Panic Room

“Happenstance and fate often attach themselves as stowaways within even the best laid plans. Indeed, Murphy’s Law is an international one. Fortunately, we have the expertise, resources and wherewithal to respond affirmatively to avert disaster and often turn the proverbial lemon into the sweetest of lemonade.”

Major Basil Haversham, O.B.E.
Commanding Officer
Haversham & Baker Expeditionary Forces.


TALES FROM THE PANIC ROOM

Missed flights, missing luggage, missing documents – mishaps and misfortune occasionally intrude during the execution of a two week, multi-party international expedition. It is, as they say, the nature of the beast. This is why Haversham & Baker never sleeps. Our 24-7 Panic Button Service (a toll free phone number) has rescued many a member of the Expeditionary Force from situations that other services would’ve washed their hands of. Here are a few true stories as shared by H&B staffers of actually ‘Panic Button’ events and the response from the Panic Room.


THE CASE OF THE DOUBLE DECKER OBSTRUCTION

One of my favorite panic room stories is of a member of the Expeditionary Forces for whom we booked a room at Rusacks Hotel in St. Andrews overlooking the 18th green of the Old Course. She awoke one morning to find her view blocked by an illegally parked double decker bus, she pushed the panic button, dialed our 24/7 emergency number in turn awaking one of our senior expedition planners at 4:00 AM. She demanded he arrange to have the bus moved forthwith as she had been guaranteed a room with a view of the Old Course. Andy dutifully obliged. It is not recorded whether he received a thank you for his efforts or when exactly he returned to sleep. Another disaster averted!

Sam Baker
Founder & CEO


THE PILFERED DOCUMENTS (Click to see Stephens Letter)

Stephen of New Jersey has become somewhat of a legend around here because we were able to get him home on time with his seven buddies even though his passport was stolen only two days before he was to depart from Belfast. His letter well documents all the help he received from Dave, his H&B driver guide, and how it was arranged for him to board the flight with an expired passport. What is not revealed is how and why he happened to have his expired passport with him at the time.

When Stephen called the panic button line to report his stolen passport, I was manning the “bat phone” as it is known inside the company. Knowing an expired passport was the best documentation to obtain a replacement for the stolen one (this has happened to our members before), I asked him if he still had the expired one. He replied that it was at his home. I also knew that sending it in a package with an airline was the quickest way to get the expired passport or any other documents to him. So I called his wife, told her to take it to Continental Airlines in Newark and send it on the overnight flight to Belfast. And that, as Paul Harvey would say, is the rest of the story.

John Baker
Director of Member Services


THE BLASTED BIKER GANGS

Tami, her husband, parents and aunt were on the trip of a lifetime to the olde sod, Ireland. The first few days in Cork were magical; John Hickey, their H&B driver and certified Irish guide, couldn’t have been more helpful or informative. They were eagerly anticipating the lovely southwest Irish town of Killarney on the entrance to the famous Ring of Kerry. To their horror, they arrived amid a bikers’ convention, which filled the narrow streets with congestion and noise of hundreds of motorcycles. Tami pushed the panic button and called me.

We immediately called their Killarney hotel. they apologized profusely for not letting us know about the bikers when we reserved the rooms and promised a full refund if we wanted to move them elsewhere. The next call was to our friends, Maria and Michael Vaughn, whose new property, the Vaughn Lodge, had opened recently to rave reviews and made them third generation hoteliers in Lahinch. The first of the Vaughn hotels burned to the ground during the Irish Rebellion of the early 20th century. Vaughns to the rescue with the three rooms Tami’s family needed and a stay so pleasant it became their favorite stop on the journey. The family was amazed at how quickly John was able to “shift gears” and introduce them to a fascinating part of Ireland that they had not originally intended to see. Some of the nearly 600 pictures Tami took are posted, with her permission, in various places on our website.

Julie Muraca
Expedition Planning Manager


THE MISSED FLIGHT

I was awakened early one Saturday morning by a panic button call from Steve whose group of four had arrived at London Gatwick too late to catch their connecting flight to Inverness and the beginning of their Scottish expedition. British Airways had told Steve and his companions that all later flights were over booked and it was not likely they could fly out until Sunday in time for their first day of golf—36 holes at magnificent Royal Dornoch.

I found out that EasyJet had a flight arriving late that day from London Luton airport and immediately called Steve back to tell him. He went to the EasyJet desk, bought the last four seats on the flight and hopped a train to Luton. I called our rental car partner to arranged for a representative to stay late to meet the flight. Steve and companions were met at the airport only to discover that their luggage had made the earlier BA flight. They drove to Dornoch, enjoyed a meal and a good night’s rest and awoke the next morning for a full days play at one of the world’s truly great settings for golf. No harm; no foul.

Chris McConn
Director of Expedition Planning