Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Yeah, I know it's a few days early ... OMG YOU GUYS! THIS SITE TURNS 5 THIS FRIDAY!!!

Y'all may have noticed I've put up a revised banner at the top of the site. I crudely stuck my angry face on top of a leather-clad body. Hey, I giggled while I did it and I don't care how weird it looks (and also, looks nothing like me) but it's staying. I've changed my mind and have something better I will do in a bit.

For those who are new, I've been riding the train of crazy for five years come this Friday. For those who have been here since the beginning, I thank you for your continued loyalty, comments and support. I don't need to shout you out, you know who you are.  But honestly, I am thrilled people take time out of their day to pay this site a visit.

I have written 3,709 posts and received 22,245 published comments to date. There are too many posts to browse through to pull out all my favourites, but the most memorable so far is K.P. The K.P. drama was the first time I introduced the idea of a lawyer cat and gave me a taste of what it's like to dance with people who feel they've been terribly wronged online. Then there was the girl who lost her iPhone case and thought I could help her find it. Boy was she wrong. Then there was the rocket launcher photoshop story ... I still laugh out loud whenever I look at it.

But the best for me has to be when I first encountered "chanisaw".

If you have a favourite, please share it in the comments.

26 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2015 at 10:36 PM

    A) good idea to stay unrecognizable since there are people looking to toss you from the train
    B) I'm glad your site is still here
    C) sorry about the loss of your first lawyer cat. I didn't know. He looked very smart.
    D) Thank you for no ads. It was the first thing I noticed when I landed here last spring

    ReplyDelete
  2. Michael SuddardFebruary 24, 2015 at 11:25 PM

    Happy anniversary!

    KP was the best! The text thread with him/her (Elaine? Is that you?) had me ROFL so hard!

    Love coming by here and seeing you, as you put it, "dialing up the cray cray"

    Of course your awesome on Twitter as well.

    Can't wait to see what the next five years will bring! Wait, GO Transit promised to make improvements with the latest fare increases, so I give this blog 30 days before it is out of material. Sorry for the bad news....

    WHO ARE WE KIDDING! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. C.J. SmithFebruary 25, 2015 at 7:09 AM

    Thanks Suddy!

    ReplyDelete
  4. BickyFebruary 25, 2015 at 7:16 AM

    Love the new banner! Can't believe it's been five years.

    So many awesome stories. Hard to pick a favourite.

    I do miss the lost and found exchanges. They were classic.

    ReplyDelete
  5. C.J. SmithFebruary 25, 2015 at 7:43 AM

    I miss then too. GO really cleaned up their website meta data and I don't even think my site fronts anywhere on the first page of Google if someone searches lost and found Go Transit

    ReplyDelete
  6. C.J. SmithFebruary 25, 2015 at 7:45 AM

    I miss then too. GO really cleaned up their website meta data and I don't even think my site fronts anywhere on the first page of Google if someone searches lost and found Go Transit

    ReplyDelete
  7. BickyFebruary 25, 2015 at 7:45 AM

    A Google search I just did placed you 6th! The first five hits were to the Go Transit website.

    Still on the first page!

    ReplyDelete
  8. C.J. SmithFebruary 25, 2015 at 8:12 AM

    Then... then that must mean the people on the internet got ... smarter?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Skin ManFebruary 25, 2015 at 8:26 AM

    My office moved, so I no longer use the train, but I still come to this website everyday for my morning giggles!

    Congrats CJ!

    P.S. PK was my favourite, but I never liked the service cat. Catattorney's ftw, but otherwise no pets on the train!

    ReplyDelete
  10. SquigglesFebruary 25, 2015 at 9:43 AM

    Congrats! I know I still visit many times a day to stay caught up with the crazy. Even if I am working from home.


    I will admit, my ALL TIME favourite is this one: http://www.thiscrazytrain.com/2011/11/gues-whos-back-back-again-douche-is.html

    I bookmarked it and go back to it on and off over the years. I still laugh so hard, I am crying.

    ReplyDelete
  11. C.J. SmithFebruary 25, 2015 at 10:05 AM

    ^^^ Awwww yeah. A true classic.

    ReplyDelete
  12. DrumstickFebruary 25, 2015 at 10:16 AM

    Even though I changed jobs and no longer need GO Transit I still regularly come back to stay up to date on all the buffoonery that is GO!!

