Re: XPT - First or Economy??

[pcc@ocean.com.au (Brown Family)]

On Mon, 24 Apr 2000 12:18:10 GMT, "Dave Proctor"
<daproc@spambait.ozemail.com.au> wrote:

>Once when flying from SIngapore to Sydney (I had a win at the casino in
>MAcau, so I upgraded to P class) I went to stretch my legs, wandered through
>business class - no probs, although I got some looks coming out of first
>class in jeans a polo shirt - then wandered into cattle class, and got all
>of the looks that you mentioned. The trouble started when I went to go back
>to my seat. The business class crew took one look and told me that I was not
>allowed in business class since I was not on their list. It was only when I
>insisted they get the FSD that I was allowed into First Class. The P class
>crew learn all of your names before you join the aircraft, and call you by
>name the entire trip.
>
Since we are not talking Australian railways at this point, I can tell
you of a 1st class experience I had in Europe in 1978.

On a trip coming back from Czechoslovakia, (and Czech steam in
abundance) where we were visiting the wife's cousin and his family, to
London were we both worked. Well, we hadn't washed for a week,  a not
uncommon plight amongst backpackers. Whilst racing through the early
morning foggy French countryside a rather well-coiffured French lady
came and sat in our long-occupied 1st class compartment where we had
spent the night. Unable to cope any longer with the indelicate smells
that assailed her, so becoming of unwashed long-distance travellers
such as us, and offending, if not numbing, the delicate olfactory
senses of one more accustomed to the likes of Channel and Christian
Dior, she vacated the compartment with the farewell comment of: "I am
sorry, but I cannot cope with zee smell any longer". Obviously she
expected better from first-class, but true to our Australian cultural
upbringing, we showed we aussies were truly egalitarian.

She ruined all my Pepe Le Pew images of the French too.

C'est la vie.

Les Brown
Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose.