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Abstract

sides of the Sydney harbor. The view of the bridge, the harbor, and the nearby <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Opera_House">Sydney Opera House</a> was amazing.</p><p id="ae91">The bridge is called “The Coathanger” It is a steel through arch bridge. the bridge carries rail, vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic.</p><figure id="0da9"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*O9L7kFxIuFAjkNLv"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@notsphinx?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Partha Narasimhan</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure><p id="3a76">We sat at one of the outdoor restaurants and the girls wanted to play outside. They were fidgety and so we made our way to watch the bridge. A few minutes later my son came looking for us.</p><h1 id="79b9">The missing bag with all travel documents</h1><p id="4724">“Are you carrying your bags”, He asked. “Yes we are carrying our bags”, we said in unison. We were summoned by my daughter-in-law. She was also carrying her bag.</p><p id="5edb">My son looked worried and said that he had put the travel documents in some bag and he wanted to check all the bags. We then noticed that one bag was missing.</p><blockquote id="2af0"><p>We opened all the bags to see if all the things we required were there. Suddenly we discovered that my son was carrying two bags. One of the bags was missing and that bag contained all our travel documents and IPad.</p></blockquote><blockquote id="4b50"><p>My face drained off all color and I was ashen white. I was very angry with my son and told him that no one keeps all the passports, visas, and tickets in one bag. Anything can happen and our bag can be stolen. We had heard of so many past incidents of tourists losing their bags ending up sometimes even in prison in a new country where no one would believe that unfortunate circumstances had led to the disaster.</p></blockquote><p id="a3f5">My son had kept the cab driver's card as he had promised that if he was in this part of the city where we were sightseeing he would pick us up and drop us at the airport.</p><p id="ec2a">My son took a chance and called the cab driver. He did not pick up the phone. It kept on ringing and we tried calling to call many times but no answer.</p><blockquote id="0370"><p>Now the doubts of our trip began. What do we do? will we be able to move out of Sydney? Should we inform the police to contact the cab driver? We started building a strategy and think what to do. We had planned to go from Hobart to Port Philip and Gold Coast. All that was now useless without passports, visas, and tickets. We were stranded.</p></blockquote><p id="c936">We just did not feel like eating or looking around and all of us were sullen. Just then the phone rang and the cab driver had called. My son said that he had probably left a bag in the cab.</p><p id="0fc6">The cab driver looked because he said several customers had already occupied the cab. The bag was there. He promised to come and return the bag and also pick us up from the point he had d

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ropped us to take us to the airport.</p><p id="b995">We told him to come immediately as we did not want to do any more sightseeing. We had planned to spend a week in Sydney on our return before going back to India and we would then see the things. We were no longer in the mood to do anything and wanted to see if our travel documents were in the bag.</p><h1 id="ccd4">The honest and inspirational cab driver.</h1><p id="11c9">The cab driver came back in an hour’s time as he was quite far away. With bated breath, we waited for him. He came and returned the bag. All the things were intact. We wanted to give him at least 100 Aus Dollars as a bonus besides our regular fare but he refused. He said the moment he found the bag he kept it in the boot to give it back to us.</p><p id="5820">He wished us well for our trip. We have never met him again but I have never forgotten the honesty of the person who spoke about his honesty and integrity and love for tourists.</p><h1 id="7ede">Advice to all travelers.</h1><p id="b13f">The life lessons learned in this experience from which we draw our takeaways are the following:</p><ul><li>The takeaway is that you should always remember to pick up all the bags when you leave.</li><li>Distribute your passports and travel documents in different bags so if one is stolen you have others with you as proof of travel.</li><li>Keep your cool and strategize your search if you lose your luggage.</li></ul><h1 id="1e4e">To conclude</h1><p id="db54" type="7">There are many honest and inspirational people in the world. Never forget the good deed that they have done for you.</p><p id="1dae" type="7">Do carry the good deed and do something for others which they will remember.</p><p id="5612" type="7">If you lose your travel documents fears and doubts engulf your mind. Take care!</p><p id="08e7">Before I close I would like to give a shoutout to an inspirational post by <a href="undefined">Sahil Patel</a> Lost Can Be Found again:</p><div id="86ff" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/lost-can-be-found-again-42dbf94b13a3"> <div> <div> <h2>Lost Can Be Found Again</h2> <div><h3>“Anything lost, can be found again, except for time wasted, A vision without action is merely a dream, action, it’s the…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*GkfC15Ix49UUBTs0)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="2606">Thanking <a href="undefined">Sharing Randomly</a> for her<a href="https://readmedium.com/what-happens-when-you-have-doubts-69b8e7b1419c"> excellent prompts</a> and travel stories.</p><p id="113e">©<a href="https://readmedium.com/dc34b46c1343?source=post_page-----f9fa88a300ef--------------------------------">Dr. Preeti Singh</a>, 2022.</p><p id="db61">I invite you to join Medium by clicking my referral link. <a href="https://preetisingh15.medium.com/membership">‘Join Medium to Become A Member</a>’</p></article></body>

TRAVEL SERIES|INSPIRATION

The Kindness Of The Cab Driver In A New Country Inspired Me

Passports recovered in a new country

The journey from Delhi (India) to Hobart (Tasmania)

All excited my son, daughter-in-law, his two daughters and I went to Australia in 2016 to meet my eldest son’s family who was then in Hobart. My son had meticulously planned the trip. We discussed our travel plans several times of all the exciting things we were going to do.

