Car totalled after GPS system directed the driver onto a train track http://t.co/dBFz6Nre92 pic.twitter.com/QtVKaRXv1B
— Mashable (@mashable) October 1, 2015
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Do people not look at WHERE they are going? Blame the GPS my butt
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Bad day at GO Transit? First the sign in fail for the service guarantee and now the hamster is drunk
USBT?
Abbreviate? Toronto? TOR?
Monday, September 28, 2015
This is "Runt". He'll make your Monday better
My sister's dog had a litter of seven puppies. We went to visit them this weekend in London. Thankfully they were all spoken for because my daughter was ready to kidnap this guy - the runt of the litter.
Presented without comment
For crying out loud - look what someone brought on #OCTranspo this morning. pic.twitter.com/S6w8ANwskc
— dee jamieson (@TweetdleDum) September 23, 2015
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Smoakville - where everybody is woefully stupid
| from: | Michael | ||
| to: | "Cindy (Cj) Smith" | ||
| date: | Wed, Sep 23, 2015 at 6:33 PM | ||
| subject: | Smoakville Chronicles |
Making the transfer today in Oakville - city of German Imported Cars and Super Inflated Entitlement.
Let the pics tell some of the story:
Smoakville 1 - A nicely composed shot - note the young smoking couple under the two conveniently placed no smoking signs. Nothing new here, really. Approached to a safe distance (not easy since they were upwind) and asked if the signs meant something different to them.
They had the good grace to leave right away - though snickering.
Smoakville 2 As they passed I noticed the other two - Mr. Big Boy Pants, and a guy who looks like he still thinks he could land a spot with the 1990's Bare Naked Ladies.
I ask them to please comply with the GO no smoking policy. Mr. Bare Naked Manque responds that the law says that he has to be more than 15 feet away from the doors. This is wrong.
He's on GO property, and if it were adequately explained by the signage (it isn't - and why is that?) he'd know (or have no way of denying) that he has no right to smoke on GO property.
He's also closer than 15 feet to the entrance, but hey, he can only be so wrong before he's over 100% wrong - am I right?
Smoakville 3: So I'm snapping pics and his little friend (they're in Blue Jays matching outfits! SQUEE!), Mr. Big Boy Pants, offers to break my "fucking camera". So I turn on the video feature and ask him to approach and repeat. Strangely enough, he demurs.
As my local bus is leaving I note that several more smokers have taken up the perch between the no-smoking signs and the PRESTO machine.
For the 1,250th time - howzabout a sign that clearly explains that there is no smoking on GO property and what that means in terms of geography and possible penalties?
When they're smoking right under your signs as they are now, and right by the PRESTO machine, I 'd say its safe to conclude that the GO safety and comfort of passengers commitment beyond being a travesty and is in the neighbourhood of being a willful lie.
Addendum: GO YANKEES!
So how's the Burlington GO Station coming along? (Oshawa peeps take note and be prepared for long years ahead)
Progress report for #BurlON #gotrain stn: no visible change. Roof still the same as several months ago. pic.twitter.com/uw8IimfVq5
— WarningU2 (@WarningU2) September 24, 2015Ready the pitchforks - UP sees 23 per cent drop in ridership since June
Would more people ride if the fare was lowered?
Posted by blogTO on Thursday, September 24, 2015
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
21% want to burn it all down
Are you loving Toronto's transit system more these days?
Posted by blogTO on Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Ew
What's worse than personal grooming on the #GOtrain ? Leaving the tools behind. @GOChronicles pic.twitter.com/ysRsKeY0IG
— Craig Campbell (@craiger_c) September 23, 2015GO Transit updated their Quiet Zone FAQs and there's some serious LAWL going on
Yes. Transit Safety
Officers’ responsibilities will not change in that regard.
Who wants to be part of a special television series about commuting on GO Transit?
Contact me (cj@thiscrazytrain.com/9054427423) if you match any of the following (*edited for those who were unsure):
- you are a 10 years+ GO Transit passenger (over 20 years would be ideal, but let's not get too picky)*
- you are not camera shy
- you are part of a GO gang (and you've held parties on the train - nice to have, but not a requirement)
- you commute for more than an hour and half one way by train
Last night's 5:20 pm Milton train ... JESUS CHRIST USE THE BENCH SEAT AND F*CK OFF ALREADY
This people need to learn how to make use of:
- the space near the doors
- aisle seats
- bench seats
- their brains
Metrolinx evaluating 50 potential new GO station locations
The full presentation given yesterday is available online.
In a nutshell:
In a nutshell:
Metrolinx is evaluating 50 potential sites for new GO stations, including those identified in Toronto Mayor John Tory’s SmartTrack plan, in an effort to grow ridership and provide GO customers with more choices.
