One day in London

I have been to London between Boxing Day and New Year 2005 to visit my friend there for a couple of days. One day I wanted to go shopping, but my friend couldn't follow me, he had to work.

So, next morning, we took a bus from his home to the nearest Tube station. He explained to me which bus to take, how many bus stops there are and where to get off the bus.

Ok, so far everything was clear to me.

At the Tube station, my friend showed me where to take the bus home to his house. This bus stop is not at same place as the one we recently got off from the bus. One bus stop is on one side of the Tube station and the other bus stop is on the other side of the station. Very confusing.
Anyway, my friend dropped me off at the tube station, and I went shopping at the Christmas sales.

Later that afternoon, I went back to the tube station with full loaded shopping bags. I walked to this bus stop my friend had showed me earlier. I even hopped on the right bus, I checked the bus number very carefully.

It was dark out now, and it was hard to see the bus stops. I counted the bus stops, there would be 6 of them, as my friend told me earlier this morning. At the 6th bus stop, I hopped off the bus. But it didn't seemed right. Where is that small shop where I bought my one-day bus card? And where is that hairdresser salon next to the small shop?

I quickly walked back into the bus, walked to the bus driver and asked him: "Excuse me, but I think I have missed my bus stop." I told him where my bus stop is and asked him if he know where it is. He said something I didn't hear, but I think he said that I should have told him before, so he could show me my bus stop. I told him "I'm sorry" and asked him if I should take another bus back?

Now he got very angry and shouted at me, and said lot of things I didn't hear. I was surprised. I don't know why he became so angry. He shouted a long time. Another passenger, a woman, pointed to a bus stop across the street and told me to go there. I thanked her and got off the bus. This was embarrassing. Everybody in the bus was looking at me and I felt ashamed.

I waited at the bus stop for about 10 minutes until the next bus came. This time I asked the bus driver (not same bus driver, this was another one, phew!) to tell me where to get off at the tube station. I planned to go all the way back to the tube station and ask my friend to come and pick me up there.

After 4 bus stops, I suddenly saw "my" shop and the hairdresser salon. I quickly got off the bus. Finally something I recognize! Phew! The rest was easy, walk past the shop, turn right and then to my friend's house.

I texted on the mobile to my sister about what had happened today. She answered back on the mobile: "Don't get lost! You should always follow your friend! Don't mess it up!"