Every day was eventful and we got our visas in time. There was no direct travel from New Delhi(India) to Hobart the capital of Tasmania. My son looked for a break in Sydney or Melbourne. The connection of Singapore airlines to suit our timings was a stopover at Sydney.

The journey was very comfortable as my granddaughters kept chatting with me and played some board games as well.

Halt at Sydney

We broke our journey in Sydney. The next flight was after 7 hours as very few flights went to Hobart (Tasmania).

We decided to do some sightseeing in Sydney in the meanwhile. What is Sydney city known for?

Sydney is a vibrant city known for its yacht-studded harbor and the iconic Opera House with its towering sail structure. It is also known for its diversity of cultures and a beautifully planned city with a good connected local travel system.

I was always very keen to see the Harbor Bridge and Opera House as I heard that people from different countries visit it. It has many eating restaurants there and it is very scenic to watch the water from the shore. The water is clean and blue and everybody is just hanging around. In 2007 the Opera House has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Photo by S O C I A L . C U T on Unsplash

We had already booked our luggage through from Delhi to Hobart and so we only had carry bags with us. Each one of us carried light hand baggage in case we needed to change or had some requirement while we stopped at Sydney.

Excited the five of us got down from the cab. We hired the cab at the airport and asked him to drop us at a convenient point close to the harbor. We crossed the busy street and began to enjoy the scenery.

We started admiring the bridge and the guide over there told us that the purpose of the bridge was to connect the people who lived on both sides of the Sydney harbor. The view of the bridge, the harbor, and the nearby Sydney Opera House was amazing.

The bridge is called “The Coathanger” It is a steel through arch bridge. the bridge carries rail, vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic.

We sat at one of the outdoor restaurants and the girls wanted to play outside. They were fidgety and so we made our way to watch the bridge. A few minutes later my son came looking for us.

The missing bag with all travel documents

“Are you carrying your bags”, He asked. “Yes we are carrying our bags”, we said in unison. We were summoned by my daughter-in-law. She was also carrying her bag.

My son looked worried and said that he had put the travel documents in some bag and he wanted to check all the bags. We then noticed that one bag was missing.

We opened all the bags to see if all the things we required were there. Suddenly we discovered that my son was carrying two bags. One of the bags was missing and that bag contained all our travel documents and IPad.

My face drained off all color and I was ashen white. I was very angry with my son and told him that no one keeps all the passports, visas, and tickets in one bag. Anything can happen and our bag can be stolen. We had heard of so many past incidents of tourists losing their bags ending up sometimes even in prison in a new country where no one would believe that unfortunate circumstances had led to the disaster.

My son had kept the cab driver's card as he had promised that if he was in this part of the city where we were sightseeing he would pick us up and drop us at the airport.

My son took a chance and called the cab driver. He did not pick up the phone. It kept on ringing and we tried calling to call many times but no answer.

Now the doubts of our trip began. What do we do? will we be able to move out of Sydney? Should we inform the police to contact the cab driver? We started building a strategy and think what to do. We had planned to go from Hobart to Port Philip and Gold Coast. All that was now useless without passports, visas, and tickets. We were stranded.

We just did not feel like eating or looking around and all of us were sullen. Just then the phone rang and the cab driver had called. My son said that he had probably left a bag in the cab.

The cab driver looked because he said several customers had already occupied the cab. The bag was there. He promised to come and return the bag and also pick us up from the point he had dropped us to take us to the airport.

We told him to come immediately as we did not want to do any more sightseeing. We had planned to spend a week in Sydney on our return before going back to India and we would then see the things. We were no longer in the mood to do anything and wanted to see if our travel documents were in the bag.

The honest and inspirational cab driver.

The cab driver came back in an hour’s time as he was quite far away. With bated breath, we waited for him. He came and returned the bag. All the things were intact. We wanted to give him at least 100 Aus Dollars as a bonus besides our regular fare but he refused. He said the moment he found the bag he kept it in the boot to give it back to us.

He wished us well for our trip. We have never met him again but I have never forgotten the honesty of the person who spoke about his honesty and integrity and love for tourists.

Advice to all travelers.

The life lessons learned in this experience from which we draw our takeaways are the following:

The takeaway is that you should always remember to pick up all the bags when you leave.
Distribute your passports and travel documents in different bags so if one is stolen you have others with you as proof of travel.
Keep your cool and strategize your search if you lose your luggage.

To conclude

There are many honest and inspirational people in the world. Never forget the good deed that they have done for you.

Do carry the good deed and do something for others which they will remember.

If you lose your travel documents fears and doubts engulf your mind. Take care!

Before I close I would like to give a shoutout to an inspirational post by Sahil Patel Lost Can Be Found again:

Lost Can Be Found Again

“Anything lost, can be found again, except for time wasted, A vision without action is merely a dream, action, it’s the…

medium.com

Thanking Sharing Randomly for her excellent prompts and travel stories.

I invite you to join Medium by clicking my referral link. ‘Join Medium to Become A Member’