It took until 1 am this morning to safely evacuate almost 1400 people from the train that saw GO Transit safety and enforcement officers who were on vacation show up at the scene to assist, according to several sources.
A brigade of firefighters, Toronto EMS and GO personnel using a boat convoy made for a long rescue effort but no one was injured (as of this writing).
People have asked why the crew aboard the Richmond Hill 5:30 pm train didn't evacuate sooner, before the flood waters rose to a dangerous level, well over six feet (not everyone can swim!) resulting in several passengers who jumped from the second level of coaches through the emergency access windows and swam to dry ground.
Putting the train in reverse required a series of safety checks the crew couldn't perform due to the flooded tracks, the risk of derailment and the fact the locomotive was waterlogged.
No one anticipated the flash flood. No one expected the flood, despite the severe storm warnings. It's been over 50 years since the city of Toronto saw that much rain. Not since Hurricane Hazel had so much water blanketed the city.
What everyone needs to focus on is the magnitude of the rescue effort itself. Jokes aside (row, row, row your train) the passengers on board that train should be commended for their patience, understanding and co-operation.
Yes, it was awful that it took so long to get everyone out. Yes, it's terrible that so many laptops, iPads, iPhones, cellphones, e-readers and other electronics were destroyed, but my God, really? Those things can be replaced.
Lives? Not so much.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Monday, July 8, 2013
Time to shut the hell up across the entire system
I don't subscribe nor requested mailings from Metrolinx but this popped up in my inbox this morning:
Given the positive feedback from the Barrie pilot, GO Transit will expand the Quiet Zone pilot program from the Barrie line to all seven of our rail corridors. Beginning July 15, 2013, the Quiet Zone will be in effect for all weekday, rush-hour trips.
The upper level of all coaches on all seven of our rail lines will be designated as the Quiet Zone during all weekday, rush-hour trips.
Quiet Zone rush hour train trips are defined as any trip scheduled to arrive or depart Union Station between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. in the morning, and 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the afternoon/evening.
Short and quiet conversations are fine within the Quiet Zone during rush hour train trips, but passengers should make sure their electronics, including cell phones, headphones, tablets and laptops, are muted.
We are expanding the Quiet Zone pilot program to all of our rail customers as part of GO Transit’s Passenger Charter and our commitment to making our customers’ experience comfortable.
Also,we have listened to our customers and we are responding to their feedback, which has been reinforced by surveys. Since launching the Quiet Zone pilot on the Barrie line on February 11, we’ve found it to be quite successful.
Based on the survey we gave Barrie line passengers, the majority of our customers who experienced Quiet Zone – 83 per cent – feel their trip was more comfortable due to the Quiet Zone pilot.
It should be noted that,at this time, there is no set end date for the Quiet Zone pilot. We are continuing to gather feedback from customers and insight into the program. We will assess the pilot and determine next steps once that evaluation is complete.
Friday, July 5, 2013
And here's Ollie with the weather... Ollie? IT'S HOT!!!
People are dumb. So dumb they'd return ice cream to the store for it being too cold kind of dumb.
I'm on the bus this morning, sweating like a mofo after my brisk 1.8 km walk to the GO bus stop from my daughter's sitter's house, and this girl is sitting a ways over from me in a coat, with fur collar, fanning herself with a newspaper and fiddling with the overhead vents desperately seeking air.
Jesus Christ, take off your coat! It was agonizing to watch her. I was sweating for her.
See? Cray-cray kinds of dumb.
I'm on the bus this morning, sweating like a mofo after my brisk 1.8 km walk to the GO bus stop from my daughter's sitter's house, and this girl is sitting a ways over from me in a coat, with fur collar, fanning herself with a newspaper and fiddling with the overhead vents desperately seeking air.
Jesus Christ, take off your coat! It was agonizing to watch her. I was sweating for her.
See? Cray-cray kinds of dumb.
If ya gotta problem/yo/I'll solve it/Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it
I don't math. But this guy certainly does.
Sing me out homies ... Ice ice baby to go ... Vanilla ice ice baby ...
