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Friday, January 31, 2014

The door donkeys hit a new low

Original picture has been edited at my discretion. Why?



They have now resorted to standing in the doorway of the toilet and inside the bathroom, while the train is boarding and in motion, because, you know, it's not like anyone would need to use it!

4:53 LSE. Every day this week.

When this notorious group of donkeys arrive at Union, most of them are on the platform well before the train arrives and hop on, nary copping a seat, and stand the whole time right in the doorway and in front of the stairs. These donkeys should wait on the platform, let people board and then scurry like ants to candy when the train is ready to leave and then they stand wherever they want.

I don't get the door blocking. I really don't. And this new practice of using the bathroom as additional floor space is just plain gross and inconsiderate. Not only do we have to ask people to move their crap off seats when we board trains, now we have to ask people to move out of the bathroom so we can urinate! And like I said, when these donkeys board, there are seats available.

He must have had a hard day at work, but guess what? So did thousands of others but we don't put our feet up (or take our shoes off)

Thursday, January 30, 2014

So many questions...

Woman found dead at Montreal subway station, scarf tangled in escalator | CTV News

OH MY GOD. Can you imagine?

This incident has brought back bad memories for some about an incident at Union Station in 2006 also involving an escalator.

A footrider's morning gift to those on the Richmond Hill train



Because nothing says I love you like salt stains on the back of your dress pants.

A year ago today I had to say goodbye to my best friend of 14 years - one of the best I ever had on four legs. I hope wherever Howie's spirit may be, it's always Caturday.


Oh my sweet Howie... How I loved you so.

I promised myself I would try to keep it together as I write this. But here I am, chopping onions on my keyboard as I write this post in memoriam to the best lawyer cat who ever laid across a bar.

This time last year I shared my concerns on this site as I was a complete wreck when I realized something was wrong with Howie. All of you were incredibly supportive. I wish I hadn't lost him as quickly and tragically as I did. Grieving a pet is an isolated grief and not everyone understands why it hurts the way it does. I can't explain it. It just does.

Howie was my one constant companion in a 14-year span where I moved five times, my marriage happened and an eight-year-long friendship ended. There was the birth of my daughter, postpartum depression and the sudden death of my Uncle Leon -- a pain that hurt so bad, I wanted to die too -- just to be with him. I cried so many times into that cat's fur that I'm sure those tears were the reason why he loved water so much.

Out of all the cats I've had, he remains by far, my cat. Howie's good friend Georgie is a wonderful companion - a constant reminder of the loyalty Howie possessed. It's uncanny how Georgie has adapted many of Howie's quirky habits since his death. It makes me wonder if animals grieve similarly to us. There is no doubt in my mind that Georgie misses Howie.

I miss him too.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Today's morning train ride on the Barrie line



I'd say this is an open and shut case of YOU HAD ONE JOB.

According to Syl, this panel did this for the whole train ride. Does no one carry tape?! A band-aid? If my mom was there, she'd be all over this.

Ever notice how the door donkeys are the first to board and the last to get off?

Hi CJ. I recently came across your This Crazy Train blog and love what you're doing. I thought I would share this picture of a group of "door donkeys"...



Jan 29 10:08am
... that travel the 4:10 LSE train. People boarding the train have to carefully maneuver themselves through the doors every night but clearly they don't ...


Jan 29 10:08am
.. care. Worst thing is that these jack***es don't even get off on the first stop..I think Oshawa or Whitby is their stop. I would love to see you post...


Jan 29 10:08am
this picture so they can see people are noticing. .. probably won't change their behaviour either. Keep up the great work CJ.....Kim


Jan 29 10:08am




Jan 29 10:08am

Hi Kim
How did you take these photos without drawing attention to yourself? Did you stop before the stairwell?
I've had door donkeys attack me in the past for calling out this behaviour. I just need to determine this isnt a setup




Jan 29 10:12am
Hi CJ.. I just stood against the opposite door and pretended to be playing around with my phone. . Had to make sure I turned off the flash though. Worked...


