Random reminder

Press, 29 October 1977, Page 28

Random reminder

NIGHT EXERGI

Let us make it clear from the start that we are ’ully in favour, in fact 'ervent fans, of the ser’ice nowadays provided by :he Railways Department jn its major passenger trains. It is not the same world as the pie on the platform, obtainable only by those nature intended to be front-row forwards. Recently we had occasion to travel from Wellington to Auckland by the Silver Streak, or Star, or something. The food was excellent, the range of liquors available was commendable, and the provision of individual showers promised a mite more comfort than a night spent picking cinders out of the •eyes. And there were the .bunks, comfortable in appearance, two to a cabin. • It was getting into the

top one. after drawing the short straw, that presented the only hazard in an otherwise delightfully comfortable journey. It may well be that the spectacular ineptitude our friends have discovered in our every attempt to perform a simple practical task is the basis of our sad story. The department provide the top berth passengers wtih a light, metal ladder with hooks on the top —just the thing, we thought, for one of Hornblower’s boarding parties. It looked ideal and probably is, if properly handled We fixed it firmly in place and mounted steadily. It was at the top that we discovered how little room there is between the bunk and the ceiling, i It is not mere

agility which is required, we reckoned; a top-class contortionist might have managed it. After 10 minutes re - discovering • muscles we had Long forgotten, we felt we were at the bottom of a rugby -uck. A swift examination showed that the confines of the cabin prevented a suitable approach for a running jump. It was only after an>ther unsuccessful bout of ill-in wrestling that the road to repose came clear. The trick of it is, if you are none too fit, none too young, and anything but agile, is to retreat as far as possible from the ladder. come at it at top speed, mount briskly and from the third top step launch into a Fosbury flop. It works, once in every ! three. .