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Thursday, May 23, 2013

Oh look, this coach has room for my golf clubs ... and my luggage!

How nice of GO Transit to provide accessibility coaches for people to abuse. Especially during rush hour.

We've had this discussion before. People with large items, luggage and steamer trunks don't belong on rush hour trains and should take the bus where there are compartments to store their stuff. Otherwise, wait until off-peak hours.

The accessibility coach is for passengers using assistive-devices, scooters and wheelchairs. Let's say a person did get on in a scooter and the accessibility coach was full of people, along with golfers and their gear? Who gets priority here? Is the disabled person the second-class citizen? No. The coaches should remain ACCESSIBLE. Otherwise, if people continue with this kind of abuse, why bother with calling it an accessibility coach? Change the name. Call it a luggage coach.

I know that the CSAs can only do so much but this guy with his suitcase and golf clubs should have been chucked off the train.


We all know what this needs...


There. That's better.

- Submitted

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

So this guy thought he was an accessible passenger because he had a set of golf clubs on a cart, with luggage to boot.
Talk about ridiculous.

Squiggles said...

To play Devil's Advocate for a moment: At least he wasn't taking up an entire quad in a non-accessible car.

But yes, if you need to drag that much crap with you, take an off-peak train. Pretty soon, they will be running every half-hour.

C.J. Smith said...

He probably realized his stuff wouldn't fit and moved down.
Of course, there's always the top of the train. I hear the view is fantastic.

Peter said...

I’m not condoning what Mr. Golf Clubs did, but it was the CSR – in the accessibility coach – who allowed this situation to happen, so it’s their responsibility to manage the problem, just as they are responsible for keeping bicycles off the train during rush hour.

Double-deckers (DD’s) run between Niagara Falls and Burlington on Route 12 over the summer. There’s nothing more unpleasant than tripping over and navigating around bicycles, bicycle trailers, collapsible wheelchairs, baby strollers with infants strapped in (yes, that’s allowed), and luggage. It’s like travelling on a modern day Beverly Hillbillies truck down the QEW at 100+ kph. Only MCI’s have proper cargo bays “to store their stuff”. The existing DD’s have a limited space luggage rack over the front right wheel, and the new ones have a cargo broom closet in the back by the engine compartment.

RE: “should take the bus” – I don’t recall the last time a GO Transit bus stopped at Danforth, Scarborough, Eglinton, Guildwood, or Rouge Hill.

Squiggles said...

Not only the view, but all the fresh air! Especially a nice thing after being cooped up inside all day.

MATT said...

@Peter - I never paid attention, but you're right. I commute from Guildwood and GO has no bus service to that station.

Unknown said...

So if a person is heading to Union from Oshawa to take an Amtrak train to NY. You're gonna hate on them for having some luggage? It isn't like they can dictate when their Amtrak leaves! But you would rather them take the late night train, wait over night in the station, then catch their Amtrak, instead of taking the early rush hour train? (I don't know Amtrak schedule so just guessing.?

C.J. Smith said...

Use VIA?
GO is a commuter service. VIA offers accommodating train travel for those with luggage, golf bags, carts and other items that don't fit on GO trains.
However, this man could kindly stand and keep his stuff away from areas designated for wheel chairs and scooters.

bbl said...

I don't know the circumstances in this particular case, but when I took the GO train the accessibility coach was never full of people who actually needed to be there (i.e. people with assistive devices, special needs, disability, etc.). If this guy isn't keeping someone who needs an accessible seat from getting one, get over it. If he was, I'm sure he'd move if asked.

This post comes off extremely self-righteous and annoying. People need to chill.

C.J. Smith said...

At BBL

So when the parking lot at your local shopping plaza is empty, do you park in the handicapped spots? Or do you leave them empty?

The accessibility coach MUST remain accessible. Doesn't matter if you don't see anyone in a wheelchair. If the coach is full of people and their crap, the person in the wheelchair who just so happens to appear at the next stop becomes a second class citizen and has to miss his or her train.

That's fair to you?

But at least Mr. Able Bodied Golf Cart Guy gets where he's going. Right?

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