a room of my own: 1/1/12

so i'm away from home, right, and i've booked a greyhound ticket for next week so i can get home. but i wasn't able to print the ticket before i left home, just the email confirming the online order and a reference number.

i took all that to the greyhound depot this morning, so i can get the ticket before the bus leaves next week. there's nothing more frustrating than trying to get onto a bus and not being able to, at the last minute. the guy at the counter looks up my reference number on his computer and says he can't print the ticket because the computer says it's already been printed. but i wasn't able to print it, i tell him. well too bad, he says (in a friendly way), you'll have to figure out how to print it.

okay, so what's the difference between me printing a ticket more than once, or him? i mean, i haven't printed the ticket yet but what if i had? he's telling me i can go print it again? and again? but he, the greyhound employee, is not able to print the ticket at all?