Jan 29 10:16am
great... I've been taking the train for over 15 years now and cannot believe how much ruder and inconsiderate people have become. Love your blog!!


Jan 29 10:16am
I feel bad for asking but I have to. Credibility is important and well, you have it because that's how I would have approached a maneuver to snap off a few


Jan 29 10:22am
No problem. .I understand. Hopefully 'outing' these people will have an impact. I know... wishful thinking.


Jan 29 10:24am
I wil post. The site is dry as a desert despite tons of footrider submissions which I grow bored of real quick. I really appreciate that you took the time to document what many find is an annoying practice.

***NOTE TO SOME FOLKS WHO WILL READ THIS AND THROW SOME SIDE EYE AT ME: Please continue to submit photos of footriders. I put them into a folder and whip them out when I'm raging. They are also being collected for a side project. Please don't feel I don't appreciate your pictures, but this site can't all be about footriders, footriders and footriders. 


Jan 29 10:24am
I like to feel the same. I convince myself all the time nobody is reading the site which is how I psyche myself up to be bold and just throw pictures up. However the metrics I get and the emails/texts I get tell a different story LOL This is why I drink.


Jan 29 10:25am

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

But where does she put it when she's done? I couldn't imagine carrying a stool back and forth to Union every damn day

I heard it through the gripevine

Last night on the 5:20 LSE

My girlfriend and myself got on and the lower level was packed. So we went upstairs to the Quiet zone. We sat side by side and chatted (mind you we spoke very quietly) as we were aware of the "Quiet zone"

Because this level is quiet, the least little chatter would be heard however, we were mindful of the people but still wanted to speak to each other.

This quiet zone is getting out of hand. The extremist are out and in full force. We were approached by a woman (who) told us we cannot sit here and chat. Well we told her that there were no seats below and we so we continued to chat quietly.

At the end of the ride she gets up and kicks my friends leather back clear down the train... omg, I never in my life saw such hideous behaviour.

The problem is this quiet zone should not be on every car. There are not enough seats for people that don't mind the noise. We are on a public transportation and we do have a right to speak softly if we choose not to sleep.

We pay our fare.

The quiet zone is not clear to some people. They expect no one to talk. I am sorry but if they want complete silence they need to take the car to work.

GO transit needs to revisit this pilot program as its not work. To make matters worse, people are now getting violent.!!! Maybe make the last few cars quiet. But having all the top levels that way is clearly not working.

This woman was completely crazy. She kicked my friends bags like a football.

Sent in by LT via Gripevine September 12, 2013

I SWEAR IT WASN'T ME. But thanks for your email.

I've dealt with a few Quiet Zone extremists myself. I handle them diplomatically as I keep a copy of the official Quiet Zone rule book in my purse. You know that three-fold pamphlet? I managed to snag one.

For the record, short and quiet conversations are perfectly acceptable in the Quiet Zone. Also, some people can't read as I had a lady lose her mind at me on a late Friday night train for calling my husband to tell him what time I figured the GO bus would be dropping me off. I told her that the Quiet Zone is only in force during rush hour trains. 9:30 pm at night is not rush hour.

She made such a spectacle. I don't know how many times I told her to calm her tits, which she objected to. Well Jeebus lady, asking you to calm down and read the sign wasn't working so let's try a more direct approach, shall we?

Some people have definitely misinterpreted the Quiet Zone and others are just plain ignorant. These are the ones who come upstairs while an express train is boarding with a phone call in progress and continue to conduct their conversation long after the train has left Union Station. The Quiet Zone does not not "start" when the train moves. It's in effect once you board.

Last week I was sandwiched between two women, both on their phones, who spoke at a volume I would not call quiet.The third person in our quad was a man who was trying to sleep when, all of a sudden, he woke up, dug out his phone, and called home to talk loudly to his wife about dinner. I realize he was trying to make a point but why not just ask these two ladies to can it rather than add to the dramatics?

After declaring my annoyance, I got up and went to stand downstairs.

What's it to you?

I don't understand this response to anyone who addresses someone indulging in bad, rude or discourteous behaviour.

