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Thursday, February 7, 2013

Haters gonna hate

from: Mark Dougherty xxxxxx@rogers.com
reply-to: Mark Dougherty xxxxxx@rogers.com
to: "cj@thiscrazytrain.com"
date: Wed, Feb 6, 2013 at 8:27 PM
subject: national post story

Hello
I googled you after reading a story in the National Post about the quiet cars in Barrie. I'm not sure how popular your blog is or if anyone actually reads it but I just felt compelled to write you that I think you need to re-evaluate who you are as a person.
Everything I've read that you've written leads me to believe you are a very insecure person with low self-esteem who decided to poke fun at people online in an effort to make yourself feel better.
Am I right? In fact, I know I'm right.
What I found shocking is that you seem to have a hardcore bases of "fans" who truly applaud your mission. This is just sad. There are better ways to go about enforcing etiquette and have you ever considered lobbying GO Transit and using the appropriate channels to make GO Transit a more improved commuting experience?
Our tax dollars fund the system and because of this, you should be communicating with the province, our elected representatives and the management and board of GO Transit to help come up with ways to get people to behave better. Calling people out online is a waste of time. Also, who made you believe you could actually make a difference?
What makes you so special?

Regards,
Mark Dougherty

---

from: CJ Smith
reply-to: cj@thiscrazytrain.com
to: Mark Dougherty
date: Wed, Feb 6, 2013 at 10:01 PM
subject: RE: national post story

Dear Mr. Dougherty
After conferring with my lawyer, Georgie Greyskull, with respect to your question about what makes me so special, we have come up with this response: I can count to potato.

Respectfully,
Cindy J. Smith
Veteran GO Commuter

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Georgie has the makings of a fine lawyer.

This guy is an ass.

Even though I don't take the GO Train anymore I still enjoy your blog.

Marzipan

Squiggles said...

oooo.... does this mean I am considered a "hard core fan"! I always wanted to be hardcore! At least he isn't assuming that I am one of CJ's personalities this time.

Anyhoodles, had this yahoo actually read the posts, people (and not just CJ) have contacted GO about the issues. They are unwilling/unable to do anything about it. I have on occaision (with witnesses, one of whom is also a hardcore fan) asked people to remove feet from seats, to move bags, etc. People have shot me down and acted like they were the offended party.

So Mark, if you have an idea other than tattling to GO about getting grown-ass adults to behave in a considerate, respectful manner to their fellow commuters, have at it.

Otherwise continue on your merry way and ignore us "insecure" people.

And Georgie: Solid legal advice.

Charlie W said...

He contradicts himself in the first part of his email saying he doesn't know if anyone reads the blog but admits to realizing you have a fan base.

What a loser.

Dakota said...

Georgie Greyskull you are one awesomesauce lawyer with your witty reply.

Skin Man said...

laughing out loud at "potato"!

An otherwise crummy day just got a little bit better.

Anonymous said...

Calling out people apparently is the only way, since people are no longer being taught common courtesy or manners. This dude obviously only rides transit on rare occasions and doesn't have to endure the s*** that the rest of us do. CJ is a superstar.

deepfish said...

Potato or potatoe?
Damn I *knew* i was doing somthin wrong! I shoulda just stuck to typing out complaints to GO and have them send me around the loop of enforcement agencies and PR departments a few more times.
How was I to know that posting about butt suckers on here was ineffectual? After my first round of pics went up here - RIGHT after- the shadowy powers that be at GO, who had theretofore seemingly delighted in ignoring my complainst - had new signs posted at the station and a whole passel of enforcement officers shoowed up and actually ticketed people...
Maybe I was only dreaming...

Anonymous said...

This guy is talking like you shouldn't even try. And, besides, you actually HAVE made a difference, I think. And how are you ever going to make a difference if you don't even try? :$

Anonymous said...

Honestly, I use to be a donkey until a friend directed me to this blog. I never considered the repercussions of the small things I did, including talking loudly, putting my feet up and hogging seats.
I am more aware now and I have you to thank CJ :)
This blog does make a difference, one donkey at a time.

C.J. Smith said...

Former Donkeys are always forgiven. This site is the AA for Donkey Behaviour just without the steps and the pins.

Chrstina said...

Would my feet on seats photo blog render me insecure? Crap!

C.J. Smith said...

Oooh, girl, Imma email Mark right now a link to your site!

Jack C. said...

Social media have reached critical mass to effect real social change. I'm not sure exactly why this makes some people so nervous. Being able to cut through the filters of government and mainstream media and take one's message directly to the people strikes me as the best guarantee of democracy we currently have. Any activity that attracts followers, and whose activities are not scripted by the rich and powerful, appears to upset people who are concerned with not upsetting the herd.

Calling people out online for their behaviour frequently gets better and faster results than complaining to multiple levels of a bureaucracy, only to get the brush off. A case in point were the Vancouver hockey rioters. It was through social media that many criminals were identified.

Godspeed to you and your in-house counsel.

AL said...

Way late to comment, but Mark said " calling people out online is a waste of time.". I agree, Mark calling CJ out on her blog is definitely the biggest waste of time, but thank you, Mark, for the unintended entertainment.