oops!

German traveller mistakes Sidney, US for Australian city
Friday December 29, 12:01 PM



BERLIN (AFP) - A German apprentice insurance salesman who wanted to visit his girlfriend in Australia ended up in smalltown America after buying a ticket on the Internet for Sidney in the US state of Montana.

Bild newspaper said 21-year-old Tobias Gutt's detour was the result of a spelling mistake as he had failed to notice that the Australian harbour city is in fact called Sydney.

The mixup with 'y' and 'i' meant a difference of two continents, 13,000 kilometres (8,000 miles) and around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in temperature between his intended destination and where he actually touched down.

His booking confirmation indicated his destination as "Sidney, US" but even this did not deter Gutt.

"I thought you could fly to Australia via America," he told Bild Friday.

Gutt finally realised that something was wrong after flying over the snowcapped mountains of Montana and being told to change to a small aircraft in Billings to fly on to Sidney, a town with a population of some 4,800.

His friends and family back home in Treuenbrietzen in the east German state of Brandenburg raised 600 euros (790 dollars) for a new ticket which took him through Denver to Los Angeles and on to Sydney at last, five days later than planned.

Gutt is staying with his girlfriend Laura until mid-January before tackling a return flight.

"I will be booking on the Internet again, but I have not worked out the route yet," he said.

I didn't know there was a Sidney Montana

I'm in shock after hearing the news about a 42 yr old restaurant owner I know who was stabbed to death in a laneway next to his restaurant today.

I am not a close personal friend, but I've been to his restaurant many times with friends due to the great family atmosphere and friendly staff.

What makes it especially sad for me is that after an altercation on xmas eve (mentioned elsewhere) with a psycho-bitch control-freak-evil customer at my work, I met a friend at this particular restaurant and had a meal there to chill and destress and catch up.

I even had a conversation and shared a laugh with the restaurant owner about working in the frontline with customers and various personalities and experiences ~ ranging from awesome to psycho. He laughed and explained his philosophy on working with people after 12 yrs managing a licensed restaurant... he was a good guy, a decent guy. But a disgruntled ex-employee didn't think so and stabbed him to death in broad daylight to the horror of passers-by.

Some people don't want to resolve conflict, some people enjoy it, some people are simply fucked in the head.

sigh

As stupid and incompetant and hateful and ugly as humans can be... there are always moments of bewildering beauty in nature.

My housemate filmed a piece of recent footage of a tiger giving birth to two baby cubs - it's huge paw petting the two tiny brand new cubs was one of those all too rare reminders of the potential of the magic of television

Magnificent, and too beautiful for words to express...
.

quote:

listener: There is a Berlin in Connecticut, USA

FireFly: o-oh...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: FireFly,

The thing I do best is laugh.
Cathy Freeman

With Alexander's cancer, I was definitely brought to my knees for the first time because of the fear factor.
Cathy Freeman