Mitfahrge...what???

Now I have to mention the crazy Mitfahrgelegenheit rides I had.

First, let me explain: Mitfahrgelegenheit is a shared ride system, where you can post on a website when you’re going from point A to point B by car, how much you would charge people to come with you. Trains in Germany are quite expensive, so this is a fairly cheap and good alternative, although you never know quite what to expect. I used it 3 times in total.

The first one was short and mostly normal ride, just 2hrs, from Tubingen to Frankfurt…

The second was from Berlin to Stuttgart (which is close to Tubingen, where I was going by bus). First of all, the guy gave me a meeting point way outside Berlin, and it took me like an hour to get there, but I did, and on time. The guy, however, wasn’t there, and called me to say he would be 15 minutes late. One hour and 15 minutes later, he finally appeared, with his girlfriend, who he was going to drop off in some other undetermined location. Anyway, I’m already getting antsy because all I want is to get back to Tubingen, but ok. Then we start the trip, and he starts talking about the French, how he really did not like them, how they were mostly men with small penises and big egos, and were always trying to compensate for something. No joke. A few hours later, we stopped for drinks and water, and guess what? The car wouldn’t start again!! So we had to get out and push, but luckily it was a small car and we were on an incline, so it worked, and we started off again in a few minutes. But seriously!!!

Anyway, I was tired, and if you know me, you know that you put me in a bus/car/train/boat/plane or any other form of transportation, and I get sleepy, immediately. So I sort of dozed off. I had to make it to Stuttgart by a certain time, because there was only one bus an hour to Tubingen, and the driver knew it. He said no problem, we should make it there right on time. When I woke up however, he was pissed off and even though he didn’t say it out loud, it was clear that he expected me to stay awake and talking to him (about French men and their penises??). By this time we’re arriving in Stuttgart, and should be at the airport 10 minutes before the bus leaves. Perfect. Except the guy PASSES THE AIRPORT!!! He keeps going! And I’m like “But.... The airport!!!” and he says that wasn’t the entrance, there’s another one. But he was making it up, and we had to drive several minutes in one direction, then turn around and drive several minutes in the other direction, to finally get to the airport, by which time I had obviously missed the bus. I have no doubt he did that on purpose, to “punish” me for sleeping!! Idiot.

Anyway, the third one was from Tubingen to Berlin, with this crazy, old hippie woman, in a fairly old station wagon, and 5 people, one of which happened to be this Brazilian guy who was visiting his girlfriend. Small world. She was kinda funny, and her car also had issues (she had to manually start it by opening the hood and pumping gas into the motor!!) but we made it to Berlin safely, and she dropped me off at the corner of A’s house, which was great!!!

So I have to say that I think I’ll avoid mitfahrgelegenheit in the future, unless I really, really need it. :)