When you ask someone to not put feet on the seats...

The inevitable follow-up: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-metro-train-claim-20180129-story.html

Another passenger, Selena Lechuga, got off the train at the same time (as Bethany Nava - the footrider) and shouted at the officer, telling him he was taking matters too far. She was handcuffed by police at the same stop and spit in an officer's face, video showed. She was eventually arrested for battery on a police officer.

Nava has filed a claim, which is a precursor to a possible lawsuit. Nava accuses the sergeant of excessive force, false imprisonment, negligence, infliction of emotional distress and violating her civil rights. She wore a brace on her right wrist Monday.’

Comedy gold.

Current mood

"Was that ad real?"

Tweet away people #gotransit #traintomyself

A post shared by @ sailor_nathan on Jan 19, 2018 at 11:42am PST

The caption in red reads "Douche Canoe". I thought it said Douche Candle

Submitted

Metrolinx released on a book on Transit Etiquette and some people immediately got butthurt

For years, YEARS, many of us have complained that GO Transit turned a blind eye to the crap we've had to put up with on trains, so during 2016-17, the agency launched its online #etiquettefail campaign. With the help of passengers, and social media users, they compiled the results into a book which can be downloaded for free, or purchased for $5 (to cover the cost to produce the hard copy version) through GO Transit. Only 300 copies were printed.

I was given a complimentary copy which is slowly making its way around my office since many of us are GO Transit passengers. People love it.

Not everyone's Tweets, Instragram or Facebook posts made it into the book. None of mine did. But then again, I do have this website where for eight years I've painstakingly documented all kinds of Etiquette Fails so there is that...

... So maybe you're insulted you weren't consulted, or maybe you're doubtful real people were involved. I can assure you that they were.

Hell, I wasn't even asked to write a goddamn foreword (and if I did, it probably would have been rejected).

And if you're comparing this with fixing signal issues, dudes... really?

On Twitter, there's all kinds of whining from some who want to know how much this cost, or are angered it even exists because they feel it's a waste of time ... It's not, sorry. You can't cry and throw your arms up in frustration complaining no one listens and when they do, complain about the outcome.

GO has a massive Transit Safety division. This group of hard working officers work tirelessly to address abuse and misconduct among passengers. It took a long time but the smoking situation at Oshawa has improved. There are still some who don't get it, but overall, the congregating around the Presto machines to smoke has ceased and smokers have moved to the areas that were created for them to smoke in.

We still have a long way to go when it comes to feet on the seats. And even more work to do with Quiet Zone enforcement, but if there's an issue you feel strongly about, please report it by calling 1-877-297-0642 or tweet to @GOTransitSSD on Twitter.

Wanna crowdfund to turn this into a billboard of what not to do on a GO train?

And no, that's not another person under the seat.
And no, this is not someone who I should consider is probably dealing with a terminal illness whose cat went missing and whose dog died, and who deals with stressful people at work and has a kid with a million issues, or who has a sciatic problem, or migraines, and all the other nonsense people have advised me to consider over the past eight years as reasons for passengers' ridiculous decisions to act like douchepicks on trains.

Why?

Because my life is sucking pretty hard right now but I still manage to sit upright on a train and remain respectful of others.

There's no excuse for this.

I put my head there! And so do you!

Source

Out with the old...

Photos courtesy of JB

Are you surprised? I'm not surprised

We're gonna have to wait a little longer, friends!
Union Station renovation delayed again, will cost $23M more https://t.co/1JWv4i9NYG via @torontostar

— Cj Smith - GO Commuter Extraordinaire (@ThisCrazyTrain) January 19, 2018

The sorry saga of broken signals which are now fixed according to GO Transit (but for how long?)

Official statement from @Metrolinx re: #GOtransit Lakeshore East #GOtrain service and signal issues between Oshawa and Whitby GO stations pic.twitter.com/RwTkybOh7m

— Cindy (Cj) Smith - GO Commuter Extraordinaire (@ThisCrazyTrain) January 17, 2018

You asked, here it be - ThisCrazyTrain.com's Top 10 widely read/shared posts of 2017

I started out in 2010 where I mostly wrote about commuting on GO Transit and the experiences I had, the things I saw (with lots of pictures) and habits of others I found annoying. People found my website generally by googling questions about the GO train, and to this day, the number one search result that brings to traffic to my site remains a question about how to avoid paying fare and not getting caught. I offer no advice for this and I'm sure many are left disappointed.

The site also grew in popularity due to passengers seeking information about how to retrieve lost items. GO Transit didn't really have a comprehensive website back when I started blogging and so, I became a beacon for passengers desperate to find items they had left behind. It's how I met most of you because you found me while looking for something you lost, and then you told others about me. I will always be grateful. For those who are new to the site, here is the best lost and found story ever published: I know very little about fashion.

