Part 6 of an installment, exclusive to This Crazy Train, "Meet the Deckers"

Editor's note: If you have had issues while aboard a Double Decker bus, or have a story about a Double Decker experience, drop me a line at cj@thiscrazytrain.com

Read previous installments here

Special to This Crazy Train

Paging Mr. Clean

by GO Voyageur

Ali Gator normally writes these articles, but over a beer a couple of weeks ago, he suggested I submit this story, because of the photos I had amassed.

First, let’s run the newsreel from April 3, 2013.  Glen Murray, then Minister of Transportation, was positively gaga over the new Enviro500 double-decker buses (#8101—8125) purchased by GO Transit from Alexander Dennis Ltd.  Even more of these buses were acquired; the equipment numbers are now north of 8200.

With all the hoopla over these vehicles, you’d think the very least GO Transit would do is keep the minister’s pride and joy buses clean.  Wrong!

I’m not referring to the occasional spilt beer in the rear of the upper saloon, or a youngster dumping their soft drink. I’m referring to the continual filth due to neglect by the maintenance staff.  Why isn’t the acrylic glass on the stairway cleaned more often?  Who wants to look at the following mess for an hour or more?

BTW, that’s not an isolated incident.  Here are more:

● DD # 8150

● DD # 8176

● DD # 8116

Let’s compare GO’s buses to one from Niagara Region Transit.  This one looks clean; it had been on the road for half a shift before I snapped the photo:

And peering into the bus, I noted that the windows were spotless — on both sides.

Let’s compare that to DD # 8142 this weekend.

Did someone take this baby off-roading and forget to run it through the wash bay?  Looks can be deceiving.  That grime isn’t on the outside of the bus; it’s on the inside of the window!

Is that the worst of it?  Nope.  It’s time to get serious.  Have you ever examined the air vents on the double-deckers?  Look closely at the following photo.

What are those soot marks to the front and rear?  Most air vents I’ve looked at have those dark stains on the ceiling.  Is this dirt being forced in from the engine compartment?  Let’s recall that OC Transpo’s deckers had issues with fumes inside some of their buses.  Does this happen, too, with GO Transit’s DDs?  Yes.  Fumes inside the bus precipitated the following email alert.

If the ventilation system is indeed pumping dirt into the bus, then it must be settling somewhere, and it should be detectable.  A quick wipe of the front dashboard with a paper towel provided the answer.

Exactly what is this soot, and what is its source?  How much of a health hazard is this crud, not only for passengers but especially for drivers?  Maybe it’s time for the mainstream media to investigate this problem as a matter of public concern.