It’s not yet clear how many more stations the provincial agency will add as it expands GO with a regional express rail program…
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
So how did GO Transit do in the last quarter? Board report now available
Thanks to SS for bringing these to my attention. I don't troll the Metrolinx website, nor did I know these were publicly available!
I've been a bad blogger in that regard.
GO's president admits train service took a nose dive and it's blamed on aging signal equipment. Lots of slapping on the back about UP Express and high fives about Pan Am Games service.
What I found interesting was this commitment in the chart on the very last page, "We will strive to have seats available for every passenger on 80% of weekday rush hour train trips."
Right now, GO has only met this 66% of the way.
It was 62% two years ago.
On the LSE, in the past five years, ridership volume never appears to change, at least to me. So I have to ask, what was it like 10 years ago? 15 years ago? Share your experiences in the comments.
I've been a bad blogger in that regard.
GO's president admits train service took a nose dive and it's blamed on aging signal equipment. Lots of slapping on the back about UP Express and high fives about Pan Am Games service.
What I found interesting was this commitment in the chart on the very last page, "We will strive to have seats available for every passenger on 80% of weekday rush hour train trips."
Right now, GO has only met this 66% of the way.
It was 62% two years ago.
On the LSE, in the past five years, ridership volume never appears to change, at least to me. So I have to ask, what was it like 10 years ago? 15 years ago? Share your experiences in the comments.
I warned PRESTO of a problem back in February and it was ignored. Well guess what folks? Revenue Canada isn't accepting Transit Usage Reports as is
@ThisCrazyTrain No, we don't use names. The card number is considered a unique identifier and meets the CRA’s requirements.
— PRESTO card (@PRESTOcard) February 18, 2015@PRESTOcard So this is *now* happening: @CanRevAgency is asking for TUR with NAME on it. I raised the flag in Feb! pic.twitter.com/DNdP3R9GJI
— CJ Smith (@ThisCrazyTrain) September 22, 2015Monday, September 21, 2015
More coffee comes to Union Station
Tim Horton's Café and Pilot Coffee Roasters have opened their shops inside Union Station!
Pilot Coffee is upstairs in the VIA Great Hall. I walked by it this morning. Never head of them but I'll give them a try tomorrow. I thought it was another Folgers promotion.
Tim's Café is just inside the west entrance off Front St, as you head towards the York Concourse through Union Station. I won't touch the stuff. Kudos to those who love it, though.
Pilot Coffee is upstairs in the VIA Great Hall. I walked by it this morning. Never head of them but I'll give them a try tomorrow. I thought it was another Folgers promotion.
Tim's Café is just inside the west entrance off Front St, as you head towards the York Concourse through Union Station. I won't touch the stuff. Kudos to those who love it, though.
More coffee @ #unionstation: Pilot Coffee (Great Hall), Tim's (York Concourse North end) h/t @UnionStnHelp #gotransit pic.twitter.com/8YYQguUfNM
— Katia Osokine (@KatiaOsokine) September 21, 2015
Why I should burn my clothes every week
Foot riding united #gotransit @ThisCrazyTrain @GOChronicles pic.twitter.com/0kccSH4qRk
— Commuters United (@commutersunited) September 19, 2015Thursday, September 17, 2015
About that GO train to Bowmanville
I get asked a lot about when the train will travel past Oshawa. I have no idea. But I do know why it hasn't happened yet.
The last environmental study was done in 2010. When it was released, it had a lot of people excited (including me as the Courtice Station would be three kilometres south of my house).
I do know that many factors impact expansion of a corridor and one of them is who owns the actual track. The Lakeshore East expansion would put GO trains on a CP rail line (CPR). This means Metrolinx has to lease the tracks from CPR, build track, or work out a strategic partnership. This is just what I've gleaned from proposals I've read, comments that have been written over the years, and responses I've received to questions posed to various individuals in email.
It's also my understanding that CPR and Metrolinx don't have a great friendship - merely a rumor on the rail fanatics message boards but one that never seems to lose steam. According to GO's 2020 Strategic plan, the best method for expansion is to "own" the rail line. But as it stands, when GO has to "borrow" rail time, passengers get bumped because freight is king. Ask anyone who rides the Richmond Hill train and how many times they've been delayed due to freight traffic.
The report reads, "Both railways’ (CN and CPR) primary business is freight operations, with GO Transit remaining a minor and peripheral part of their operation and interest. GO’s operating arrangements with the railways must reflect the specific performance required for quality passenger services.
GO’s plans for increased service and additional routes, delivered with quality and consistency, require ownership of the rail corridors. As these corridors become surplus to the freight operation, or where freight traffic is active but not dominant, GO Transit will continue to purchase them and develop the tracks to support passenger services."
