Posted by Michelle on December 21, 1998 at 07:03
I've not posted here for a bit, since I've been away. I've had a few 'adventures', which I hope to tell you about one day! I've enjoyed catching up on your posts.
I've just read the post asking about what happens if you need to pee when you're up in a balloon. Well, I don't know if my own experience is anything to go by - I've only once been ballooning - but I can certainly tell you that on that occasion at least a couple of people went in their pants. I know, because I was one of them, and my friend wet herself, too, although she just managed to hold on until we landed.
I was 'given' a balloon ride (for myself and a friend) as a present on my nineteenth birthday. My birthday's in February, and that isn't the best time of year for being out and about in England, let alone a couple of thousand feet up in the air. The weather wasn't good for a few weeks after my birhthday; in fact, it was the middle of April before I was told it would probably be OK to go up the next day. As you probably know, most balloon rides take place either early in the morning or at dusk. That's when the winds are lightest, apparently. Anyway, we were told to turn up by 6.30am at the place that they were using for take off. It was just an open space in the middle of the horse racing track in a small town about an hour's drive away from here. Anna was driving, and she made good time on the traffic free roads, so we got there at before 6. Nobody much seemed to be around, so I suggested we some of the tea I'd brought in a flask and maybe a sandwich (we hadn't been awake enough to want any breakfast before we left home).
It was getting cold, and I ended up having a second cup of tea to warm me up. So did Anna. When it had gone down, she turned to me and said: "I wonder where the toilets are?"
It was just starting to get light, and we could see a few rather dilapidated looking buildings about a hundred yards away from where we'd parked. "I'll come too," I said. "I can feel all that tea!"
Just as we got out of the car, a red van appeared towing a long, thin trailer. It drew up close to us, and a couple of men, both probably in their thirties, jumped out and went round to the back of the trailer. The taller one saw us walking along a bit uncertainly, and waved, calling "Hello there! It looks like a promisng day. Care to give us a hand to get this unloaded?"
Mow, I've always been a bit embarrassed at admitting I need to pee, so I said: "Sure. What do you want us to do?"
Anna glanced at me, but I know she feels the same as me about this. She told me once that she always tries to make sure she doesn't need to 'go' when she's in a strange place. We've discussed this, and both of us agreed that we almost never say we need to pee, and neither of us could ask a man the way to a toilet. We'd much rather hold on for as long as we possibly could. I wonder if other people feel the same?
Anyway, my need wasn't too bad at first, so I willingly helped unload the balloon and lay it out like a multi coloured streamer on the grass.
A few more people turned up - our fellow passengers, and some of their friends who'd turned out to watch the fun. It took perhaps 50 minutes to get things sorted out to the point where the pilot (the taller of the two men) said: "OK, stand back everyone. We're ready to light the gas."
As we stepped back, I realised that I was going to have to pee fairly soon. At that moment, Anna whispered to me: "I'm simply dying for the loo, Michelle. Shall we go and look for one?"
"Me too," I whispered back. "Let's go!"
The pilot must have seen us slide away from the small group clustered round the balloon basket, because he called after us: "Don't go far, you two. We all need to board at the same time to get the balance right."
"Um, OK." I realised I was blushing. "How soon do you want us, then?"
"Five minutes, at the most," he replied.
"We'll be there," Anna called back.
By this time, the combination of the tea and the cold air was really getting to me. "I'm going to wet myself if we don't find a toilet soon." I whispered.
Anna started to giggle, then stopped abruptly. "Oh, don't make me laugh, Michelle! You know what that does! I almost couldn't hold it myself just then."
As we walked, we heard a roaring sound from the field behind us. Turning round, we saw a jet of flame shoot out of a contraption on the ground beside the limp material of the balloon. Anna tugged my elbow. "Come on," she said, "I'm almost bursting!" "Me too," I answered.
We reached the building, but there was no sign of a toilet. "I really must go," I said. "Will you keep guard, and I'll just squat down here." I could hardly wait, so I started to undo my jeans. As I did so, Anna grabbed by arm: "Oh Michelle," she said, "there's someone coming! We'll have to find somewhere else."
I'd scarcely managed to do up my jeans again when a middle aged man in a brown coat came round the corner. I'm sure my face was red at the thought of what would have happened if he'd appeared a couple of seconds later and caught me in full flow. Luckily, I just managed to regain control when Anna warned me - but it was quite a struggle, I can tell you.