Thursday, July 4, 2013
He had me at 'spare extenstion cord'. MegaBus commuter gets electrified
This email comes from Allan VS:
Just to show how much worse MegaBus (aka Coach Canada) is than GO at times... PS. I'm deserving of being in WhiteTrashRepairs for this jerry-rig.
Situation:
We left Montreal at 5:30pm. We arrived in Kirkland around 6pm.
At 6:10 the girl in the quad w/ table across from me finds out her power outlets aren't working.
Me, being a computer geek + former boy scout, have a spare electrical extension cord handy.
The problem?
We need to keep the aisle clear so we can't have the cord dragging on the ground.
Solution?
The hand rails.
The rest, is history as they say.
Just to show how much worse MegaBus (aka Coach Canada) is than GO at times... PS. I'm deserving of being in WhiteTrashRepairs for this jerry-rig.
Situation:
We left Montreal at 5:30pm. We arrived in Kirkland around 6pm.
At 6:10 the girl in the quad w/ table across from me finds out her power outlets aren't working.
Me, being a computer geek + former boy scout, have a spare electrical extension cord handy.
The problem?
We need to keep the aisle clear so we can't have the cord dragging on the ground.
Solution?
The hand rails.
The rest, is history as they say.
At least it's not the conductor who once posed on the outside of a GO train while it was in motion
The shenanigans kick into high gear as one of the GO crew on #281 spots the photographer, at the end of the train's run in downtown Brampton.
In the background is one of the 19th century houses built around the time the railway was constructed through town, before anyone ever heard of GO Trains.
See more at: http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=10026#sthash.iYjKFYfW.dpuf
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Close encounters with an arrogant, abusive smoker
Friday night was NOT a good night.
The bus was late (long-weekend traffic -- understandable) so this meant that we all had to line up for the bus at the Oshawa GO station.
I recognized everyone in the line except for the odd few, but the majority are fellow commuters I see day in and day out and some of them are entitled and ignorant smoking jerks.
These people know the rules. They just don't care to follow them. Also in line were people I know who smoke but who do play by the rules. The entitled and ignorant smoking jerks don't care about them.
With fifteen people in line, two jerks at the front decide to light up while they wait for the bus. Then, one guy behind me lights up and then, this other asshole appears out of nowhere and proceeds to light up RIGHT BESIDE ME and exhales right into my face.
I saw red. I got real mad. I have asthma and because of this stupid eye condition I've developed (CSR), I'm off all my asthma meds which means I am extremely vulnerable to triggers, meaning I'm at risk for an asthma attack. I can die from an asthma attack.
I didn't even bother to be diplomatic. I'm sick of being kind to smokers, politely approaching them quietly and reminding them of the by-law and pointing out the signs. I completely lost my shit. I was full-on yelling.
I yelled at all the smokers. I lost my temper. I lost my cool and then, much to my embarrassment, I burst into tears. I was able to regain my composure within a matter of seconds but that was not cool.
I truly have had enough. I am in the process of speaking to a lawyer to discuss how to approach the province of Ontario along with Metrolinx about this rampant, wide-spread problem of abuse among every single GO station in the GTA. Maybe I'm wasting my time (and money) but I'm sick of this nonsense. It's ridiculous. I'm also fed up with always being the one who has the nerve to say something while other people stand idly by, but later, when exiting the bus, will crouch down next to me and thank me for taking a stand. That's not right. It's not fair.
One smoker, who called me "sick" after my outburst, harassed me for his entire bus ride. I was shaking with rage and anxiety. I ignored him, choosing to play with my phone, write some tweets and act like he wasn't bothering me. When he got off the bus, he told me he'd do his best when he saw me to ensure "I got cancer". Those were his exact words.
I don't know who raised these people. I don't know how people like him feel they're in the right and I'm in the wrong. All weekend I've been thinking about the incident and making a few calls. I feel very alone in this fight. I feel like no one cares about us non-smokers.
I feel bad for the smokers who do behave. It's the ignorant idiots who create situations like what's happening in Thunder Bay. The transit company up there has created a pen, I shit you not, to put the smokers in because the situation was out of control. Talk about humiliating, right? But in Thunder Bay, it's come to this.