As I mentioned, I live three kilometres away from the CPR corridor. I can tell you that it's a busy line. Freight trains run at least one an hour during the day and even more so at night. I can't see this line becoming a "surplus" anytime soon, and one that can be handed over to GO Transit with no impact on freight service, so I highly doubt us Clarington residents will have GO train service by 2020.
On Twitter, people whine about GO Transit expansion ALL THE TIME, especially in the Niagara region. Provincial (and some federal) politicians love to campaign each election year on a platform that they will be the one who will bring commuter trains to their constituents, but they never explain how they will do this and why they failed to do so. Unless that MPP is going to build you some track, there isn't much they can do if a provincial agency is being held hostage by privately-held, but publicly traded rail companies who make $3 billion a year (for CN). According to its 2014 Annual Report, CPR raked in $6.2 billion.
I'm not saying Niagara and Clarington won't get GO trains. Barrie eventually got one, so it can happen, but it all comes down to one thing - money. And unless the current Liberal government can start building rail corridors, we will always be second fiddle to freight.
The last environmental study was done in 2010. When it was released, it had a lot of people excited (including me as the Courtice Station would be three kilometres south of my house).
I do know that many factors impact expansion of a corridor and one of them is who owns the actual track. The Lakeshore East expansion would put GO trains on a CP rail line (CPR). This means Metrolinx has to lease the tracks from CPR, build track, or work out a strategic partnership. This is just what I've gleaned from proposals I've read, comments that have been written over the years, and responses I've received to questions posed to various individuals in email.
It's also my understanding that CPR and Metrolinx don't have a great friendship - merely a rumor on the rail fanatics message boards but one that never seems to lose steam. According to GO's 2020 Strategic plan, the best method for expansion is to "own" the rail line. But as it stands, when GO has to "borrow" rail time, passengers get bumped because freight is king. Ask anyone who rides the Richmond Hill train and how many times they've been delayed due to freight traffic.
The report reads, "Both railways’ (CN and CPR) primary business is freight operations, with GO Transit remaining a minor and peripheral part of their operation and interest. GO’s operating arrangements with the railways must reflect the specific performance required for quality passenger services.
GO’s plans for increased service and additional routes, delivered with quality and consistency, require ownership of the rail corridors. As these corridors become surplus to the freight operation, or where freight traffic is active but not dominant, GO Transit will continue to purchase them and develop the tracks to support passenger services."
As I mentioned, I live three kilometres away from the CPR corridor. I can tell you that it's a busy line. Freight trains run at least one an hour during the day and even more so at night. I can't see this line becoming a "surplus" anytime soon, and one that can be handed over to GO Transit with no impact on freight service, so I highly doubt us Clarington residents will have GO train service by 2020.
On Twitter, people whine about GO Transit expansion ALL THE TIME, especially in the Niagara region. Provincial (and some federal) politicians love to campaign each election year on a platform that they will be the one who will bring commuter trains to their constituents, but they never explain how they will do this and why they failed to do so. Unless that MPP is going to build you some track, there isn't much they can do if a provincial agency is being held hostage by privately-held, but publicly traded rail companies who make $3 billion a year (for CN). According to its 2014 Annual Report, CPR raked in $6.2 billion.
I'm not saying Niagara and Clarington won't get GO trains. Barrie eventually got one, so it can happen, but it all comes down to one thing - money. And unless the current Liberal government can start building rail corridors, we will always be second fiddle to freight.
You, Me and a bunch of Twitter folks made it onto a listicle on Buzz Feed
26 frustrations all #GoTransit riders know to be true: http://t.co/yH5SDUzsH6 via @BuzzFeedCanada pic.twitter.com/4fn85JzNpW
— Kat Angus (@katangus) September 16, 2015
Here's the link for those who have Twitter blocked at work and if you have Buzz Feed blocked, too, then you're gonna need your phone.Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Pedestrian struck and killed by GO train in Brampton last night
The fatality happened near John and Queen Streets just before 7 pm.
The incident affected passengers travelling on the 6:50 pm Georgetown (Kitchener) train which ended its trip at Bramalea GO Station. Passengers who were on the train involved in the fatality were left to wait for over two hours on-board while GO Transit arranged for buses.
The victim's name was not released.
The incident affected passengers travelling on the 6:50 pm Georgetown (Kitchener) train which ended its trip at Bramalea GO Station. Passengers who were on the train involved in the fatality were left to wait for over two hours on-board while GO Transit arranged for buses.
The victim's name was not released.
Man struck and killed by GO train in Brampton http://t.co/Fg9roVYGcq pic.twitter.com/05vBGH3IKN
— CityNews Toronto (@CityNews) September 16, 2015Numerous buses lined Queen St E in Brampton earlier to help move 1,000 stranded passengers from @GOtransit incident. pic.twitter.com/bnlxFEzDXk
— DR (@Media371) September 16, 2015You got 36 minutes to move your car!
