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A tale of Miss Huffy The Sidekick and I spent the weekend in Montreal, attending her niece's wedding. It was great-- Saturday morning we flew in (54 minutes in the air-- on a $59 seat sale ticket) and were in our hotel within an hour and a half of leaving Pearson. But The Sidekick couldn't find a seat sale to fly back, so we opted for taking the train. We've taken the train to Quebec City, and had a delightful trip. That train wound through rural Quebec, and we were able to see the old farms and visually enjoy old Quebec. But our latest trip didn't quite strike me the same. It was almost irritating-- and mainly because of one person. We boarded the train at Dorval station and the train pulled out at 4 p.m. As we found our seat, I had to ask a university student to move-- she was sitting across both our seats. "Fine," she huffed, and moved over to another seat across the aisle, with a big `if I have to' sigh. I mentally named her Miss Huffy. The train was loaded with students-- most bound for Toronto. For the next four and a half hours, we were surrounded by students, all with their fingers and faces glued to their iPhones or Blackberries, or with their laptops fired up, surfing the Internet, or messaging back and forth to friends around the universe. Now I have no problem with them burying their faces into the various means of portable technology. Personally, I think they might be visually missing a lot, as the world outside flies by the window of the train. But that's their choice and it doesn't really affect me. But Miss Huffy? Well she was a piece of work. As the snack cart was wheeled by, offering numerous over-priced snacks, drinks, etc, Miss Huffy had to stand up, paw through all the snacks, looking at the labels, announcing "I'm allergic to this, and that, and that." She really got under my skin as she handled most of 2 for 1 Cruise Fares with Free Airfare Ted Brown the snacks on the trolley. She finally decided upon a `safe' snack, and flopped back down in her seat, and went back to texting on her cell phone. After The Sidekick and I purchased our snacks, we settled into our seats, thumbing through the magazines in the holder in the seat in front of us. We opened the snacks, and after finishing, put the wrappings in the brown paper garbage bags provided. I looked across the aisle and watched as Miss Huffy ripped open a chocolate bar, and threw the wrapper on the floor. At first I thought she might have dropped it, but she then pulled off the inner foil wrapping of the chocolate bar, and threw it on the floor as well. And, as the four-and-a-half hour train ride made its way to Toronto, she continued to throw her garbage on the floor. You know, I like to think I'm very calm, and for the most part, can turn a blind eye. But that snippy little $%#^& had me steaming by the time we made it to Toronto. I can't explain why-- she just pushed my buttons with her total disregard of the staff on the train, or others around her. It was a blatant `me-oriented' attitude, `screw the rest of the world, I come first.' After Miss Huffy disappeared into the crowd at Union Station, I was finally able to put her out of my mind. But it occurred to me how the world seems to consist of two types of people-- there are givers and takers. And sadly, one day, I fear the takers will overcome the givers. FOOTSTEPS OF HISTORY - November 10, 2010 - 14 Days from Venice to Barcelona Highlights: Venice (overnight), Hvar, Dubrovnik, Corfu, Messina, Naples/Capri, Rome (Civitavecchia), Cinque Terre (La Spezia), Florence/Pisa, Monte Carlo, Provence (Marseille), Palma de Mallorca and Valencia Verandah stateroom US $5,816 per person Includes: Air from Toronto, 14 day cruise, taxes, transfers and fees. Vision 2000 Exclusive Bonus: Pre-paid stateroom gratuities & US $200 per stateroom Onboard Credit (A value of $550 per stateroom) visiontreks the best of travel throughout the world ...every week 7 Independent & Free Press, Thursday, June 3, 2010 905-873-2000 Open Saturdays 9am - 4pm www.vision2000travel.com 328 Guelph St. Georgetown, ON Ont Reg # 50015325 Fare is in US dollar, per person, based on double occupancy and subject to availability at time of booking. Fares include cruise, air, port taxes, air taxes & Gov't fees. Air from Toronto is assigned at the discretion of Oceania Cruises. Vision 2000 Exclusive Bonus maybe withdrawn without prior notice. Certain restrictions apply. For complete terms & conditions please refer to the 2011 Oceania Europe brochure. 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