Time for some heartfelt thanks and remembrance

by Pete S.

My Decade-At-A-Glance^® tells me we are fast approaching the sixth anniversary of my first article for This Crazy Train.  I’d like to thank you, Cj, for considering my submissions and publishing so many of them.  It’s been a thrill writing the stories and reading the comments to see how close I got to reporting the truth. 

Thank you for providing many of my noms de plume and allowing me to use some of my own.  Just as David Haydu filled the airwaves with his plethora of zany characters, the pseudonyms allowed me to write on a variety of topics from different perspectives.  For those readers not familiar with David, I loved listening to Pete and Geets on CHUM-FM and later on CFNY-FM.  Just as David “borrowed” his main persona, Geets Romo, from a character on the 1961 Del Close and John Brent album, How To Speak Hip, I used Warren Downe based on David’s Warren Down.  If memory serves me correctly, Warren reported morning traffic, first from the “mobile telephone booth”, and later “riding a John Deere tractor in traffic”.

Most of the experiences I shared stemmed from trips on GO Transit’s Route 12 between Niagara Falls and Burlington.  The ladies and gentlemen who drive this route are very dedicated to their passengers.  This became evident to me in my first month (October 2010) riding the bus.  The driver I rode with remembered me after only a couple of trips.  I took a later trip for a few of weeks, and when I reverted to his bus, he greeted me with, “Hello stranger!  Where have you been?”  I was astounded that he remembered me.

Commitment to excellence is hard to find today.  Allow me to tip my hat and say thank you to the following drivers who I’ve been introduced to, or who chauffeured me and allowed me to serve them by being their lead hand (I managed the luggage), treasurer (I carried an emergency float, as well as a “knuckle full of nickels” for the $x.05 fares of other pax), waiter (drivers need their tea and coffee), and navigator (on demand):

Ali (Streetsville), Anthony S, Bonnie J, Brandy-Jo B, Brenda M, Charlene (Steeprock), Charles T, Christine H, Colin B, Dave W, Debbie I, Derek W, Frances D, Fred O, Garney T, Garry S, Harley B, Heather K, Holly N, Izabela K, Jack-George M, Jack (Streetsville), Janice N, Jason W, Jim C, John P, Joshua B, Jude (Hamilton), Ken (Streetsville), Marjorie F, Mark A, Mark B, Mark K, Mark P, Mary-Jane M, Maureen D, Nestor F, Nigel H, Paul L, Ray M, Richard (Brampton), Robert I, Robert L, Rodney (Oshawa), Ron A, Ron C, Shawn S, Simon H, Steve D, Terry W, Tim C, Tim K, Viktor A, and Wayne P.

I apologize if I missed anyone or spelled your name incorrectly.  There is one driver who I’ve chatted with online, but I’ve never met, which is a little ironic, since we live in the same town.

I’d also like to thank drivers Randy (Megabus) and Frank N (St. Catharines Transit) whose valuable insights during our early morning chats found their way into my stories.

I mustn’t forget the CSAs I met along the way.  You’ll recall the concerns over missing CSA Daniel.  I located Daniel on one of my Friday trips home, and we had a good chuckle over the reports of his disappearance.  Again, I must thank CSA Katelyn who got us through the ghost train debacle.   

I would like to thank the ticket agents at Pickering station for their polite and efficient handling of transactions.  I always found it nice to start my trips with a quick chat with Ilene and Jennifer.  I always loaded my ePurse with them — never auto-load.

My thanks to fare inspectors Gerry (LSE) and Terry (LSW).  These gentlemen not only conduct business politely, they also take the time to answer passengers’ questions.  I enjoyed my brief discussions with Terry about bicycles and appreciated his tips on how to teach oneself to ride a unicycle.

I would also like to thank my neighbour, Walter at Greyhound, who mentored several employees now at GO Transit.  Because of Walter, as well as GO’s drivers, I believe I am a better automobile driver.

I’ve often wondered whether any of the stories that I wrote made a difference.  Certainly not those articles about renovations at Burlington station — six years on, and we still cannot buy a cup of coffee there.  GO Transit did mothball Route 11, the seasonal money-losing shuttle between St. Catharines and Niagara-on-the-Lake.  The manual procedure for loading funds to ePurses changed after pilferage by a systemic PRESTO problem was exposed in the Presto Chronicles.  Passenger safety enhancements were implemented on double decker buses to mitigate the hazards of luggage after the risks were documented in Meet the Deckers.  In the aftermath of the story about the bus stop from hell, the Mayor of St. Catharines reports that ticket vending machines will be installed at Fairview Mall, although Metrolinx is dragging their feet again over “infrastructure” issues.

Is there a story I wanted to write but didn’t?  Yes.  I wanted to pen an article about the double decker bus that was blown off Hwy 115 during inclement weather and poor road conditions.  I couldn’t proceed because I was not in possession of a key piece of evidence — the photo showing the bus off the road.  The photo exists, but no amount of begging and pleading could produce the picture, so no story was written.

Now it’s time to share with you, Cj, and the followers of your blog that this is my last submission to This Crazy Train.  Thank you, all, for taking the time to read my articles and to write your comments.  I mean this sincerely.  Hopefully we’ve had some fun along the way.  It’s been a blast for me!  I encourage everyone to give it a whirl.

On behalf of Warren Downe, Ali Gator, Frank E Futor, Chris P. Bacon, A.L. Gorithm, Billy Bob, Iona Pintó, Hy Perbole, Ian Cognito, Bea N. Counter, Yew Wannanohooiam, and GO Voyageur, this is Peter signing off.