From: GO Transit [mailto:no-reply@gotransit.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2015 10:24 PM
To: EVERYONE WHO SUBSCRIBES TO THESE
Subject: Oshawa GO Kiss & Ride Expansion/Temporary Accessible Parking Relocation
From Wednesday, September 16th to Friday, September 18th we will be expanding the Kiss & Ride area to improve traffic flow. As a result, all accessible parking spots in front of the station building will be relocated north of the bus loop on Wednesday. Relocation begins at 11 pm on Tuesday, September 15th. Cars left in this area after 11 pm will be removed.Only one way traffic is now permitted through the Kiss & Ride; enter through the main drive aisle and exit onto Thornton Road. An additional 330 parking spaces are available 200 metres west of the main parking lot.
DID YOU MOVE IT???
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
No word on condition of GO bus driver who crashed into Bay Street bus platform
BREAKING | #GObus driver loses control and crashes into platform at #UnionStation. Picture courtesy of @trig72 pic.twitter.com/e5CVQvFMc2
— AM640 (@am640) September 14, 2015
It will be very interesting to see how the get this thing out of there. @GOtransit #gobus #toronto #unionstation pic.twitter.com/dJu3f0PLuo
— patrick. // (@imPatrickT) September 14, 2015
According to Anne Marie Aikins, a spokesperson for Metrolinx, she told the Toronto Star the driver of the GO bus lost control, “took out a pillar” and the door of another bus before lodging itself under the station yesterday afternoon. Bus service was suspended and resumed shortly after 7 pm. The driver was taken to hospital for a medical evaluation. Thankfully, no GO Transit customers were injured in this collision.Monday, September 14, 2015
Bare feet on GO train seats - Lovingly penned by @Sprawlo
Special to This Crazy Train
It occurred to me just the other day how people appear to be getting more and more comfortable with putting their feet up on the seats, and not just with shoes on. This summer, more than others past, I’ve noticed people feel more than happy to just take off their shoes and get incredibly comfortable, regardless if someone is next to their feet or not. It’s not exclusive to age, or gender, or size. I’ve seen such things as an old bloke with his gross socks on the seat next to some poor woman, to people without anything covering their feet at all.
As I said, I am noticing this more and more, so what has happened to make people think that
:
1) this is a good idea and
2) that it is completely acceptable and no one around will mind? …Well we do f*cking mind!
We might not say it, because quite frankly I am concerned about someone’s mental state when they deem it okay to conduct this revolting act. The way I see it is if I were to go up to someone, and in my most proper, thick British accent, one of two things could happen:
1) they get so incredibly embarrassed that I actually end up feeling uncomfortable and feel bad for causing a fuss and making someone feel that way
2) they get really pissed off and stab me in the neck with their keys.
Both of these are a distinct possibility and neither which I care to experience. Instead, I sit in silence, occasionally giving them a look and hoping they can feel someone staring daggers at them, enough to think “Shit! What am I doing?! I am scum to be putting my feet up on here. Hang on…did someone put a turd on this seat already?!” Yes, that’s the other possibility! What if someone who kept their shoes on, had stood in poop? Or even more likely, if it had been a chap, there is probably piss on the sole of their feet because there are quite a lot of men out there who somehow leave a puddle of the stuff on the floor when they go.
I don’t get it, science can't explain it, these people are idiots. Nevertheless they walk amongst us and some of them put their feet on the seats. Only for someone else without their shoes or socks on to rub their disgusting, mangy feet in the now piss-covered seat.
Does this seem like someone you would want to confront?
It occurred to me just the other day how people appear to be getting more and more comfortable with putting their feet up on the seats, and not just with shoes on. This summer, more than others past, I’ve noticed people feel more than happy to just take off their shoes and get incredibly comfortable, regardless if someone is next to their feet or not. It’s not exclusive to age, or gender, or size. I’ve seen such things as an old bloke with his gross socks on the seat next to some poor woman, to people without anything covering their feet at all.
As I said, I am noticing this more and more, so what has happened to make people think that
:
1) this is a good idea and
2) that it is completely acceptable and no one around will mind? …Well we do f*cking mind!
We might not say it, because quite frankly I am concerned about someone’s mental state when they deem it okay to conduct this revolting act. The way I see it is if I were to go up to someone, and in my most proper, thick British accent, one of two things could happen:
1) they get so incredibly embarrassed that I actually end up feeling uncomfortable and feel bad for causing a fuss and making someone feel that way
2) they get really pissed off and stab me in the neck with their keys.
