Winding down for the holidays -- see you in the New Year!

First and foremost, I want to wish all of you who have stuck by me these past *almost* six years(!) of blogging a very MERRY Christmas (and so does my husband and cattorney Wendel Clark).

Some of you have become good friends in my offline life, and I wouldn't have met you all if it wasn't for this hobby of mine. I want to thank Fred for the best advice ever given to me when people ask me why I continue to do this ...

WHY DO YOU KNIT? Because I enjoy it. SAME HERE.
WHY DO YOU GARDEN? Because it centres me. SAME HERE.
WHY DO YOU STAR WARS? Because it gives me an escape. SAME HERE

WHY DO YOU BLOG CJ?!
Because people read it (*mic drop).

I like to entertain. I like making people laugh. I love bonding over all of this nonsense. I love learning about people's lives, their nuances and what causes commuter rage.

Of course, there's a dark side to all this, and I've had to really mature as a blogger to handle it.

There are things I miss that came with being "unknown" at first ... being confused for GO Transit's Lost and Found department, being accused of being a retired bus driver, being accused of being part of a marketing ploy for Metrolinx, being accused of being a fired and vengeful GO Transit employee, being accused of being the daughter of Gary McNeil (lolololololololololololololol), being accused of being a reporter for the Toronto Star AND being accused of being perfect (you've all seen the comments from people who "footride all the things" and "all your space" all the things).

I also miss the text messages. The world changes. More people have data-enabled smart phones and camera-enabled phones then they did in 2010. Back when it was just text messaging and phone calls, it was easier for people to make mistakes with phone numbers and information. I very rarely get a person who contacts me thinking I'm someone else.

I want to thank BuzzFeed, the Huffington Post, Melbourne Metro, SkyTrain, SunRail, The Toronto Star, Transit Toronto, BlogTO, Q107, Metro Morning, CBC Radio One, CFRB1010 and Metrolinx for their promotional support, editorial features and the many mentions on Facebook and Twitter this past year. If you've shared this site on Reddit, I owe all my spikes in traffic to you.

For 2016, I will remain true to my commitment to keep this site free of advertising. I'm not here to make money from your time. People think I'm crazy but this is important to me. Where I will entertain offers is for product reviews and restaurant reviews, so I can share whatever you want to reward me with, to thank me for helping with your business, with people who are important to me.

This is my last post for 2015, folks. Hug your family, eat all the food, love your pets and please, keep your feet off the seats!

Metrolinx announces TTC's aging fleet of streetcars now PRESTO-enabled

TORONTO -- The PRESTO rollout on the TTC continues as dozens of new fare card readers are being brought online aboard legacy streetcars.

Following rigorous testing, PRESTO devices are now live on more than 100 of the TTC’s legacy streetcar fleet, with the remaining streetcars coming online by the end of this year.

Work continues to expand PRESTO across the entire TTC network by the end of 2016, with a new, modern TTC fare gate with integrated PRESTO payment to be tested in the first quarter of next year. Once the trial is complete, the fare gates will be installed in the 43 TTC subway stations that are not yet PRESTO-enabled by the end of the year. PRESTO installation and testing will also begin on the TTC’s bus and Wheel-Trans fleets in 2016.

When PRESTO is fully deployed, there will be more than 10,000 electronic fare payment devices in surface vehicles and subway stations to provide the 1.7 million people who ride the TTC each weekday with a modern, fast and convenient way to pay for transit.

Voodoo curses and clackety keyboards

This guy is banging out quite the novel on what is the clackiest of laptops. In the #QuietZone #GOtrain #DeathStare pic.twitter.com/JktdipPRta

— CJ Smith (@ThisCrazyTrain) December 16, 2015

I'm in the #QuietZone of this #gotrain and am surrounded by Mr. Clackety Clack keyboard & a lady on her phone talking about voodoo curses

— CJ Smith (@ThisCrazyTrain) December 16, 2015

Let's focus on #voodoocurse lady here. Apparently she works in a bank & some guy came in angry about a mortgage refusal ... #gochro

— CJ Smith (@ThisCrazyTrain) December 16, 2015

... demands to speak to manager so #voodoocurse lady comes forward. Guy says he's gonna sue RBC and she looks at letter ... #gochro

— CJ Smith (@ThisCrazyTrain) December 16, 2015

... something something co-signer needed. Guy goes off on #voodoocurse lady saying his Haitian blood lines will be made known... #gochro

— CJ Smith (@ThisCrazyTrain) December 16, 2015

... She's telling us all (and the person on the phone with her) that he started a #voodoocurse on her & said she'd need snake oil... #gochro

— CJ Smith (@ThisCrazyTrain) December 16, 2015

... #voodoocurse lady is asking friend on phone to google Haitian voodoo & snake oil. Asks how legit her friend thinks this is... #gochro

— CJ Smith (@ThisCrazyTrain) December 16, 2015

#voodoocurse lady is exiting at Ajax. We're not going to find out what happened to the Haitian RBC customer who was denied a mortgage!!!

