The Golden Rule of Travel

The story is told of a traveler who boarded a train in New York City. He immediately went to the porter and said, “Look, I want to get off in Washington, D.C., but once I’m asleep, it’s tough for me to wake up. Sometimes, I say nasty things I don’t mean. Here’s a fiver. No matter what I say, please don’t be offended; wake me up and put me off the train in Washington.”

Hours later, he awakened as the train pulled into the station in Richmond, Virginia, 100 miles past Washington. The man was furious. He found the porter and criticized him for his incompetence. The conductor took the porter aside, asking, “What happened? I’ve never seen a passenger that mad.” The porter replied, “You should have seen the guy I put off in Washington.”

We all know that even the most experienced traveler’s best-laid plans can go “off the rails.” So, it should not be surprising to learn that the English word “travel”…