Both of these are a distinct possibility and neither which I care to experience. Instead, I sit in silence, occasionally giving them a look and hoping they can feel someone staring daggers at them, enough to think “Shit! What am I doing?! I am scum to be putting my feet up on here. Hang on…did someone put a turd on this seat already?!” Yes, that’s the other possibility! What if someone who kept their shoes on, had stood in poop? Or even more likely, if it had been a chap, there is probably piss on the sole of their feet because there are quite a lot of men out there who somehow leave a puddle of the stuff on the floor when they go.
I don’t get it, science can't explain it, these people are idiots. Nevertheless they walk amongst us and some of them put their feet on the seats. Only for someone else without their shoes or socks on to rub their disgusting, mangy feet in the now piss-covered seat.
Does this seem like someone you would want to confront?
Friday, September 11, 2015
Syrian refugees arriving by train in Germany - let's pause and enjoy this humanitarian effort and gesture
KEIN TAG WIE JEDER ANDERE!!!Unsere Reporter waren heute bei der Ankunft der 1500 #Flüchtlinge am #Dortmunder Hauptbahnhof. Was sich dort abgespielt hat, war Gänsehaut pur. Das passiert wenn Menschen auf Menschen treffen. Wir lassen das Video wohl lieber unkommentiert. Nur eine Sache sei gesagt: #Welcome
Posted by 17:30 SAT.1 NRW on Sunday, September 6, 2015
Our reporters were on hand today - September 6 - for the arrival of 1500 #refugees at the #dortmunder central railway station. What happened here was pure goosebumps. This is what happens when people help people. Only one thing was said: #welcome
Back to School at TCT Academy
Special to ThisCrazyTrain.com
by Hy Perbolé
OK, it’s back to school at GO Transit, and the headmistress of
TCT Academy has returned from summer vacation, so school is in session.
What’s the first assignment
every teacher gives their class? You got
it — submit a composition of something interesting that happened to you this
summer. TCT Academy’s newest pupil, Mr.
Matt Baynie, handed in a story about how he got
involved in a service debacle on Route 12.
Mr. Baynie submitted his story very promptly — full marks for that. Let’s take a closer look at what he wrote.
Those of you who were
confused by “we had a significant increase in our ridership that day because of
VIA train passengers transferring onto our service” can be excused for
wondering why anyone would catch a VIA train to Niagara Falls only to hop on a
bus back to Burlington.
The assertion made by Mr
Baynie is true, but the train is not the typical VIA train that one sees
flashing past GO trains on the Lakeshore line.
Rather, the culprit is Amtrak’s Maple Leaf train that runs between NYC and
Toronto; it is operated by VIA Rail staff between Niagara Falls and Toronto. The on-time performance of this train is
abysmal.
Note: The numbers for
August are marginally better.
When VIA assumes
responsibility for the trip from Niagara Falls to Toronto, their staff sends
irate passengers across the street to board GO Transit buses, because Route 12
buses plus LSW trains can get those folks to Toronto faster than VIA staff can
get Amtrak’s Maple Leaf train there. Take
a bow, team Amtrak/VIA!
Inquiring minds are
wondering how GO Transit is ensuring “there is extra equipment available for
those times that VIA may need assistance”.
Well, one of the drivers has taken it upon himself to monitor Amtrak’s
train status. When there is a risk of a
bus overflow situation, the individual shares the information with other
drivers and management.
There were a few details
missing from the VIA Rail portion of Mr. Baynie’s story, but let’s award some
part marks.
On to the interaction with
the Contact Centre representative ... Let’s
have a show of hands for those of you interested in what the CSR “woulda shoulda coulda” done. Would it not be better to leave readers
knowing what steps are being taken to ensure this kind of disservice doesn’t
happen again? No marks are awarded on
this matter.
Similarly, everyone being “disappointed
that this service disruption was not communicated appropriately” states the
obvious, but doesn’t solve the problem. Go
Transit Operations have violated the Passenger Charter on this front far too
many times. Again, no marks are awarded,
because no improvements were offered.
Now we come to the part
that addresses “additional stand-by drivers each weekend, dedicated to the
Niagara/St. Catharines area”. It was
learned from reliable sources that plenty of additional resources were in the
area for the two weekends after “the incident”.
On Labour Day, the cover bus for the 12:54 departure at Burlington was
there promptly, but was not pressed into service. After the scheduled bus left Burlington, no support
vehicles were to be found. How do I know
this? Well, I was there. What was the impact?
When I disembarked the bus in
St. Catharines at 13:50, the 13:49 Burlington bound bus had a lineup of people
waiting to board and buy tickets. Also,
the pictured couple, with their bicycles, was left behind, because the bike
rack was full and a child’s stroller had been stowed in the rear cargo
cupboard.
