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...My Life as 'Drive away' driver
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Trip 43b - New - Class B Motorhome ... from Kitchener, ON 6/10/04 - after waking up up Niagra Falls to ask if we had to transfer bus's (we had last trip) ... we didn't, and I woke up again a couple hours later when we stopped in Toronto ... now for the five hour layover at the depot ... ... I wish ... that was what I thought, problem is that the depot is locked until 6 AM, it is not yet 2 AM ... I check all the doors, go back at catch the bus driver before he leave's ... he says they 'should be open' for transfer passengers' ... but what does he know? at customs he acted like he had never been this run before ... After finding people already sleeping in the doorways of neighboring buildings, I decide I need to get a room ... down town Toronto all I see is $$$$ motels on big buildings in the distance, and one "cheap" motel a block away. I walk toward the cheap hoping to see another motel when I get to the end of the block ... it was also the only direction I hadn't see people I wanted to avoid. No other motel's in sight ... as I head back to the cheap motel, someone is trying to enter, it's locked and they have to wait for the clerk to unlock the door ... by then I'm at the door and ask if they still have rooms ... they do ... for $65 (Canadian) ... but my choices are limited. $65 ... plus $15 as a key deposit ... it sort of looks like a motel where they'd rent you a room by the hour, but it says right next to where you sign the receipt ...'By signing, I am agreeing not to conduct any illegal activities on these premises.' For my $65 I get a bed and a room big enough for it to fit ... the shared bathroom is down the hall ... a shower is NA ... and the wake up call I requested never came, luckily I finally figured out how to set the alarm on my clock ... and luckily my battery held out ... I finally got to bed around 2, around 4 I woke up and checked the battery, so far so good ...6:45 alarm, 7:15 bus departure ... I made it. An hour bus ride to Kitchner ... a five minute cab ride to the customer ... one very complete inspection ... and I'm on my way. Buy enough fuel to make it to the border ... I hope. Short line at Port Huron ... top of the bridge, which is maybe a half mile ... but ... my paperwork hasn't cleared and I have to go see the broker ... but first I have to pay $5 for something before I can cross the boarder. At the broker I drop my paperwork in the office and wait in the hall ... then wait in line again for a custom agent ... six behind the counter at computers ... one helping customers ... looks like government work to me ... a hour delay and I'm on my way. Somewhere in MI we are delayed for a half hour due to a mini-van fire ... just the shell left when it went by on a tow truck ... another minor delay around CGO ... if it hadn't been for the earlier delays I may have made it through CGO before rush hour ... but didn't. Dozens of radio stations in CGO and not one country ... finally somewhere in WI I pick up a country oldies station ... 40's 50's and newer ... After 14 driving hours ... I'm home. |