Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
When the self-entitled get angry
Text message from: 1905864XXXX (The Smoker)
To: 9054427423 (CJ Smith - italics)
April 10 2012 11:27 AM
To: 9054427423 (CJ Smith - italics)
April 10 2012 11:27 AM
The Smoker: you know it's a small world right?
The Smoker: hello?
The Smoker: is this the go blog person?
Hello! Sorry, it's business hours so I'm working. What's up?
The Smoker: So you know it's a small world...
Uh sure... I know the song.
The Smoker: okay well you've got pics of people smoking on your site and I'm one of those people. Someone I ride the train with recognized me.
Oooh, are you one of the people smoking right under a sign or near a sign where it says NO SMOKING? One of those people doing an illegal act?
The Smoker: I'm well aware of what the law says and if I choose to break it that's my prerogative. What I have issues with is you publishing my picture without my permission.
Did you get permission from GO Transit to smoke in designated non-smoking areas?
The Smoker: Don't make this about the smoking. It's clear what you're trying to do but you're doing it at the expense of people's reputations.
ARE YOU SERIOUS?
The Smoker: Fuck you.
Well, you just lost all credibility with me. Swearing makes me lose all respect for you (not that I had much to begin with). You do know that a GO Transit station is a public place. I don't need to ask your permission. Period. You didn't ask for my permission to smoke and you most certainly don't ask the people around you for permission to smoke before you light one up, do you?
The Smoker: You know I can sue you, right? My friend works for a law firm. Apparently I've got grounds.
Do you see any ads on my website? Any membership fees? I'm not profiting from your cancer habit.
The Smoker: So it's a thing against smokers right? I have a RIGHT to smoke.
And I have a right to point out that you're breaking the law. So we're even.
The Smoker: You'll be hearing from my lawyer.
Man, if I had a dollar for every time I was told that.
The Smoker: I mean it. Take the picture off. And I'm calling GO Transit to complain.
LOL! Really? You expect them to be sympathetic? Let alone tell me what to do? LOL Have you even read my site? Newsflash. NO ONE CARES but at the same time, why point out that you're breaking a by-law and supply photographic evidence as well?
The Smoker: Whatever. I'm still calling. I'm sure this little web operation of yours will be shut down within the week.
Web operation? Who are you? Dr. Evil?
You gonna point a huge laser at Google's Blogger server and fire a missile?
No answer, huh? Well, have a great day. Thanks for writing.
Boiler plate replies despite being asked not to give boiler plate replies
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My new toy
A Samsung tablet.
The end result of a battle between myself and my wireless provider over gross accounting negligence. Free. All the better to blog about you with.
Monday, April 9, 2012
The GO Train ad this website inspired
I can dream, right?
Too bad nobody reads the damn sign! In fact, I'd be happy to pay for more of these signs through my fare dollars instead of useless signs that will be junked in a couple of months.
Photo courtesy of @camilahearts
Fare increase equals more money to waste
New signage that explains how the 2- and 10-ride tickets work. Signage that will be obsolete come June 1.
Nice to see the extra $16 a month I'm spending on fare being put to good use.
- Submitted
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Oh Presto ... more commuting woes
from: rlo
reply-to: mooxxxxxx@hotmail.com
to: cj@thiscrazytrain.com
date: Wed, Apr 4, 2012 at 3:35 PM
subject: Presto chronicles
I thought I'd write to you about my Presto Chronicles...or rather non-Presto Chronicles. See I don't actually have Presto, but felt compelled to ask the CSR at the station about it, since I see that they are phasing out the 10 ride tickets. I then wrote to GO transit customer service and got an answer I didn't like...big surprise right?
Ok so I take the Milton line and get off at Kipling most days. For the odd time that I have to go all the way to Union, I use 10 ride tickets. I stamp the 10 ride at Milton and between the 10 ride and my monthly pass, I'm paid up until Union. No biggie.
Well, it turns out that I can't do that once the 10 rides are gone. I can't use the Presto card in conjunction with my monthly pass. Since I have no choice but to tap it at Milton, it will charge me the full fare. So now I have to line up for a ticket every time I need to go all the way to Union or buy a monthly pass all the way to Union (which is a lot more and not worth it for the couple times a month I need to go there). I can only use the Presto card if I get off the train and tap it at Kipling, which is totally ridiculous, because we all know the trains only stop for a minute and that's not enough time to get off, tap and get back on.