The lady dialed the Contact
Centre and was told their options were the following:
- Figure out how to make their way to the VIA station and catch the 19:45 seasonal train — a delay of almost six hours.
- Figure out how to get to the downtown bus terminal and ride the competitors’ buses — this assumed the Coach Canada or Greyhound bus could accommodate their bicycles.
- Stay where they were and hope the next scheduled GO bus had room for their bikes — they chose this option.
Where was the cover bus
that was dedicated to St. Catharines? I’m
sure the driver for the 13:49 pickup would have appreciated a spare driver to
sell tickets in advance of arriving. And
the couple from Toronto would not have had to fret about how they would get
home. Full marks are awarded for working
so hard during the “practice weekends”.
However, only part marks are given for coming up flat when it mattered
most.
Now we come to the part
about “looking into supplying service every 30 minutes” on weekends. For years we’ve heard about
(i) the possibility of hourly service during the week on Route 12,
(ii) a real GO bus facility in St. Catharines, funded substantially the federal government, and
(iii) real-time bus information.
None of these action items have come to fruition. So, please, let’s stop this folly of half hour service on weekends; the passengers on Route 12 are from Missouri. For raising false hopes, again, no marks are awarded.
(i) the possibility of hourly service during the week on Route 12,
(ii) a real GO bus facility in St. Catharines, funded substantially the federal government, and
(iii) real-time bus information.
None of these action items have come to fruition. So, please, let’s stop this folly of half hour service on weekends; the passengers on Route 12 are from Missouri. For raising false hopes, again, no marks are awarded.
As for remaining “committed
to improving our communications”, perhaps Mr. Baynie can have someone in
Station Ops explain why timetables were removed from Route 12 bus stops — at
least two weeks ago. When the matter was
raised on Twitter, Metrolinx’s Media Relations Manager said "Staff promised to send to the
team". As of this writing, there appears to be no
evidence of “the team” responding — another Passenger Charter violation. So, for making unsubstantiated claims, no
marks are awarded.
In summary, this submission
from Mr. Baynie is at best anemic. Let’s
recall his words in his original message to This Crazy
Train:
“There’s lots in it to investigate but please let your
readers know that I have staff looking into it to track down the causes and will ensure there are remedies in place.”
We all agree that there is
much to investigate on Route 12.
However, relying on head office staff to provide “remedies” without venturing
into the field will resolve nothing.
We at TCT Academy look
forward to reviewing Mr. Baynie’s future homework assignments.
The stubborn is strong with this one
| from: | LK | ||
| to: | Cindy Smith | ||
| date: | Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 7:56 PM | ||
| subject: | Girl on the steps. |
So this was the 7:17 pm LSE to Oshawa. This girl got on at Eglinton and sat on the stairs. She did not move until rouge hill only because a seat became available. She got stink eye, hissed at, head slapped with purses, bags, hands and she did not move!! It was funny but this was as much as I could get.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Harlequin romance has nothing on this love story
| from: | ST | ||
| to: | cj@thiscrazytrain.com | ||
| date: | Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 9:15 AM | ||
| subject: | Seat saver last night - Kitchener 17:50 |
Hi CJ,
Long time fan of your site. A quick story for you. The chaos caused by the bomb hoax last night left many of us Kitchener Line riders stranded. I have to say, despite the chaos and long wait for any news on when or if our train would ever leave, everyone in the concourse was surprisingly calm and courteous to each other (where I was standing anyway). This even extended to when we were all shuffled up onto platforms 9 and 10 around 7pm when we were told our train would indeed be finally arriving and we ended up being sandwiched onto the platform like sardines while one train teased us by running straight through union without stopping, before we finally got a train.
All these warm and fuzzies… except for ONE lady. I’ve seen her before, she is a part of a group of 4 ladies who regularly take either the 16.20 or 16.50 out of Union. They ALWAYS sit in the Quiet Zone and ALWAYS talk and laugh loudly. I stopped sitting in that carriage as they were exceptionally rude to anyone who tried to ask them to turn the volume down on their conversation. Anyway, back to last night – so once our train finally arrives, there was very little jostling and generally we all patiently tried to just get onto the train. I managed to snag a seat upstairs, sat down, only for chaos to erupt in the quad in front of me. The lady in question had decided that despite all of us waiting upward of 2 hours for a train, she was going to reserve a seat for her friend.
A young lady saw this, went over and asked her politely to move her bag so she could sit down. The seat saving lady then erupted into a flurry of ‘rude girl’ and less polite phrases. The younger lady (aka my hero) loudly pronounced ‘I paid my fare, did your bag? NO! So I am sitting down’. Seat saving lady replies with ‘I was here first’. Younger lady doesn’t let it go though and stands her ground. Seat saving lady ends up leaving to go downstairs in a huff but not before yelling some more at the younger lady.