    My fav has to be the one where you played with the guy using the lyrics to Bust A Move! I was literlly LOL'ing when I read it the first time.

    Congrats and keep up the great work!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Kevin PortelliFebruary 25, 2015 at 10:29 AM

    Hi everyone. Yep that K.P. I could blame drugs well yeah ok, drugs. Ive been lurking for so long here and bro, no longer mad ok? I'm glad I'm legend LEGEND on this site. And it all started when a buddy of mine said if my picture of me from that night showed up on the internet or something like that, I can't remember. But yeahhhh, too much drinking and like that was so long ago. People grow up and change. Anyways thansk for the laughs.

    ReplyDelete
  14. C.J. SmithFebruary 25, 2015 at 10:30 AM

    I wanted it to be a thing where I would talk back to people in text messages using lyrics from songs but it proved to be harder than I could imagine. And, oh, hai KP!!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2015 at 10:39 AM

    Awwww...can ya feel the love!

    I predict a year from now CJ, Elaine, KP and Rachel will all be together singing Kum Ba Yah around a campfire!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. MaryFebruary 25, 2015 at 11:44 AM

    Happy Anniversary! Wow 5 years! I only found this site in late 2013 but I enjoy reading your posts pretty much every day now. Thank you for doing this, it helps me to be mindful of my passengers and strive to do my best.
    It is fun to look back at the older posts but I think my favourite is "Laptop Perdido"

    ReplyDelete
  17. C.J. SmithFebruary 25, 2015 at 11:48 AM

    Laptop Perdido
    http://www.thiscrazytrain.com/2013/10/heres-your-poster-note-that-not-once.html

    Bust a move
    http://www.thiscrazytrain.com/2011/08/in-city-ladies-look-pretty.html

    ReplyDelete
  18. FREDFebruary 25, 2015 at 9:06 PM

    The trifle woman (coincidentally Elaine) http://www.thiscrazytrain.com/2011/11/my-answer-was-all-kinds-of-yes-but-she.html

    ReplyDelete
  19. C.J. SmithFebruary 25, 2015 at 9:10 PM

    Yes! Trifle. It really was deelish.

    ReplyDelete
  20. TylerFebruary 25, 2015 at 9:36 PM

    To be honest I don't find the site funny but I do find it informative. I think that the "gang" intimidates others from contributing anything negative. I mean, not everyone is going to agree with the whole public shaming thing and everyone freaks out when someone does. That part bothers me. That and the fact that even you do write a comment, you don't even know if it will be published so you're just wasting your time.

    ReplyDelete
  21. C.J. SmithFebruary 25, 2015 at 9:43 PM

    Hi Tyler
    I don't deny the readership is tight knit. But I disagree that there is a gang mentality. In fact, when people have disagreed the discussion has been quite amicable. I don't allow for name calling, etc.
    As for choosing what comments to publish etc., it's harder than you may realize. Some people actually make a good point but then they level a cheap shot at me or another reader or use vulgar language and their comment is toast.
    I'm not sure you even saw or realized what happened recently, but believe me, I am not biased. I publish comments from people who disagree with me or others a lot.
    I don't want you to feel you've wasted your time sharing your opinion. As long as you're not baiting others, trolling or flaming, and you keep the vulgarity or profanity at bay, your comment will be published.

    ReplyDelete
  22. TylerFebruary 25, 2015 at 10:07 PM

    Now about that public shaming...

    ReplyDelete
  23. C.J. SmithFebruary 25, 2015 at 10:17 PM

    ^ Baiting.

    ReplyDelete
  24. SquigglesFebruary 26, 2015 at 10:11 AM

    @Fred:

    I re-read that post (and like my original comment, now want trifle with a vengeance) and wondered.

    What are the chances that the Elaine of the text exchange and Crazy Elaine are the same person?

    Maybe that is what set her off?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Robert MackenzieFebruary 26, 2015 at 3:02 PM

    Only five years? Congratulations! You don't look a day older than four.

    Keep up the good work in keeping transit riders informed... and amused!

    ReplyDelete
  26. C.J. SmithFebruary 26, 2015 at 3:36 PM

    Bless you, Robert!

    ReplyDelete

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