When you get on the tram, you have to scan your bus/tram card. When I tried to scan it, it wouldn't work. The bus was already moving, and I didn't know how to buy another card. I starting getting nervous and imagining being kicked off by an angry card checker. Then I noticed other people were having the same problem and used a different scanner and it worked. Phew. Now I just have to sit back and wait for my stop.
The tram announces my stop and I get up. A man in front of me gets up as well. There are three or four doors to the tram and we were in the middle. The tram came to a stop and the man pressed the button to open the door. It wouldn't work. Oh lord, I'm thinking I'll have to sprint to another door and try to make it. Finally the door opens as I'm about to go to another one, so I decide to stay. Then, as the man is passing through, the door starts closing! Shoot! So I stick my leg through the door so the sensor will react and open the door back up, only the door doesn't open back up.
It starts squeezing tighter and tighter around my knee and I'm starting to panic. The button for the door won't work, the door won't open. I start pressing some random button whose function I am unaware of, that won't work either. The man who had gone in front of me and is safely on the other side is staring in horror, and my yelps of pain and English pleas of "It won't work! I'm stuck! How do I open this?" is grabbing the attention of the people around me. I try to physically pry the door open to no avail and the train starts moving.
I start crying, of course, I'm in full on panic mode, and finally I manage to pull my leg back in. People around me are looking at me wondering if they should try to speak to this strange woman who obviously can't speak French, or if they should leave her be. I pull my phone out to call Jeremy and that is when everyone starts politely looking away. Luckily, the next stop wasn't too far away, and Jeremy would just meet me there instead.
What felt like an eternity, but was probably only 3 minutes, passed and I got out at the next stop to wait for Jeremy. A few minutes later, the guy who had gotten off at the previous stop turned the corner and starting heading for me! He had walked out of his way to see if I was at the next stop and if I was alright! He could speak English decently enough, and once he learned that my fiance was on his way and that I was okay, he returned from where he came from.
A few minutes later, Jeremy comes over, we go to the tutoring center, and I take my assessment. Eventually, the adrenaline and nerves started settling a little and I could tell my leg was sore. I'm home now, poor Jeremy had to take the rest of the day off because I wouldn't get on the tram by myself again.
I'm shaken, I'm sore, I'm fatigued, and I'm embarrassed, but I'm here and I'm okay. Hopefully the rest of the day goes smoother.