Driving on a job, following one of my workmates in another bus. He says he won't leave me behind, because I'm not sure I can find the correct exit off the freeway into the city.
This goes well, right up until one set of traffic lights before the turn we required. He gets through, I get stuck.
When the lights change again, he's nowhere in sight, but I know I'm meant to take a little side street off to the left. I see a side street, but it looks oddly like an access road to a bunch of buildings in the city, and not big enough to get the bus down. So I keep going, looking for the one I need. It's the last exit before traffic heads up a ramp and on to the Harbour Bridge.
As I start to ascend the ramp, I realise that that WAS the correct exit, and I'm now completely fucked. There is no way off until I'm over the bridge and on the other side of the city, and once I get there, I have NO IDEA how to get around to get back on to the bridge, and come back to where I need to be.
I have a full load of school kids, some of whom start to mention "I think we're lost?". Teacher is playing on her iphone, and completely oblivious to anything.
Looks out, over the Harbour Bridge, says nothing.
Sees Luna Park as we drive past looking to turn around, says nothing.
Looks out as we cross the Harbour Bridge again in the opposite direction. STILL says nothing.
Eventually - 25 minutes late, I arrive on the opposite side of the road and 2 blocks down from where I was supposed to be (saw a group of kids in the same uniform, so we both assumed that they were the other bus load, but it was a different school entirely), so I drop them off and go to find the other driver, who gives me a hard time about getting lost.
None of the teachers mentioned it until the next day. I had to make the same trip with a different grade, and the lady on my bus said "I bet you won't get lost today!"
I shall never again underestimate my ability to cock things up.