The bus was late (long-weekend traffic -- understandable) so this meant that we all had to line up for the bus at the Oshawa GO station.
I recognized everyone in the line except for the odd few, but the majority are fellow commuters I see day in and day out and some of them are entitled and ignorant smoking jerks.
These people know the rules. They just don't care to follow them. Also in line were people I know who smoke but who do play by the rules. The entitled and ignorant smoking jerks don't care about them.
With fifteen people in line, two jerks at the front decide to light up while they wait for the bus. Then, one guy behind me lights up and then, this other asshole appears out of nowhere and proceeds to light up RIGHT BESIDE ME and exhales right into my face.
I saw red. I got real mad. I have asthma and because of this stupid eye condition I've developed (CSR), I'm off all my asthma meds which means I am extremely vulnerable to triggers, meaning I'm at risk for an asthma attack. I can die from an asthma attack.
I didn't even bother to be diplomatic. I'm sick of being kind to smokers, politely approaching them quietly and reminding them of the by-law and pointing out the signs. I completely lost my shit. I was full-on yelling.
I yelled at all the smokers. I lost my temper. I lost my cool and then, much to my embarrassment, I burst into tears. I was able to regain my composure within a matter of seconds but that was not cool.
I truly have had enough. I am in the process of speaking to a lawyer to discuss how to approach the province of Ontario along with Metrolinx about this rampant, wide-spread problem of abuse among every single GO station in the GTA. Maybe I'm wasting my time (and money) but I'm sick of this nonsense. It's ridiculous. I'm also fed up with always being the one who has the nerve to say something while other people stand idly by, but later, when exiting the bus, will crouch down next to me and thank me for taking a stand. That's not right. It's not fair.
One smoker, who called me "sick" after my outburst, harassed me for his entire bus ride. I was shaking with rage and anxiety. I ignored him, choosing to play with my phone, write some tweets and act like he wasn't bothering me. When he got off the bus, he told me he'd do his best when he saw me to ensure "I got cancer". Those were his exact words.
I don't know who raised these people. I don't know how people like him feel they're in the right and I'm in the wrong. All weekend I've been thinking about the incident and making a few calls. I feel very alone in this fight. I feel like no one cares about us non-smokers.
I feel bad for the smokers who do behave. It's the ignorant idiots who create situations like what's happening in Thunder Bay. The transit company up there has created a pen, I shit you not, to put the smokers in because the situation was out of control. Talk about humiliating, right? But in Thunder Bay, it's come to this.
Designated smoking areas built after riders object to breathing in second hand smoke
Shall we play another game of "I'll just put this here"?
How is this even remotely comfortable?
What's this game about? Click here for the back story.
Submitted
What's this game about? Click here for the back story.
Submitted
Friday, June 28, 2013
Just shut up and take my money!
It took me 30 minutes, three bank branches and a meltdown with a branch manager to buy $200 USD this morning at TD Canada Trust.
I should have just done an ATM withdrawal and gone to RBC where there were 12 tellers ready and willing to shut up and take my money, compared to the one teller per TD Branch (cough) ready (cough) to serve 9-12 people in line at each branch.
I also had a question about my bank account that I'd been procrastinating about and really wanted that addressed as well... hence my stubbornness to walk over to the competition.
I really need to work on that.
I should have just done an ATM withdrawal and gone to RBC where there were 12 tellers ready and willing to shut up and take my money, compared to the one teller per TD Branch (cough) ready (cough) to serve 9-12 people in line at each branch.
I also had a question about my bank account that I'd been procrastinating about and really wanted that addressed as well... hence my stubbornness to walk over to the competition.
I really need to work on that.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
By further request ... piling on more stuff onto the brokeback donkey
I put out a request on Twitter yesterday that our brokeback donkey from Tuesday's post (shown above buried under various items from my "I'll just put this here" pile-on game) needed a few more items to help him enjoy his GO train trip more comfortably, so... based on those suggestions ...
In case he gets a caffeine craving, I'll just put this here:
In case he wakes up and his hair is a mess, I'll just put this here:
In case he needs some entertainment, I'll just put this here:
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