Imma on a mission to rescue y'all

There's this belief that GO Transit actually listens to me. They don't. But today, they just might.

I'm hearing it's an oven on most of the coaches on most of the corridors and hundreds of you are considering shedding the already light layers of clothing you have on just to make it home.

I've texted and emailed every single GO Transit contact I've cared to save info for. I have put in the call. I will save you!

My advice is if you're reading this on a hot train right now, just screw the fact you copped a seat and move to a coach with better A/C. It's the only way to roll.

The rants, they comin' fast and furious

So the Quiet Zone initiative on the Lakeshore East is nothing more than a big steaming pile of poo. We're only three days in and according to Twitter and email, it's a big #fail.

I figured people were exaggerating, you know, because I want to give adults the benefit of the doubt and prove they can behave, but alas, listening to two hollering five year olds this morning, despite repeated announcements throughout the trip the upper level was the fucking shut up and let me sleep cabin, the parents were oblivious to the glares and ignored the CSA's pleas.

I didn't say anything. I'm tried of being the one always putting myself out there.

It also doesn't help that the on-board signage says BARRIE LINE ONLY. If a person is wearing headphones and playing music at a volume that can be heard from space, do you think they're going to realize the Quiet Zone applies to the train they're on? NOPE.

This money and energy being spent to enforce a quiet zone would be better served on a NO FOOT RIDING initiative. I can help design the stickers. I draw a pretty mean chainsaw.

Look at all this money being spent

Metrolinx is repainting the green limos.

Awesome. How much is it costing?

There's nothing wrong with the current brand colours.

What's needed is more money for by-law enforcement and transit safety officers. Metrolinx also needs to consider creating a new position which I feel I would be a top candidate for - a manners and courtesy enforcement officer. All I need is a jaunty pink hat and clipboard. I'll take care of the rest.

Plus, I'm cheap. Just pay my fare.

Photo kindly supplied by Rail Pictures.ca

You tell me what's worse? This woman acting like she's on her patio or her unshaven legs?

Just say no to feet

Unfortunately, I only have the after-pic to post.

This morning, at some point during the train ride, the person sitting next to me vacated his seat. This was after Pickering and well before Union on the Lakeshore East Express, so I can only presume he went off in search of a washroom.

After moving to let him out of the quad, I settled back into my seat and shut my eyes. When I opened them again, the lady sitting across from my former seat mate had removed her sandals and had her feet up on the seat beside me. Her dirty feet. The top of her toes were dirty. The bottom of her feet were dirty. Come on! Even clean, it's just gross.

Where the hell do these people think they are? This is a public commuter  train with other people. Have some sense of courtesy. You're not entitled to do what you what.

So I asked her to put them down. I leaned forward, tapped her shoulder and politely asked she put her feet down. She didn't say anything, just acted startled that I would ask such a thing. She put them down and went back to her snooze.

A person sitting on the stairs then moved forward to sit in the seat. Really? You couldn't ask her to move her feet?

Once again, no one stood up and gave me a standing ovation for doing my part to make everyone's commute more pleasurable.

This truly is a thankless job some days.

Go on! Make yourself at home. None of us mind

Photos courtesy of @Tazmanian_Hat on Twitter

You know what today is, right?

Shh!

So shut the hell up on on the train ride home tonight.

I'm done here.

Starbucks with stuff. You asked. I deliver

There. Now she's all set for the ride home.

ORIGINAL POST < click!

I laughed

But seriously, we all know what went down on the Richmond Hill corridor (the train, in water) but what wasn't profiled very much was why service was interrupted on the Lakeshore West corridor. Sure, we were told there was flooding but oh no, it was more than that.

Check this out:



According to George, who sent the link in to me, the whole Dixie Road overpass/bridge was rebuilt and new tracks were laid in just under 30 hours. Dixie Road itself is still closed because the water undercut the roadway. It has to be dug up, reinforced and then repaved. There was a risk of a giant sinkhole if it wasn't repaired quickly.

That would have severely affected the rail bridge too.

It was an amazing piece of work by the track crews and the construction contractors.

That's not how you're supposed to hang on to that pole, sir

from:		DK
to:		cj@thiscrazytrain.com
date:		Thu, Jul 11, 2013 at 4:59 PM
subject:		Go "Etiquette" Winner

Despite all the room in the car, this guy had to stand with his ass in my friend and I's faces. When I asked him to step away a bit, he snapped, "You pay for your seat, I pay to stand here. Haven't you ever been told no before?"
Then he proceeded to go on about how we were crazy.
After some more of his ranting, the whole car chipped in on how rude he was.
It might have been the rudest behaviour I have ever seen in public.

A Spicy Affair

No, I'm not doing anything hot and illicit.

One of the perks of taking the GO bus on a route that goes through downtown Oshawa is I get to survey the cuisine moving into the city.

Taking over what used to be a subpar Thai restaurant on King Street, just across from the Scotiabank, steps west past Centre Street is Spicy Affairs - a brand-spanking new Indian restaurant. I noticed the grand opening earlier this week and mentioned it to my husband. Tonight we checked it out.

The building itself is old but the owners have done their best to "spice" up the decor. Authentic copper cookware, glass-topped tables and water glasses at the table lend to a fine-dining, Indian experience.