I have no intention of getting rid of my monthly pass until I have to, because honestly, why would I trade a pass that doesn't require me to tap for one that I have to tap at least twice a day? Not to mention that now they can totally track your movements. Big Brother, here we come!
reply-to: mooxxxxxx@hotmail.com
to: cj@thiscrazytrain.com
date: Wed, Apr 4, 2012 at 3:35 PM
subject: Presto chronicles
I thought I'd write to you about my Presto Chronicles...or rather non-Presto Chronicles. See I don't actually have Presto, but felt compelled to ask the CSR at the station about it, since I see that they are phasing out the 10 ride tickets. I then wrote to GO transit customer service and got an answer I didn't like...big surprise right?
Ok so I take the Milton line and get off at Kipling most days. For the odd time that I have to go all the way to Union, I use 10 ride tickets. I stamp the 10 ride at Milton and between the 10 ride and my monthly pass, I'm paid up until Union. No biggie.
Well, it turns out that I can't do that once the 10 rides are gone. I can't use the Presto card in conjunction with my monthly pass. Since I have no choice but to tap it at Milton, it will charge me the full fare. So now I have to line up for a ticket every time I need to go all the way to Union or buy a monthly pass all the way to Union (which is a lot more and not worth it for the couple times a month I need to go there). I can only use the Presto card if I get off the train and tap it at Kipling, which is totally ridiculous, because we all know the trains only stop for a minute and that's not enough time to get off, tap and get back on.
I have no intention of getting rid of my monthly pass until I have to, because honestly, why would I trade a pass that doesn't require me to tap for one that I have to tap at least twice a day? Not to mention that now they can totally track your movements. Big Brother, here we come!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
I'm on a bus. I'm on a bus. I'm on a mother------g bus
Yesterday I got on the GO bus at 5:44 in the morning.
5:44. AM. Willingly.
I had to be at the office well before eight for a product launch. By 12 pm, it felt like I'd put in a whole workday with four more hours still to go 'til I could leave for the day. It was a long day.
On the bus it was just me and the bus driver, and not just any bus driver, but 'Santa', my regular bus driver. He was as surprised to see me as I was to see him.
I wasn't really up to chatting but I engaged him anyway because I like listening to him talk about his grandchildren. At some point, as we drove through east Oshawa, we had picked up another passenger who was sitting two seats behind me.
So Santa is chatting away, I'm struggling to stay awake and all of a sudden there's this singing coming from the man behind me. He's pounding the headrest of the seat in front of him like a drum and he's singing, "I'm on a bus. I'm on a bus. I'm on a motherf-----g bus." He was also hissing out his 'S's as in "buh-ssssssssss".
This went on for the whole bus ride until he got off near the Oshawa Centre mall.
On the bus it was just me and the bus driver, and not just any bus driver, but 'Santa', my regular bus driver. He was as surprised to see me as I was to see him.
I wasn't really up to chatting but I engaged him anyway because I like listening to him talk about his grandchildren. At some point, as we drove through east Oshawa, we had picked up another passenger who was sitting two seats behind me.
So Santa is chatting away, I'm struggling to stay awake and all of a sudden there's this singing coming from the man behind me. He's pounding the headrest of the seat in front of him like a drum and he's singing, "I'm on a bus. I'm on a bus. I'm on a motherf-----g bus." He was also hissing out his 'S's as in "buh-ssssssssss".
This went on for the whole bus ride until he got off near the Oshawa Centre mall.
He wasn't wearing headphones. He wasn't listening to music of any kind. He bode the driver a good day and sauntered onto the sidewalk. As we pulled away, he began air drumming and singing again.
Fifty bucks says he was singing about walking on the sidewalk.
Fifty bucks says he was singing about walking on the sidewalk.
I'm just a girl with a blog asking you to love her
from: Marvahluss Mel
reply-to: mmxxxxxxxxxx@yahoo.ca
to: cj@thiscrazytrain.com
date: Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 2:54 PM
subject: ur website
hi there. i work as a law clerk in downtown to. a really big firm. so one day i'm in the staff kitchen and there's this printout on the fridge from ur site about presto cuz some of the people who work here have issues with presto. anyhow i figured i'd check ur site out cuz i hadn't heard of it.
i don't ride the go train so maybe that's why or why i don't get it. anyway. good luck with it. my co-workers love ur site.
mel
----------------------------------------------------
from: C.J. Smith
reply-to: cj@thiscrazytrain.com
to: mmxxxxxxxxxx@yahoo.ca
date: Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 9:27 PM
subject: Re: ur website
Hi Mel
Yeah, it's really hard to relate to something when you've never experienced it. But surely we must have something in common so that we can at least become friends.