In late December, when I decided to take another break from blogging, one of many I took in 2017, I received a few emails from folks (mostly media) wanting to know what my top 10 posts were. I decided to look at page views and shares to determine popularity. And so, without further delay, here they are, from most to least:

1. When you have Metrolinx as a neighbour - you have the neighbour from hell
2. A picture tells a thousand words
3. So this happened
4. Never fight a stroller mom, you ain't ever gone win
5. Don't worry, GO Transit has been made aware of this engineering marvel
6. It's ok, the smokers will kill us first anyway - GO Transit passengers at risk for exposure to diesel exhaust
7. GO took away schedules (train and bus) and replaced them with fluff (Note the word: "Information")
8. Can we save the tax credit for public transit?
9. So back in October Bombardier staff delayed an LSW GO train to make a coffee run
10. All the applause for BN!

So it's a "No", then?

Remember that Townhall Metrolinx had with their new CEO in December, 2017? Welp, they just got around to emailing back answers posed by Metrolinx's customers that weren't addressed during the session. A Crazy Train reader sent in a response she got to her question.

It reads like her question hadn't even been read.

It reads like someone just cut and pasted the questions into Word, penned out a list of "hot" keywords, used good ol' Paper Clip to do a find of said keywords and then replied with pre-written boilerplate responses.

I mean, it's just, well, sad. And, personally, as a GO Transit customer, I feel somewhat dismissed by this response.

Submitted on Tuesday, December 12, 2017 - 19:36
Submitted by anonymous user: 10.195.30.254
Submitted values are:

Your name: Withheld by Request
Your e-mail address: xxxxxxxx@hotmail.ca
Subject: Bylaw/rule enforcement
Message: Could the transit safety officers or the fare inspectors enforce the bylaws of the GO Transit system on the trains? Revenue could be generated by enforcing such rules/bylaws (specifically: feet on seats, smoking in non-smoking areas at GO Stations, drinking on trains). Thank you.

The results of this submission may be viewed at:
https://www.metrolinxengage.com/en/node/230/submission/9582

---

From: Xxxxx Xxxxx
Sent: January 10, 2018 10:08 AM
To: xxxxxxxx@hotmail.ca
Subject: RE: Form submission from: Contact

Hi Withheld by Request,

Thanks for your question and sorry for the delayed response.

GO’s Transit Safety Officers are primarily responsible for ensuring your personal safety. They are also responsible for friendly customer assistance, fare inspections, regular prevention and deterrence patrols, support for local police, fire and ambulance, parking, by-law, provincial law and Criminal Code enforcement, locating missing persons and protecting vulnerable passengers, and promoting railway safety.

Officers are authorized to enforce GO Transit By-laws, which govern passenger conduct, fare inspection and use of our facilities. To find out more about our Safety and Security division, click here:
http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/travelling/safety.aspx

Presto's executive Vice President resigns to take up consulting gig (Metrolinx did not disclose what kind of consulting Robert Hollis is pursuing)

In the space of three days this week Metrolinx, which is the provincial transit agency for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, informed employees of the departure of two members of its 10-person senior management team, including the executive vice president responsible for the contentious Presto fare card program.

Read more via The Toronto Star

Take your rabbit to work day?

Ahem.

If you gots the Twitter, join in!

Take a picture, it'll last longer

Ugh.

Howdy neighbour!

Submitted by Anonymous

Dear Metrolinx,

Thank you so much for the wake up call on December 22. Although I don't remember ordering one, it was just what I needed at 4:30 am on the first day of my Christmas vacation!

Sleep is, as I'm sure you'll agree, highly overrated. As a rapidly expanding transit agency you understand the need to be permanently on duty. You are open 24/7 - I know this because I called your 24 hour emergency line a few weeks ago to report an alien landing on the tracks. 

That was some scary stuff wasn't it? I thought at the time it might be one of these dreaded 'trespasser incursions' - but, fortunately, it was all perfectly legitimate. Just one of the many track maintenance programs you have underway to help us get to work quicker and make our lives easier.

I was having a bad dream that morning so you did me a favour. It was about an alien invasion funnily enough - another one! No actually it was the same one. It's interesting how difficult it is to get this out of my head. Perhaps it's because it keeps on happening...?

It was a quiet weekend after your call. Isn't this such a nice holiday? So peaceful. I hope you got as much rest as I did. I'm sure you'll be back to your beeping best now the New Year is upon us!

I do have one small request. If you could try and set my next wake up call for just a little later - say maybe... 5am? And try not to schedule it on my holidays? Oh, and is there any way you could program the back-beeper-wake-up-thingy to be just a little less loud? They are so abrasive aren't they? Just like your train drivers and bus drivers and safety inspectors, I need to get a good night's rest so I can be all alert and refreshed for work in the morning. I'm sure you understand.

Thanks again for the wake up call. I hope you have a healthy, successful and restful new year.

