Friday, November 13, 2015
I know I've joked about punting passengers' bags but tonight someone actually did it
In the 8 years I've been taking the GO train to and from work I've seen a lot of crap but tonight? Tonight took the cake. I've logged countless blog posts about the deplorable behavior exhibited by some on the Lakeshore East train that terminates in Oshawa on my thiscrazytrain.com website. I thought I had seen everything but apparently not. Tonight I watched three grown women fight over a suitcase that was occupying a seat - emphasis on *was*. Seats fill up pretty quickly and with the average monthly fare averaging $319, people have little tolerance for what I call seat hogging on rush-hour commuter trains. But there is a diplomatic way to deal with these matters but this one woman was having none of that tonight. She grabbed the suitcase when she saw it, plopped it down in the aisle and kicked it so it rolled down the aisle... and then it fell over. Apparently there were breakables in the suitcase - items for a wedding this weekend. Literally all hell broke out. Screaming. Arms flailing. Grandstanding. There was still 10 minutes to go til the train was scheduled to leave. I should mention that when I boarded I offered to put one suitcase beside me in the aisle, but I was given a curt, "No thanks." I cautioned these two ladies that others may not be pleased with the situation. I was politely ignored. Then the beast of burden showed up. As it stands now, I have one suitcase beside me. The beast is downstairs and we're all sitting here traveling in awkward silence.
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13 comments:
Train passengers are far more unruly than Bus I would have to say.
Shame there is no video, would of been entertaining
Far be it for a GO CSA to intervene for security and safety measures. In the case of an emergency aisles are meant to remain passable for a reason.
I don't blame the person who decided to remove the suitcase herself.
I would have done the same thing should the owner refuse to remove his or her personal belongings from the seats.
sometimes people deserve what they get. Too many times I have seen people like this who have no consideration, add in a person who has had a bad day and sick and tired of this crap and you have a volatile situation.
I really don't care what's in someones bag, from a pack of gum to wedding gifts. Stick that shit on the floor between your feet or it gets punted, bag owner too. I applaud the bag punter. It's a 10 for me.
That's not even plausible at rush hour where it's impossible to get from one coach to another because of passengers blocking the stairwells and aisles. The aisles are rarely clear.
Plan ahead bag people. You can't take bikes on rush hour trains - so why are 2 suitcases OK? One ticket=1 seat. They get what they deserve.
I've had to get on the GO with a big suitcase, I just sit or stand by the doors... out of the way!
Anonymous said...
"Far be it for a GO CSA to intervene for security and safety measures. In the case of an emergency aisles are meant to remain passable for a reason."
Pray tell how is the CSA supposed to know, let alone get to, some idiot 5 coaches away to tell them to move their bag.It should be a $150 fine for placing anything on a seat except you butt or for not getting out of a handicap spot for some one who needs it.
@Robert Wightman
How about a CSA rep(s) that actually walks or patrols through the cars? What a concept eh?
Or how about, I dunno using the loud speaker to announce a reminder to passengers not to block the aisles with bags. It could be at the same time they tell people that the top level is the Quiet Zone.
How about the On Train TV (OTTV) units be reinstalled?
old.cptdb.ca http://www.exclusive.com/OTTV.asp
GO could finally use all the tv screens GO took down in 2006.
Maybe you'd rather people get into a serious physical altercation.
Because it will happen.
GO have the resources $$$ and manpower.
re: "... or for not getting out of a handicap spot for some one who needs it" Isn't that the accessibility coach where the CSA works and has a clear view of such matters?
re: "rep(s) that actually walks or patrols through the cars" Aren't they called TSO's / fare inspectors?
On a separate, but related topic, why is it that TSO's / fare inspectors need to travel in pairs or threes on a train, whereas a bus driver has to mete out discipline, collect fares, handle luggage, do accounting, provide timetable information, and drive the bus all by themselves?
@Warren Downe
.
So far this year, I've been checked a total of 3 times by GO TSO 's.
What do the TSO's do the other 360+ days/year?
Walk the platforms?
Sit in their GO Transit vehicles in parking lots.....
The TSO's must be very busy somewhere......
Warren Downe said...
"re: "... or for not getting out of a handicap spot for some one who needs it" Isn't that the accessibility coach where the CSA works and has a clear view of such matters?"
On the GO train yes it is and I have heard the CSA ask people to move to make room for a person on a mobility device but on the subway there is no one in the train to ask people to make room; that is what I was referring to but I was not clear enough.
"On a separate, but related topic, why is it that TSO's / fare inspectors need to travel in pairs or threes on a train, whereas a bus driver has to mete out discipline, collect fares, handle luggage, do accounting, provide timetable information, and drive the bus all by themselves?"
This is probably because a GO train can have 2000 people on board versus 80 on a DD bus. If the passengers are to be inspected before the train reaches the end of the line then it requires more than 1 person.
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