Jun 18 2009
Strange Events…
Destination: Bournemouth. Intention: Academic coaching programme.
And strange things happen…
Within a short time of leaving Cardiff I was approaching Newport, sat nav guiding me along the M4, a tunnel ahead.
I know tunnels can distort signals but I was a little surprised to see that, on entering the tunnel my sat nav was telling me I was in Poole (Dorset). As I watched from the corner of my eye, my car (on the sat nav) approached the coast and drove slowly and deliberately into the sea. After a period when the sat nav screen was blue… the red spot representing my car emerged onto the coast of France.
Bizarre! It needed a reset at the services before normal service was resumed!
On arriving in Bournmeouth I settled into my room at a very nice hotel, all was well, the sun was shining and normal service was the order of the day. Next morning I left for work – Bournemouth University has made great progress recently and has invested heavily in academic support and development – an ongoing coaching programme being one element of this.
After a fruitful day’s work I returned to the hotel “Could I have the key to room 121 please?”. I made the short journey up the stairs, around the corner, down the corridor and entered my room.
One of thoese double-take moments ensued.
My room. The curtains drawn (surely I opened them before I left?).
A man’s watch on the table (definitely not mine).
My radio missing, a black belt on the back of the chair… what was happening? Who was in my room?
It took me less than 30 seconds to understand that this was not my room…. so I left, checked on my room key, checked the note I’d made in my pda – yes, room 121… what was going on?!!
Returning to Reception, many apologies, I had been moved…. hadn’t anyone warned me????
No harm done, all was safe and well but it was a weird experience… a clash between what I saw and what I knew to be true.
I wouldn’t recommend it but it was interesting…. but Bournemouth is not the new Roswell!
