people are racing outside on the platform for about 2 minutes, looking for any sign of this elusive daughter.
At 44 minutes past the hour, the attendant informs the mother that we cannot wait any longer and that the train must depart. The mother reluctantly informs her husband and son, and they take all their luggage to the platform. The three of them head upstairs to (a) find the missing member of their party, and (b) exchange their tickets for a later trip. Depending on the class of ticket, they may either have to pay a change fee (a few dollars), or buy new tickets outright.
A few minutes later, the guy in front of me commented, "That was probably the most expensive smoke of her life."
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