The GO train: a commuter's idyll, by a jealous downtowner
My morning commute begins at Dufferin Station, in the sooty, claustrophobic bowels of the subway. Trains often arrive at the eastbound platform, full to bursting, and screech away as they came, having disgorged no one, having picked up no one, studded with ugly rivets, screeching metallically, groaning infernally. This is before I’ve had coffee. When I…
8 comments:
Could have used the bar car last Thursday and Friday when my trains were delayed going home.
At least I got a credit for Thursday. Not late enough to claim for Friday.
Read this article in Metro today; fun read and well written. Go trains are the Bugatti's of Toronto transit! haha love it!
How cute. It's like when a 7 year old gets on a plane for the 1st time. Nice experience that you get over REALLY fast. Eric should have been around this morning for the 8 email notifications of 'signal problems' that caused a few thousand Kitchener GO Commuters to be late again. At least on the TTC you can get off and take a bus, streetcar, etc. and pay 1/3 of the price.
Eric should have been around for April 28, 29 and 30 where the LSE was late every morning by close to an hour for thousands of people.
Then there was May 1 when we were all stranded downtown for 6 hours due to massive train cancellation.
Then there was May 14, when we were all 30 minutes late getting home.
All signal/track malfunction related.
But, when GO has their shit together, it's not a bad ride. But right now, the signal problems are getting out of hand and I can't be the only one putting pressure on the agency about it.
You all pay the same fare as me if not more, it's time to ask for accountability and refunds don't make the issue go away.
However, I would never in a million years try to get downtown using DRT/TTC.
Whoops, May 8 and that was an attempted VIA suicide. Not much GO could do there.
I thought the article was pretty ridiculous really. An anecdotal account by a journalist - of all people. I was ground down by the GO over a period of 3 years and eventually opted for VIA - a far superior experience. Comparing the GO - or anything - to the TTC - is disingenuous.
I was amused to see CJ in the article. Big time baby!
I took Go Transit for 8 years and just moved back to the city and started taking TTC again.
I almost never get a seat, it is crowded and smelly, sometimes the bus goes by and doesn't even stop to pick anyone up.
But I pay 39% of what I paid to GO Transit and I won't ever be stranded. If the subways go down, I can take a bus, or walk to a connecting route, get my husband to pick me up, or even walk home if I had to. When I was in Oshawa I would have ended up stranded and drunk at the Keg.
Eric is indeed a 7 year old on a plane for the first time. The awe and wonder wear off pretty damn quick.
P.S. CJ, if you ever find yourself stranded, give me a call.
You bet April!
Sorry we haven't been in touch :(
I hope the move went well.
PS. I like drinking at the Keg.
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