We Are Abused as Tourists

After our day in Nottingham, we were to meet up with JoDee at the train station, so we could all ride back together. We pushed it a bit getting back on time, and then couldn't find the proper platform. JoDee could actually see us racing around (on the WRONG platform) from the train, and she got off (with her bike) because she thought we weren't going to make it. When we screamed on at the last second, she caught hell from the conductor for getting off/getting on, but we were all on safely. However, because she had the bike, she was on the last car, and worked her way up to where we were standing (SRO commuter train) to keep us company. With one stop to go, she worked her way back to her bike, and we were to meet on the platform at Newstead Village. When the train stopped at Newstead, we waited for the doors to open, but they did not, and apparently no one else was getting off. There were people standing right at the doors, and some sort of beeping going on, but we couldn't get off the train, and stood there rather helplessly as the train pulled out the station with us still on it. I could see JoDee standing there, looking for us, and realizing what had happened. We didn't know HOW to get off the train, and several people stood there and purposely let us struggle (Bob maintains that one person purposely blocked the button we were to have pushed to open the doors). I take back what I said about people being friendly here--for whatever reason, about 1/2 dozen people stood by while we missed our stop. We got off at the next stop, and JoDee and Paul had to drive over to pick us up. How embarrassing! I couldn't help but think how badly that would have looked on the Amazing Race ;)