Our server was pleasant, gracious, welcoming and very accommodating. Service was prompt and the food - OH MY GOD - so good. We ordered the Chef's Platter (I would highly recommend it), naan bread, raita, lamb biryani, butter chicken and saag paneer. The Chef's platter came with saag chicken tikka, samosas, paneer tikka and pakora. The paneer (which is like a thick cottage cheese) were large and perfectly spiced. In fact, the level of heat was just perfect all around. The chicken was tender and marinated to perfection. I've eaten Indian from Peel Region to York Region to Durham Region. It truly was one of the best Indian dining experiences I've had in years.  The naan was moist yet crispy. It was done the way I like it. No burnt spots although many people like naan served that way. I like mine chewy. If I wanted toast, I'd order toast.

The bill came to $56 which was fair and reasonable for three people. I don't normally use the blog as a means to freely advertise a business but I am a big supporter of local, family-owned businesses setting up shop in Durham Region, especially when it's food. I loves me some food.

Packed train but the Starbucks got a seat

Let's make the coffee more comfortable, shall we?

How about a pillow?

Wait, it's a long ride to Oshawa. How about some music?

Wait, what if the battery runs out on that iPod? Here's a book to read.

There. That's better.

You've just found a stale bag of Cool Ranch Doritos

Congratulations.

Then you know what this ▼ smells like.

- Lovingly submitted from LC

Spotted on a Richmond Hill GO train this morning

- Submitted

Milton GO passengers, this is why Kipling subway station wasn't an option for you

Everybody sing! "Row, row, row your train ... "

I feel for for my LSW'rs

Here's what they had to deal with while GO repaired the tracks and switches damaged from flooding.

This was from early yesterday as people had to get off at Port Credit and board shuttle buses to Long Branch and then continue on to Union.

Look at those crowds!

- Submitted

So this showed up on the Kitchener line today

On Monday, before the Great GO Flood of 2013 hit the system, I was on the 4:53 pm LSE express listening to the door donkeys natter on about the Quiet Zone roll-out across all GO corridors.

Keep in mind, these are adults. These are also adults that have been asked several times over the years by other passengers to keep their voices down during the ride home - myself included. There are two crowds of door donkeys, the bar crowd and the party crowd. The bar crowd rides in one coach and the party crowd rides in another. I split my time between the two coaches to ensure I'm gracing them with my presence equally.  

These, cough, adults, cough (one of them is apparently a lawyer at a big Bay Street firm) go out of their way to be obnoxious on purpose to rattle those of us who have confronted them. I sit where I sit to demonstrate I could give zero shits about what they think about me. 

Monday, one donkey decided to read aloud to the whole train the article in the evening paper about the Quiet Zone roll-out and offered commentary as he went. If he thought he was being funny, he wasn't.

Of course, like the good ol' days in high school, his door donkey friends laughed and slapped him on the back because he's just awesome like that. Then they kicked it up into high gear and began plotting how they would thwart any attempt at a Quiet Zone on the 4:53 LSE train.

These people are also parents. It really makes you wonder what kind of role models they are to their own children and the kind of advice they dish out.

These door donkeys have probably bred a whole new generation of foot riders, stair pigs, triple Ds and bag riders. Children who show the finger to drivers turning on green lights as they run across a clearly marked red one. Children who feel entitled to behave badly because no one taught them what it means to be courteous and respectful towards others.

So it's great the Quiet Zone has made its way to other corridors but unless GO makes attempts to "police" it, those big window stickers are a big waste of money.

This guy. Like a boss. Swam from the Richmond Hill GO train last night

Photo by Veronica Chiu via Inside Toronto

Lots of folks tweeted about him. He apparently used his laptop bag as a paddle board. He was sick of waiting to be rescued.

Swim, Forrest! Swim!

And if the six feet of water wasn't enough on the Richmond Hill GO train, this little guy showed up to join the rescue effort last night

Photo from @khaterehsepehrv

YEP. That pretty much sums it up.

GO train and passengers caught in flash floods due to severe thunderstorms hammering west/central Toronto

UPDATE

5pm July 9 2013

More pics and an official announcement from GO Transit/Metrolinx

Photos courtesy of D. Fraser

ORIGINAL POST

8 PM JULY 8 2013

Photo via @EatThatQuestion on Twitter

It's believed this is a Richmond Hill train that runs parallel to the 404/Don River but GO Transit says severe flooding is affecting the Lakeshore West trains trying to pass through Mimco in Toronto's west end and that boats have been deployed to rescue passengers. I've tried to reach the photographer to get the exact location. This picture has gone viral around the world so I imagine his Twitter account is on fire.

More storm photos here.

Queen subway is partially submerged apparently.

Out here at home, near Bomanville, we have light rain as of 8:30 pm. I called my parents who live near the Etobicoke border between Rob Ford's homeland and the former city of York. My parents had the mind to turn the cellphone on as they're without power. Their street is a river.

My mom, being Eastern European, has plenty of bottled water on hand and a year's supply of toilet paper in her linen closet. They'll be all right.

Here's a view from inside a GO train stuck near Bayview and Pottery Road (near the Don River/DVP).

Photo from @sukminc

This is scary stuff. More storms are on the way. I hope everyone gets out safely. 

As of 9:19 pm, The Toronto Police Marine Unit is evacuating passengers on the Richmond Hill train that was submerged and GO Transit says trains will terminate at Oriole. 

Here's some pics taken from passengers inside the train. From @juliakristine_

and @sukminc

Photo from https://twitter.com/cristina_CP24

Photo from @SimonOstler

I can tell you this, because I can only deal with stress and anxiety with humor, if I were there, I'd be the only one singing, "Row, row, row your train ..." Then I'd ask everyone to join in.