No matter how glamorous the intended spring break vacation spot, something can always go wrong, and the trip that was supposed to be relaxing turns into a huge disaster.
Unfortunately, tragedy can strike even if the trip has been planned for months or if it’s a spontaneous road trip. Three students at the University have had unlucky experiences during their spring vacations.
Car trouble, a company’s scam and being in the wrong place at the wrong time turned these students’ spring breaks into nightmares. Two years ago, Chris Senden and his friend were two days into their five-day camping trip at Breitonbush River. While driving fast on an icy road in the mountains, they slid off the road and hit some trees.
“The car was not quite totaled, but salvageable,” said Senden, who had to walk 20 miles to get help. “My dad flipped out, and I was busted big time. I was almost exiled from the family.”
A car accident did not stop Senden from taking another road trip last year to Lake Havasu, Ariz. On the way, his transmission went out in Yreka, Calif., and he was forced to hitchhike a ride into town.
The mechanics had to order a part for his car, which took two days to deliver.
“We ended up coming home early and painted houses,” Senden said. “We were going to be living the high life at Lake Havasu — but no.”
Lucinda Jurden and her friend planned on going to Mazatlan, Mexico, through a company called Sun Tours for spring break two years ago. She called a travel agent and gave out her credit card number.
“After this, we didn’t really hear from the travel agent,” Jurden said. “Then I called to check on the order a week before we went, and they said everything should be fine for us to leave.”
A few days later, her dad informed her that they hadn’t charged the credit card, and consequently, her mother called the travel agency. The travel agency didn’t have any record of anything being faxed from Sun Tours, and they didn’t know why.
“Two days before we were supposed to leave, the travel agent called back and said they didn’t have our tickets or anything,” Jurden said. “I was mad at the company and disappointed because I had been planning on it for over a month.”
Jurden changed her spring break plans and went to Canada.
When she returned, she saw a story on the news saying there were hundreds of people stranded at the airport with phony tickets to Mexico.
Although Katie Bergerson actually made it through her vacation to San Clemente, Calif., things still went wrong.
“There were several disasters during the trip,” Bergerson said.
After spending the entire day at Disneyland, Bergerson and her friends went to Burger King a few miles down the road. “The man at the drive-through window had only given us our drinks when my friend in the back seat starts screaming go, go, get out of here,” Bergerson said. “All of the sudden, the guy at the window starts locking it up and motioning for us to leave.”
Bergerson found out later that the Burger King was being robbed inside.
“Looking back on it, we should have seen some of the signs because there were some sketchy people around the parking lot,” Bergerson said. “It was a really scary experience.”
A few days later, Bergerson and her friends were driving to the train station when they witnessed a car accident.
“The car in front of us got T-boned in the intersection,” Bergerson said. “We ended up calling 911 for the second time on our trip.”
Bizarre disasters abound during spring break
Daily Emerald
January 31, 2001
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