I feel I owe it to you since you took the time to write me about my website that makes no sense to you.
It's important that I get this kind of feedback because I'm very much about constructive criticism and evolving myself.
It concerns me greatly that my website has no value for those who don't use public transit. Surely there must be something I can do to connect to the thousands of people who drive, bicycle or walk to work.
But enough about them. Right now, all I care about is you. But first, more about me.
I work for this really big financial firm in downtown T.O. We also have a staff kitchen. I bet my staff kitchen is 10 times better than your staff kitchen. We have 10 microwaves, although you won't catch me anywhere near the kitchen when all 10 of them are running at the same time, but my co-workers who live in Pickering don't seem to mind. There's an espresso machine and a walk-in freezer with more ice cream than a Quickert's Dairy Store. Have you ever been to Quickert's? Look 'em up. Their milk products are fantastic. We've got tons of tables, chairs, magazines, a Wii and an X-box. There's a huge 66" Plasma television, satellite service, massaging chairs and a pool table. I watched this Dateline segment about Google once, which showed their staff kitchen. Trust me, my company's staff kitchen is the gold medal in staff kitchens.
Anyhow, hollah back when you have a moment. We should really compare staff washrooms. I don't want to give anything away until I hear from you, but be prepared. If you think our kitchen is Olympic material, our staff bathroom is complete and total Nascar.
Much love,
C.J.
reply-to: mmxxxxxxxxxx@yahoo.ca
to: cj@thiscrazytrain.com
date: Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 2:54 PM
subject: ur website
hi there. i work as a law clerk in downtown to. a really big firm. so one day i'm in the staff kitchen and there's this printout on the fridge from ur site about presto cuz some of the people who work here have issues with presto. anyhow i figured i'd check ur site out cuz i hadn't heard of it.
i don't ride the go train so maybe that's why or why i don't get it. anyway. good luck with it. my co-workers love ur site.
mel
----------------------------------------------------
from: C.J. Smith
reply-to: cj@thiscrazytrain.com
to: mmxxxxxxxxxx@yahoo.ca
date: Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 9:27 PM
subject: Re: ur website
Hi Mel
Yeah, it's really hard to relate to something when you've never experienced it. But surely we must have something in common so that we can at least become friends.
I feel I owe it to you since you took the time to write me about my website that makes no sense to you.
It's important that I get this kind of feedback because I'm very much about constructive criticism and evolving myself.
It concerns me greatly that my website has no value for those who don't use public transit. Surely there must be something I can do to connect to the thousands of people who drive, bicycle or walk to work.
But enough about them. Right now, all I care about is you. But first, more about me.
I work for this really big financial firm in downtown T.O. We also have a staff kitchen. I bet my staff kitchen is 10 times better than your staff kitchen. We have 10 microwaves, although you won't catch me anywhere near the kitchen when all 10 of them are running at the same time, but my co-workers who live in Pickering don't seem to mind. There's an espresso machine and a walk-in freezer with more ice cream than a Quickert's Dairy Store. Have you ever been to Quickert's? Look 'em up. Their milk products are fantastic. We've got tons of tables, chairs, magazines, a Wii and an X-box. There's a huge 66" Plasma television, satellite service, massaging chairs and a pool table. I watched this Dateline segment about Google once, which showed their staff kitchen. Trust me, my company's staff kitchen is the gold medal in staff kitchens.
Anyhow, hollah back when you have a moment. We should really compare staff washrooms. I don't want to give anything away until I hear from you, but be prepared. If you think our kitchen is Olympic material, our staff bathroom is complete and total Nascar.
Much love,
C.J.
That's Door Donkey (TM) to you!
Great shoutout but I coined the term "door donkey" back in 2009.
Royalties are now due in full.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Caption this? Anonymous picture message with no description
Not sure if the subject is the camouflage-jacket or the person who looks like he's using the space between the seats as a resting place for his head, or the guy reading is a foot rider.
Truth be told, I get picture messages all the time with no description. Sometimes it's not so obvious to me what's going on and I'm left guessing, or I feel like I'm dealing with one of those "when you see it" photos that are all the rage on Facebook these days.
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