Some of my holdidays

New England (18)

Salem, Massechusetts

Salem Witch House

The house was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin who presided over the Salem Witch Trials of 1692

Salem - Samamtha Statue

The rather whimsical Samantha from "Bewitched" statue

Salem - 1851 map of the city

Salem - 1851 map of the city

Salem

Salem has loads of people in period or scary costume acting as guides or advertising the local attractions

Salem

Salem has plenty that has nothing to do with witches

Salem

Something in a restaurant garden

Salem - East India Square Fountain

Salem - East India Square Fountain

Salem - East India Square Fountain

And that was the end of our holiday. We'd travelled 2,056 miles. Actually it wasn't quite the end. When we landed at Indianapolis I realized I'd left my car and house keys in the hire car. We had to phone a friend to pick up our spare keys from our house in Terre Haute and drive to Indianapolis to get them to us. Once home I phoned the car hire company and asked them to put the keys in the post but they said they wouldn't do that and I had to arrange someone like Fedex to pick them up and get them back to me. Using the online Fedex forms and three telephone calls to Fedex help I finally got the keys back two days later. The reason I couldn't get them done overnight, which I originally wanted was that I couldn't get Fedex to understand that although I was in Terre Haute the package I wanted delivered was in Boston and that I would be paying for it. in effect I was both the sender and receiver of the package. One of the telephone conversations went like this...

Fedex: Did you print out the shipping form for the package?
Me: No, I didn't see much point. I'm in Indiana and the package is in Boston, Massachusetts
Fedex: We can't deliver the package unless it's got a shipping form.
Me: I just told you, I'm in Indiana and the package is 1,000 miles away in Boston.
Fedex: Who is sending the package?
Me: I am
Fedex: Where is it being delivered to?
Me: To me, in Indiana.
Fedex: Where are you now?
Me: Terre Haute, Indiana
Fedex: Do you have a pickup number?
Me: No, because your online form wouldn't give me one because it can't understand that although I need it picked up in Boston from the car hire company I'm the one actually paying for it.

To me it was perfectly simple, go to the hire car compnay, pick up the envelope with the keys and bring them to me. I have to admit I was getting pretty iritated with Fedex. The online quick delivery form crashed and so I already had to phone their technical support who simply told me to delete my teporary files and cookies and try again. When that crashed for the second time I created an online account with them and that form crashed as well. The operator was good though and I did get the keys back - just not overnight as I was hoping for.

Here's a map of the places we visited.

This page created 18th August 2011, last modified 7th September 2011


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