LRT – Blind leading the blind!

14 November 2005

The children had driven us to the city and returned home. We told them we would take the LRT back so that they do not have to come and fetch us. I have only traveled 3 times so far by the LRT and all guided by my son. June and me have never traveled on the train by ourselves.

June and me wanted to do it by ourselves. We were sure we will manage. Having each other company gave us the courage to do so.

There were 2 sides to board the trains. Without reading the big route map displayed, walked down the steps to the right side of the “Hang Tuah” station. June wanted to board the train that arrived. I said “Wait, how come we are the only 2 people on this side while there are so many people waiting on the other side? Are we on the correct side? Let’s go up and make sure.”

So up the stairs we walked and read the map. We had gone down to the wrong side!! We should go down to the left side of the station.

When the first train arrived, we jumped in happily through the opened door, not knowing that we have made a mistake again!! We were at the correct station, correct side of the station but we had boarded the incorrect train!

I told June that we had to pass 3 stations (Pudu, Chan Chow Lin and Cheras) before we disembarked. We were standing looking up at the route map. While I was explaining to her, I looked out to read the name of the 3rd station that the train has stopped. I panicked! It was not “Cheras”. I looked up the route map. Oh dear!! Instead of taking the “green” route I have taken the “yellow route”.

We got out immediate at the next station (Maluri), walked down the stairs, asked the exit guide how to go to “Salat Selatan” (that is my destination). We walked down the opposite stairs and board the train. Luckily there is no need to purchase another ticket as we did not have to exit from the previous side to enter the other side. We disembarked at “Chan Chow Lin” station and board the train that said “Sri Petaling” and after passing “Cheras” we finally got to “Salat Selatan”.

Instead of passing 3 stations, we had passed 7 stations!! I believed a lot of people had that taste of “fun”. For me it is fun!! And hopefully wiser! There are 2 trains going in the same direction. The “yellow” line is the train destined for “Ampang” while the “green” line is the train destined for “Sri Petaling”. I didn’t open my eyes wide enough and read all the signs!! I just jumped in the first train that came along. I had taken it for granted!! I did not practice “Look before you leap”.

Luckily we didn’t have to catch a flight! It was fun, though…….. Instead of phoning Yean to pick me up, we opted to use the bus to go back to the condominium. We wanted to enjoy our ‘independence’ status a little longer.

Lian and Yean came to the door and greeted both of us with their cheeky grins and jokingly asked me “who are you”? It was the first time I went out (to Kuala Lumpur) without them!! Yean had called out to me earlier on when I walked away from the car, saying “Mum, if you get lost, call me ya?”