— CJ Smith (@ThisCrazyTrain) December 16, 2015

@FayMaclachlan @GOChronicles This is the part I don't get. The lack of confidentiality. It's public space. You're no longer at work!

— CJ Smith (@ThisCrazyTrain) December 17, 2015

Woman stabbed in Shoppers Drug Mart in the PATH has died from her injuries (this is such a sad story)

It was reported this morning that the woman stabbed last Friday has died in hospital. She has been identified as Rosemarie Junor, 28.

Rohinie Bisesar, 40, was arrested on Tuesday. Charges against her will now be upgraded, said police. Biesar had been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and carrying a concealed weapon.

Emergency crews were called to a Shoppers Drug Mart in the city's financial district just before 3 p.m. on December 11.

The victim was rushed to hospital. She had been stabbed in the heart and was placed on life support.

Police believe the victim, whose name has not yet been released, did not know her alleged attacker.

It's funny. You can show a footrider this picture and they'll look you right in the eye and tell you *this* is *not* because of *them*

I rode it. And I liked it

This offer doesn't apply to Presto cardholders.
So if you want the free ride for your Aunt Kathy, you have to buy a full fare ticket.

Lemons! Lemons everywhere!

Seriously, @GOtransit. Get some decent busses! pic.twitter.com/NNZVXBC2HX

— Nicholas Romyn (@nickromyn) December 7, 2015

Plays through the constructions like a boss

Civilization @unionstationTO #Toronto! @GOtransit, @VIA_Rail, @TTCnotices passengers, like Michael, play piano 🎹 👏🏽 pic.twitter.com/12vFXxM4Xz

— Dawn Bazely (@dawnbazely) December 15, 2015

After the year I've had, I am thinking the same. There are so many vile and mean people out there. I don't fault the Star for making this decision

Toronto Star closes commenting on thestar.com

2016 will be the year of the reader on thestar.com. Next year, we’ll be bringing you more of what you want: more photos, more interactive storytelling and more in-depth coverage of the stories that matter to Toronto and the GTA. We’ll also be working to foster more insightful commentary from our readers and engage with you…

Merry Christmas!

Presto fare system goes live on many TTC streetcars

Presto’s not supposed to be live on TTC streetcars until at least Thursday — maybe not until the end of the year. That’s the official line anyway. But the electronic readers that let riders tap their Presto card to pay their fares, are already working on many streetcars on King, Queen, St. Clair and other routes,…

Meanwhile, on a Bollywood set

its from a bollwood movie, so dont worry

Thank you, random stranger, for peeling off your nail polish and leaving it for the LSW folks to admire your garbage art

Something's going down tomorrow

from:		mediarelations <mediarelations@metrolinx.com>
to:
date:		Wed, Dec 16, 2015 at 11:54 AM
subject:		EVENT ADVISORY: Public Transit Announcement

Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca will join TTC Chair Josh Colle and MP for Spadina–Fort York and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs Adam Vaughan to make a public transit announcement. Metrolinx President and CEO Bruce McCuaig and TTC CEO Andy Byford will also be in attendance.

Date:                           Thursday, December 17, 2015

Time:                          9:30 a.m.

Location:                    Bathurst TTC Subway Station – Street Level

819 Bathurst Street, Toronto

When it's dark on the GO train and suddenly the windows become mirrors

Headphones should be the first item on this guy's Christmas list

Do some people pour their life savings into a mobile plan that there's no money left over to invest in headphones? #gotransit #gobus

— CJ Smith (@ThisCrazyTrain) December 16, 2015

I was on the bus. Guy got on. Sat behind me. Some rap I'd never heard of. Full volume. Profanity laced.

645 am is too early for this.

Before I got a chance to ask him to turn it down, the bus driver told him she would have to pull over and stop driving because his distraction was interfering with her safe operation of the bus.

I was expecting some grandstanding from him and some smart ass retort, but he apologized and shut it off.

I guess some people truly are oblivious to their own behavior.

Sorry to bust out some onions here but I learned this morning this dog eventually had to be put down

They've just brought the dog out of the tunnel, staff tell me he's alive! #TTC @680NEWS pic.twitter.com/vW1HVwkwSJ

— Mark Douglas (@Douglas680NEWS) December 15, 2015

Take from this what you want ... someone cut a tree down, just to watch the world burn

The Union 19:40 - Richmond Hill GO 20:28 train holding south of Oriole, hit a tree. Current delay 10 mins. Update when train is moving.

Dec 14 8:09pm

How do u hit a tree?