I could not BELIEVE that after waiting so long for a train to come, this lady felt it was acceptable to reserve a seat for her friend. But totally applaud the younger lady – hopefully she reads this blog. I should have plucked up the courage to say ‘well done’.
Here’s to hoping tonight’s commute is a little smoother.
Who wears cheetah anyways?
Those of you familiar with the song "Selfie" by the Chainsmokers are familiar with the narrative peppered throughout the track. Have a listen if you aren't.
I am pretty sure the girl who was hired to talk in that song was on my GO train last night.
"Oh my god, my mom just texted me, and she's like, how do I get to Pickering... does she even know where the car is...?"
"Is this Rouge Hill? Does this mean we can get off here? Is there a bus? I really could use a cab right now."
"Why is this train just stopping at Pickering? Who does that? Why don't they just drive it to Oshawa?"
"This is so stupid. I really need to find a rich guy and wife him so I can stay home and build a shoe closet for myself."
"Why is there no Starbucks on this train? How hard is it to sell coffee?"
If I had duct tape, I would have used it on her.
I am pretty sure the girl who was hired to talk in that song was on my GO train last night.
"Oh my god, my mom just texted me, and she's like, how do I get to Pickering... does she even know where the car is...?"
"Is this Rouge Hill? Does this mean we can get off here? Is there a bus? I really could use a cab right now."
"Why is this train just stopping at Pickering? Who does that? Why don't they just drive it to Oshawa?"
"This is so stupid. I really need to find a rich guy and wife him so I can stay home and build a shoe closet for myself."
"Why is there no Starbucks on this train? How hard is it to sell coffee?"
If I had duct tape, I would have used it on her.
The minion story ... now with photos
Minion family heads home after a fun day at CNE! #cne #minion #lego #bigticketsummer #gotransit #toronto pic.twitter.com/Jst4K9nPfj
— donnadoesdurham (@donnadoesdurham) August 24, 2015
Is this tweet related to this story?
Oh look, someone saved you a seat
Hey @GOtransit, someone left this on the train. pic.twitter.com/tPtfhwVM1g
— megan fraser (@meganfraser) August 26, 2015Sorry, did you say something about "no smoking"?
#gotrains #gotransit #regionofHalton #Smoakville triple threat redux. Two (2) signs and ticket machine. Enforcement? pic.twitter.com/emxChjGOJF
— Michael Methot (@d33pfish) August 29, 2015This guy
The kind of guy EVERYONE loves on the @GOtransit pic.twitter.com/GzLmHpV7pn
— Stephen Perciballi (@irondack) August 31, 2015No shame
@whit_by by andrewroliver On our way. 🚆 #gotrain #whitby #transit #party pic.twitter.com/hLy4y047D0
— Whit.by (@Whit_by) August 29, 2015How parking donkeys mate
Who was there first and who was the parking jerk #gotransit #gotrain #parkingfail pic.twitter.com/Xzlk6H4WCL
— Meghan Latta (@meghanlatta) September 9, 2015Boy! Yesterday sure was fun
Because some people just want to watch the world burn, some asswipe decided to fabricate a homemade, bomb-like, "suspicious package" and throw it onto the GO train tracks at Exhibition station yesterday.
According to LM who was at Exhibition station just before the item was noticed by a police officer (around 3 pm) and was was witness to the whole "SHUT IT ALL DOWN" chaos, the item in question was shaped like a paper towel roll, with nails protruding from it - as told to her by someone who caught a glimpse of it.
CP24 reported it was cylinder in shape and that the The CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) unit was called in to investigate the item. Eventually, a robot was put on the track to grab it, but it couldn't, so a specialized officer had to be called in donning a special safety suit and he managed to pick up the item.
It was 7 pm before the situation was called off and closer to 9 pm before regular GO train service resumed for Lakeshore West/East, Barrie, Milton and Kitchener.
No one knows what it was. But it was a stupid move by a stupid person. Tens of thousands of customers were impacted by this stunt.
I took the 5:05 pm train that terminates in Pickering. There were thousands of people stranded at Union and thousands more at Pickering waiting for rides from spouses, buses, and for trains that were slowly arriving to continue east. It was an absolute shit show. But at least I got home to see my kid off to bed. There were people who did not get home until 11 pm last night.
I'm pissed off I'm out the fare, since I default to Oshawa, but it pales in comparison to Rebecca who paid $140 in cab fare to get home to Milton to rescue her kids from daycare, as well as an additional $20 in late fees.
According to LM who was at Exhibition station just before the item was noticed by a police officer (around 3 pm) and was was witness to the whole "SHUT IT ALL DOWN" chaos, the item in question was shaped like a paper towel roll, with nails protruding from it - as told to her by someone who caught a glimpse of it.