At that moment, we heard a shout from the field. We walked round the next corner, still hoping to find a private spot - but came out in full view of the now almost completely inflated balloon. It did look wonderful in the early morning light. The pilot caught sight of us and shouted again. "Hurry up! We're almost lifting off!"
We started to run towards the wicker basket that hung a few inches off the ground below the balloon. The five people already on board almost filled the basket, but the pilot waved us on, and his assistant showed us how to scramble on board. Despite the excitement of really being about to lift off into the pale blue morning sky, I couldn't forget the pressure my bladder was exerting. I hoped against hope that I'd be able to hold on. It seemed that I didn't have any choice, since once Anna and I were safely in the basket, packed closely against our travelling companions, the pilot gave opened the gas bottle and a jet of flame roared into the balloon over our heads.The noise, so close too, startled me, and I grabbed the edge of the basket with both hands. The slight fright transmitted itself between my legs, and I longed to thrust one of my hands there to ease myself. But I couldn't, not with so many people so close. I'd simply have to hang on, in every sense.
I have to say I didn't really appreciate much of the flight. The view was wonderful - I could even make out the town where I live, perhaps 25 miles away. But the only thing that was on my mind was my predicament. What could I do? I was standing up, in a small wicker basket a thousand feet up in the air, my body pressed tightly between Anna and another woman, and I was absolutely desperate for a pee.
I glanced sideways at Anna. Her face was flushed and she was biting har lip. I could feel her body trembling, as mine was. She put her lips close to my ear: "I'm not sure if I'm going to make it," she whispered in an unsteady voice. "I've never needed to go so much in my life." I remembered the time, several years before, when she wet herself in class - but this didn't seem a good time to remind her of it.
The gas let out another roar, and the basket swung sideways. I was thrown slightly off balance, and staggered against the woman on my left. As I did so, I knew I simply couldn't wait until we landed to relieve myself. I had to let some out now, I simply had to. I couldn't wait any longer. I was so embarrassed, but also strangely excited. I was starting to wet myself, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it!
I turned to Anna, putting my head close to hers. "I just can't hold on any longer," I breathed. "I'm going to have to go in my knickers."
I managed to control myself to some extent, letting my warm pee out in short bursts as the balloon swayed over the countryside. I don't think anyone noticed, not when we were up there, anyway. After about twenty minutes, the pilot told us to get ready for landing. "It'll be a bit of a bump," he said."Just bend your knees as we touch down, to lessen the impact. And don't anyone get out until I say so, or we'll take off again!"
We drifted down, over some low trees, heading for a field with longish grass. By now, my bladder was nearly empty - and my jeans were absolutely saturated! I didn't dare look down, for fear of drawing attention to myself, but I knew they must have dark stains running down the legs. I turned to Anna again: "I've done it this time," I whispered. "I've wet myself, and my panties are sopping. I hope we land soon, or I'll freeze. How are you doing?"
I could feel Anna's body, warm against mine, trembling more than ever with the effort. Tears glistened in her eyes as she whispered back softly: "Oh Michelle, I don't know what to do! I couldn't go in my pants, people would see! But I can't wait much longer, I just can't."
At that moment, the pilot called out "Landing positions!" We all bent our knees, almost squatting in the way he'd demonstrated. I heard a sharp intake of breath from Anna. She started to moan, saying under her breath "Oh please oh please oh please.." A sudden bump, and then another. That was the last straw for Anna. "Oh no," she said, louder than before. I noticed the pilot looking at her. "You OK?" he called. Anna's face, half hidden as she crouched in the basket, was bright red. I heard a spattering noise, and I realised that she hadn't been able to hold on any more and that she was peeing in her pants.
The rest of us stood up, but Anna stayed down for another minute, unable to move as she flooded her panties and jeans. Everyone pretended to be occupied with gathering their belongings and looked away, but I noticed the assistant pilot kept glancing at her as a dark stain spread across the tight seat of her jeans and the warm pee splattered through the slats beneath her feet. I don't suppose that's the first time he'd seen such a sight in his balloon, do you? Anyway, it was he who dug out an old blanket from the van when it came to pick us back to take us back to our car, laying it on the seat and saying "There, that'll keep you warm," as he helped us in.