For example:

Excuse me, could you please not smoke right near the Presto machine?

"What's it to you?"

Hi, could you please not put your hockey bag, sticks, helmet, coat, knapsack all on the seats and leave at least two seats in the quad available as this is an express train?

"What's it to you?"

Could you please turn down your music?

"What's it to you?"

Don't put your wet boots on the seat, please.

"What's it to you?"

I think it's wonderful that you went ahead and had a vasectomy thereby reducing the risk of pro-creating your douchey-ness but must you tell the whole coach in a loud voice how you had the procedure done?

"What's it to you?"

Could you please put out that joint? This is a public bus.

"What's it to you?"

Sigh. This has been my week. I've got nothing. The wit is no longer there. All that's left is rage. Rage and a chainsaw.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Please stand back behind the yell-oh-wait


Guelph Central GO Station
This morning.
Good luck with finding the platform's edge.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Karma comes in a bag sometimes

This text exchange happened between ThisCrazyTrain subscriber April and myself.

I'm the darker blue speech bubbles.

I exported this transcript with the Mighty Text app for Android and plug-in for Google Chrome. SO MUCH EASIER THAN SCREEN GRABS and so much better than cutting and pasting from Rogers' text to email service!

Picture if you will, a mostly empty 410 LSE train. I board and head to a quad that has one person in it, in the window seat with his bag on the seat oppo



Jan 21 4:35pm
site him. I sit in the aisle seat. Train fills and fills and douche bag makes no effort to move his bag. Finally, it is the only seat left on the car. A



Jan 21 4:35pm
man boards and says excuse me. Douche bag grabs his bag and storms off the train in a huff. I guess his bag really did need its own seat.

The man who wa




Jan 21 4:35pm
nted a seat takes the vacated seat, doors chime and the train leaves the station while the seat previously occupied by Douche bag's bag remains empty.

I




Jan 21 4:35pm
can barely contain my laughter when the man who took Douche bag's seat plops his bag in the empty seat as the train pulls away.



Jan 21 4:35pm
Oh man....



Jan 21 4:52pm
It made my day! I didn't say anything to new guy because there was no one else standing. I wish I could have chased down miserable douche bag and told him.



Jan 21 5:11pm
Absolutely astounding childish behaviour! So funny.



Jan 21 5:17pm
Best story today!



Jan 21 5:17pm
He was such a grumpy looking shit. Haha have a great night



Jan 21 5:26pm
Karma karma karma karmakilllilyeon. He comes and goes. He comes and go-oo-es. Bag riding would be so much easier if he didn't make a scene. Didn't make a scee--ee--ne... have a good night, too.



Jan 21 5:34pm

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Omigawd - I'm gonna do it.

It looks like my two sisters, my husband and my brother in law are all in for the Sporting Life 10K this May 11. All of them are runners with the exception of Chad and I so we're gonna walk it - I need this training to pay off and work to get my time to 1h:30m. 

Time to really challenge myself.

Speaking of challenging myself - attending my first Body Pump class tomorrow morning. One hour of hell. I will die.

Friday, January 24, 2014

My Lord, it's just been a buffet of spendi-- uh, news, these past two days from the folks at Metrolinx

Ontario orders new GO Transit rail cars from Bombardier

Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/ontario-orders-new-go-transit-rail-cars-from-bombardier-1.1654413#ixzz2rLJBNkkf


Locomotive #666 (True story, click that link) better find its way on the Lakeshore line. I want a red carpet, a clown on stilts, a town crier, a pony with a top hat and a personal escort from CSA Mario (or Tyler) onto that train for its inaugural run.

Here's the official word from Metrolinx:
Attention reporters, editors and producers:
Metrolinx issued a news release today about our order for 65 new GO Train (bi-level) coaches, with two options for an additional 75 coaches, to help allow growth and increased ridership across the GO Transit system.
The news release is copied below, and also available on CNW’s website at these links:

-       English: http://cnw.ca/dYNVR
-       French: http://cnw.ca/WLVJ6