Sincerely,

Your neighbour near Union Station

It's nice to know that even zip lock bags get returned to their owners

Is this stuff yours? GO Transit sees increase in lost items during holiday season #CityCommute @stellaacquisto https://t.co/g0Jyeqr4Eq pic.twitter.com/RHigCAxsv6

— CityNews Toronto (@CityNews) December 23, 2017

Town has strange long name so it would become a tourist attraction - posting this because there's a commuter train in the story

Part 10 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

By GO Voyageur

Household dust and so much more

In my last report on the dirty DD’s, I said the reply from GO Transit’s Customer Relations Supervisor scared me.  I’ll elaborate, but first, let’s revisit the following line in the supervisor’s response:

·         “I have looked into the results of the investigation of the Indoor Air Quality report conducted on our GO buses.” 

Buses?  Plural?  More than one bus was tested?  No.  As was pointed out in the comments to the prior article, only one bus was tested — apparently it was a relatively new (at the time) #8201.  Why didn’t GO Transit test any of the buses given as evidence in this blog?  I should mention the supervisor did not attach a copy of the report as evidence to support their assertions.

The following line is the one that scared me:

·         “The results concluded that no unusual particulate materials were identified and the composition of the dust samples was similar to that observed in typical household or office settings.”

Shortly after receiving the supervisor’s e-mail, the Toronto Star ran an article titled New study highlights health hazards of household dust.  More details can be found in the article Not Just Dirt: Toxic Chemicals in Indoor Dust from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).  What I find particularly vile is that Metrolinx paid money to a company whose job it is to know this information, but neglected to apprise Metrolinx, who then turned around and quoted the report as if it were gospel.

Why does this black soot fiasco rile me so?  I was raised in Sudbury.  Before INCO built their Superstack, three smaller smokestacks belched sulphur dioxide, denuding the countryside with acid rain.  On days when low clouds trapped the stacks’ emissions, the smoke would roll into the valley where we lived.  I could feel the gas searing into my lungs, which x-rays revealed later had become scarred (I’m a non-smoker).  I would sit in the basement waiting for the SO₂ haze to dissipate.  So, yes, I have an aversion to dirty air.  Do those folks who are exposed to this soot, i.e. regular passengers and GO Transit drivers, need to be featured in a Toronto Star investigation like GE employees in Peterborough?

Why have I waited so long to share all of this?  Around the time the supervisor’s e-mail landed in my Inbox, GO Transit replaced all double-decker buses on Route 12 with the new DDSL model (#83xx).  Here is the inside of #8342 on its inaugural trip on Route 12.  It was pristine; it still had its “new” smell.

Did Metrolinx management roll the dice and bet that since the new buses did not show the black soot stains, I no longer had a reason to discuss the problem?  If that were the case, I took it as a victory — my fellow passengers and our drivers had clean air to breathe.  However, my gut told me to wait; this saga wasn’t over.

And I was correct.  I boarded #8318 not long ago and was dismayed to discover the following tell-tale markings:

Just as Philip Kives implored us to “wait, there’s more”, well, there is more.  The latest SNAFU on Metrolinx’s double-deckers is diesel exhaust fumes inside the cabins, e.g. #8353.  This problem isn’t really new; it was reported to GO Transit over a year and a half ago…

Five days later…

Even before that, in November 2012, CBC reported that OC Transpo admitted their double-decker buses — also built by Alexander Dennis Ltd. — leaked diesel fumes into the cabin. 

Who allowed these substandard Scottish-engineered monstrosities into Canada?  Was it Transport Canada?  Why has Ontario’s Auditor General kept mum on these Metrolinx vehicles?  Perhaps it’s time to escalate this mess to Ben Spurr at the Toronto Star, or CBC’s Marketplace, or CTV’s W5.

In Part 6 of this series, I included a photo of bus #8142, which had white dust covering the inside of the bus.  It was a mystery how the interior got to be in that state.  There have been times when I’ve noticed a fire extinguisher sitting on the floor in the accessibility area of a DD rather than being strapped to the wall.  My conjecture…  The straps are so flimsy, they can’t hold the fire extinguisher when the bus hits a significant bump in the road.  The extinguisher falls to the floor, and on rare occasions, the pin pops and the trigger is activated thereby dumping the contents.  Plausible?  Ask your driver.

Back to the supervisor’s e-mail and the following line:

·         “I would like to assure you that we continue to remain committed to ensuring our buses are maintained to the highest standard.”

Maintained to the highest standard you say?  The following photo is of the grill above the rear seat in the lower saloon on DD #8317.  It looks like it has NEVER been cleaned.

Enough of these assurances from Customer Relations management!  They are past the point of triteness.  They are now downright insulting.  Isn’t it time Metrolinx’s new CEO, Phil Verster, had “career discussions” with his staff?

Happy New Year, friends! I'm rolling into 2018 like the baby in the walker (being pulled back into 2017 no less)

Regular postings (I'll try) begin again next week.