Dec 14 8:09pm

Union 19:40 - Richmond Hill GO 20:28 train cancelled because of damage from hitting the tree. Passengers to be accommodated by GO Bus.

Dec 14 9:12pm

I'd hate to be on that train

By all means ... please ...

@gotransitofficial Can't fine them the $90 'cause their feet ain't touching seats. Regardless, #PEAK levels... #YTPrivilege #GOTransit #Caucasity #latergram

A photo posted by El Chapo Escobar (@johnmondejar) on Dec 10, 2015 at 10:12am PST

Pas cool GO Transit

I took the 510 LSE from Union last night and arrived at Oshawa GO to a torrential rain storm and no bus.

Metrolinx removed two large bus shelters from the bus loop to make room for a walkway and the new station being built. Those of us who board the 90, 88, 96 and 91 buses are left exposed to the elements. There is only one reasonably-sized bus shelter left and it's unheated and holds at most, 40 people.

We can't wait in the station because we can't see the bus loop. Oshawa is also a tiny station. If you try to stand in the vestibule, this pisses off other passengers coming in to buy tickets and you'll get hollered at by the attendants to come into the station.

I realize now I should check and see if there is CCTV for passengers in the station for the bus loop, and if any of the cameras are aimed at where these buses arrive.

It took 27 minutes for a bus to arrive. I was soaked. Soaked to my underwear. I have a rain jacket that is water-resistant, but not water-proof. It took another four to five minutes for the driver to set up the bus (sign, Presto, seat, switches, whatever else is done)

Not a single text alert or email was sent out by GO Transit to tell any of us where our bus was.

The driver told us he had been "put into service" and we found out that our bus had been held up at Yonge and Finch in north Toronto, because of a broken water main, and was somewhere on the 401.

After about 10 minutes of not moving, a passenger asked when we could expect to leave. The driver told us since he's a "train meet service" we would have to wait for the 520 train to roll in and he casually remarked, "It should have been here by now .. " Several people piped up to tell him it was delayed by 15 minutes due to a signal problem. WE ALL GOT THAT ALERT!

All of us on the bus had now been at the station for 45 minutes since exiting the train, and counting.

Like everyone else, I just wanted to get home. I asked the driver to find out when the bus that was supposed to be at the station was expected to arrive, because that bus could meet the train passengers. We then learned that the bus that services the 553 train was actually "holding" at Finch.

Other passengers were not impressed. The driver looked at us, all wet, soppy and shivering, and told communications he wasn't waiting. After confirming another relief bus was available, he drove away.

When it comes to being a bus passenger on GO Transit, it often feels we get the short end of the stick. It doesn't matter what route you are on. We are exempted from the service guarantee and often, the Passenger Charter doesn't meet our expectations, save for the fact that when service is running how it should, it's a comfortable ride.

We understand a broken water main is not something GO Transit can control. What GO Transit can control is communication, and we don't get enough of it.

C-

Because I know food/coffee/automation is important for some of you

Somewhere around Eglinton my stomach began howling (I got auto-corrected to "howling" from "growling" on my phone so it's staying).

I was like, fine, I'll hit a Starbucks® on the way to the office seeing as this morning was a clusterbomb and I didn't have my usual bowl of cardboard and Tassimo® Gastown Grind coffee.

When I came down the stairs in the York Concourse at Union Station, I was greeted by the new McCafe® food service outlet and its shiny self-serve kiosks. Oh yes please! I love McDonalds® coffee.

I whipped through the order screen, picked an eveything bagel, toasted, with Philadelphia® cream cheese. I selected one Splenda@ in my coffee and two cream. Sorry, trolls-who-think-I-get-paid-to-advertise, I didn't get the brand name of the cream. There goes my cheque.

The total time to receive my food and beverage, from when I tapped my credit card and got the receipt, was three minutes until my order number was called. That's fast.

When I was a teenager, I worked part time as a cashier for both Dominion and Loblaws®. We used to have scanning and bagging tests (Dominion was hardcore about this). My average time for a 40 item order with 10 items requiring the scale and a code was eight minutes. The old-timers (or lifers as us part-timers called them) were even faster, clocking in at six minutes. Accuracy was 99%. I always screwed up on parsley vs. any other herb. When I saw those green leafy things coming down the belt, I would start to sweat. Everything was parsley to me. Since all the herbs were priced at 79 cents a bunch (this was the early 90s) I used to ring everything in as parsley. Later I learned I was the reason why our Loblaws location had the largest section for parsley, and why no one could ever find dill or cilantro. I got schooled in the back office about the importance of inventory control and my head cashier printed out this poster for me to use so I would get the herbs right. It became a HUGE inside joke.

Here's a pic of my food order. It would have been nice if my bagel had been sliced, but that would have required someone sacrificing their personal best of three minutes. I totally get it.