Thank you GO Transit/Metrolinx. For listening to us (updated)

To those of you taking @GOtransit who are smokers, "I didn't see the sign(s)" is not a valid excuse. The fine is $60! pic.twitter.com/uUECfmkjVb

— Brandon Turner (@GOTurner64) June 12, 2015

AND IT ONLY TOOK TWO YEARS FOR THIS TO BE ADDRESSED.
Doesn't matter now. It's time.

Below are the emails I sent to GO Transit recently ("Paula" is Paula Edwards) about the smoking situation at Oshawa.

from:		Cindy (Cj) Smith<cj@thiscrazytrain.com>
to:		GO Transit Customer Relations
cc:		Greg Percy bchiarelli.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

Hi Paula,

Let me stress how immensely pleased I am with the entire Transit Safety team. I have seen how hard they work and how dedicated they are to ensuring a comfortable ride for GO Transit customers. They are not at fault for this mess.

They have been present for the past four business days at Oshawa.
Unfortunately, their presence was not a deterrent.

I would like to hear more station PA announcements reminding passengers smoking is not allowed on GO Transit property. Similar to the prerecorded announcements now being played at Union Station intermittently reminding customers to stay back behind yellow platform lines. These began shortly after the unfortunate death of Daniel Pannicini in late April.

I believe that the agency's approach to smoking infractions is mired in 1970s policy which no longer has merit in 2015. Smokers who run afoul of the bylaws don't deserve to be treated with kid gloves.

These are adults. They should be treated as such. I highly doubt a passenger is going to change his or her commute because of a fine. The agency shouldn't be worried about a smoker no longer contributing to the fare box considering the monopoly the agency has on regional transit.

The agency has never taken a proactive approach to illegal smoking despite the Smoke Free Ontario Act having been in force for 11 years. That is far too long to have waited to put a plan in place.
And the reaction method of sending TSOs to chase away adults from platforms because passengers went public on Twitter with complaints is getting tiresome and yields no results. I am certain the TSOs would prefer a more positive Twitter experience.

The tools are there. They are swift and inexpensive. They were brought into full force after the Union station fatality.
So I know the agency is fully capable of implementing grand scale advocacy campaigns in a short time frame.

My question is, why not in 2006? Why not in 2009? Why not just get ahead of the curve?

Thank you,
Cindy

from:		Cindy (Cj) Smith <cj@thiscrazytrain.com>
to:		GO Transit Customer Relations
cc:		Greg Percy
date:		Fri, Jun 12, 2015 at 10:55 AM
subject:		Re: GO Transit, A Division of Metrolinx EM0018001651

Hi Paula

There was a TSO at Oshawa this morning doing exactly as I had asked. Writing tickets.

Thank you!

The woman didn't rip it up. She didn't run to her car, screaming, "Screw you GO Transit." And headed to the 401.

She boarded the train.

No fare loss. 

"People who smoke are bad people" - Calden, age 5

Monday afternoon, Kelly took her five year-old son Calden into Toronto for an appointment at Sick Kids. When they arrived back at Oshawa GO Station later in the afternoon, Calden had been staring out the GO train window when something caught his eye.

"What's all that stick things there?" Calden asked, wrote his mom in an email to ThisCrazyTrain.com.

Kelly looked down.

"Those are cigarettes," she told her son. Then she had to explain what a cigarette was and what happens after people smoke it. Lots of "whys" about why people smoke, etc., and why would people not throw their cigarette butts in the garbage like how Calden throws his lollipop and popsicle sticks in the garbage when he's finished sucking on them.

Great question, Calden! Let's ask the smokers!



Kelly writes that Calden was very confused about why anyone would make such a mess. On purpose.

So she took him to the bus loop (where there are signs that clearly state that "No Smoking" is allowed) and she let him ask a smoker who just happened to toss his used butt over the fence, why he didn't throw it in the garbage.

She regrets not recording any of this. So do I.

The smoker said to Kelly, "You don't teach your kid not to talk to strangers??? You're a bad mom." And he walked off, shaking his head.

"Mommy," said Calden. "People who smoke are bad people."

Can you blame the kid for thinking that way? Kelly assured him that smokers are actually nice people who just need to be reminded that they need to respect the Earth. "And nature," added Calden, in a matter of fact voice.



It was also at that exact moment that the train operator climbed out of the locomotive and lit up a cigarette track-side.

"Ess-scuse me," said Calden to the man, "Will you 'peas' not 'trow' your cigarette on the ground?"



He turned around, mid-suck, and looked surprised when Calden addressed him. The Bombardier employee nodded and looked away, and began to inspect the train as he continued to smoke. Awwkward, he looked like he wanted to swallow it, wrote Kelly.

My son has no filter. He sees it, he says it, she writes.

I love Calden. Give him a vest. A bullhorn. A clipboard and a flame thrower. He's hired!