CP24 reported it was cylinder in shape and that the The CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) unit was called in to investigate the item. Eventually, a robot was put on the track to grab it, but it couldn't, so a specialized officer had to be called in donning a special safety suit and he managed to pick up the item.
It was 7 pm before the situation was called off and closer to 9 pm before regular GO train service resumed for Lakeshore West/East, Barrie, Milton and Kitchener.
No one knows what it was. But it was a stupid move by a stupid person. Tens of thousands of customers were impacted by this stunt.
I took the 5:05 pm train that terminates in Pickering. There were thousands of people stranded at Union and thousands more at Pickering waiting for rides from spouses, buses, and for trains that were slowly arriving to continue east. It was an absolute shit show. But at least I got home to see my kid off to bed. There were people who did not get home until 11 pm last night.
I'm pissed off I'm out the fare, since I default to Oshawa, but it pales in comparison to Rebecca who paid $140 in cab fare to get home to Milton to rescue her kids from daycare, as well as an additional $20 in late fees.
Bomb robot in park as a #GOtrain rolls past Exhibition Station. Still not reopened to public though. @680NEWS #GO pic.twitter.com/s0Iav0ur7a
— Mark Douglas (@Douglas680NEWS) September 9, 2015That's one horde of angry people. #GOtrain #gotransit #lsw #360 @CTVNews @globalnews pic.twitter.com/uofBqIiB4c
— Chris (@COverholster) September 9, 2015Wednesday, September 9, 2015
GO Transit pledges to make Route 12 improvements a prority
Dear Ms. Smith,
I wanted to follow up with you regarding the experience your reader had with the Route 12 service on August 16th. I appreciate that this would have been a frustrating experience for him and the other riders and I was very sorry to hear of it.
Unfortunately, we had a significant increase in our ridership that day because of VIA train passengers transferring onto our service. This caused unplanned overcrowding and because of this, all buses that departed from Niagara Falls were full and could not service St. Catharines. We are currently working with VIA to ensure there is extra equipment available for those times that VIA may need assistance.
I’m also sorry to hear that your reader’s experience with the Contact Centre did not meet his expectations. The representative he was speaking with could have contacted the Supervisor on his cell phone to let him know that his attention was needed right away. As well, it’s very important for us to provide timely and accurate updates to our passengers and I’m very disappointed that this service disruption was not communicated appropriately.
In order to ensure that we are able to provide more reliable service to our passengers for the remainder of the summer, we requested additional stand-by drivers each weekend, dedicated to the Niagara/St. Catharines area. We are also looking into supplying service every 30 minutes instead of hourly service to meet the higher ridership demands during the summer months.
We will be monitoring this service closely and we remain committed to improving our communications.
Sincerely,
Matt Baynie
Vice President, GO Operations, GO Transit
The children may be our future but some of them sure are assholes
| from: | JS | ||
| to: | "cj@thiscrazytrain.com" | ||
| date: | Tue, Sep 8, 2015 at 4:08 PM | ||
| subject: | More Entitlement |
This girl was taking two seats. Someone went to sit next her and she said she was saving it. No saving seats!
Um, yeaaaah, no
I'm a fan of the Metrolinx vehicle blocking the one walkway we have from the teamway to the subway. #gochro pic.twitter.com/FttQi618Ba
— GO Train Chronicles (@GOChronicles) September 8, 2015Tuesday, September 8, 2015
First day back from a much needed vacation and first day of school!
I wasn't on the train today so I missed all the moms who call their teenagers to remind them to eat, bathe, find their lunch, locate their clothes, among a whole bunch of other helicopter parenting that goes on. If your kid can figure out an X-Box (or PS3) your kid can make a lunch. If your kid is late for school, buy an alarm clock. And it's always the moms. Never the dads. Why is that?
Anyway, my kid got herself up, got dressed, made a sorry excuse for a breakfast (but at least she did it) and gathered up her stuff for grade five. I can't wait for high school, or at least a grade when I can stop paying for a babysitter... it's coming! I can almost taste it.
But I'm not here to judge anyone who feels they need to manage their children different from how I was raised, or how I intend to raise my own teenager. I don't live in your house and I certainly don't know your life. I just find the phone calls from the train fascinating. I'm sorry I missed them.
Anyway, my kid got herself up, got dressed, made a sorry excuse for a breakfast (but at least she did it) and gathered up her stuff for grade five. I can't wait for high school, or at least a grade when I can stop paying for a babysitter... it's coming! I can almost taste it.
But I'm not here to judge anyone who feels they need to manage their children different from how I was raised, or how I intend to raise my own teenager. I don't live in your house and I certainly don't know your life. I just find the phone calls from the train fascinating. I'm sorry I missed them.