Hi folks, here's a good one :
WHEN NIGHTMARE CAME REALITY : TRAPPED IN A SUBWAY
My name is Etienne, I live in France in a surburdian area near Paris. Everyday I travel on a suburban train (the R.E.R) to go to my office.
It was during a cold month of winter, around 8:30 AM, I was on my way for my office, travelling on the RER train. Everything was normal.
Suddenly in a deep and dark tunnel after the town of Vincennes, the power went out. It happens sometimes... But this time I did not know it will last for three hours !
The emergency lights switched on and the train driver asked the travellers to be calm and patient because the electrical engine of the train was broken. We must wait for a "rescue team".
We waited 2 hours then the emergency lights in the train shutted off : no more power.
I was pretty confident : my Streamlight Batonlite was carrefully packed into the backpack I carry everyday. I tried to switch on and... DEAD BATTERIES !!!
My only illumination tool was the screen of my cellphone.
The train driver launched the emergency evacuation process : manually open the doors and evacuation by the catwalk alongside the tunnel. Fortunately, the tunnel got some tiny lights but mostly, you follow a dark, dirty, old and uncomfortable catwalk.
After long minutes of slow walk, we passed by the last wagon (the tail) and continued walking the catwalk with NO SECURITY in its left side : it means someone's can fall from a 3 meters high catwalk. In the crowd, I spotted a woman with a keychain LED flashlight. At the end of the catwalk, employees were waiting for us with big flashlights, securing people while getting off the stairs.
Another train was waiting for us in the middle of the tunnel. I called my office in order to take the day off, and went to a store to buy three new expensive N-cells.
Oh boy ! Never again !
Oh, wait, that wasn't a dream... Live and learn, and don't leave home without your EDC!
