This morning I broke up a fight in the Quiet Zone and now I have to move and switch corridors

Just kidding. Although the person did snap off a pic of me, I have no idea what for, so if you see WANTED posters Monday morning in the Union GO Concourse - now you know.

I couldn't help myself. If I see a person in need, I'll jump in. It's what I do.

It all started around Ajax on the 7:15 train that originates in Oshawa. Some guy in a suit answered his phone, suggested two other people get patched in (not sure if he was in a motorcycle gang or I just watch too much Sons of Anarchy) and did the one thing any GO commuter, in a Quiet Zone or not, hates - he put his call on SPEAKER.

I was watching "Let's Be Cops" on my phone. I was sitting opposite of him and I heard everything over the sound of my movie. The lady next to me? NOT IMPRESSED.

She gave it until Pickering before she leaned over and tapped his knee and told him he should take his call downstairs. He waved his hand at her with an annoyed look on his face and shifted in his seat so he was facing the aisle. The call was about Chicago and some sort of office move. It seems Raj didn't come in with the cabling system like he promised he would at 5 am this morning, and Bettina is waiting in reception for him and she's mad.

You know who else is mad? The lady beside me.

She got up and excused herself to move past me and stepped into the aisle. She asked the man to end the call. She wasn't the only person annoyed but she was the only person willing to say anything about it.

I had paused my movie and sat there waiting for the moment when I would step in. The guy told the people on the line with him he'd call them back when he got into the city. He made a dramatic point of pressing the end button on his phone. This is when I clapped my hands really loud and fast for a few seconds and said, "Thank you!" Around me a few people chuckled and others squirmed uncomfortably.

He stood up so he and the woman were now face to face in the aisle. Yep - this is my cue! I stood up and got between the woman and the man. I told the guy to calm down. At one point, he said to her, "You know, you people, you think you can just say what you want." How do I put this into context as to why the way he said, "You people" was offensive? I'll just leave that to how you want to interpret it because many of you are very smart.

Someone called out that we should "take it outside" - ha ha ha, very funny.

I said to the woman we should go downstairs and we left, but of course, this guy had to get his 50 cents in and called us bitches as we walked down the stairs. Charming, right?

At Union, my new BFF thanked me again for coming to her defense and I exited the train. I stood on the platform for a few moments to adjust the cuff of my jeans. I was interrupted by a tap on my back. When I stood up, it was office move douche who shoved his phone in my face and took my picture. "Thanks," he said, "I'll need that for later." And he sauntered off. It caught me off guard so I had no time to react.

"Need that for later?" For what? Twitter? Facebook? The six o'clock news?

I'd feel the same way if I ever saw an ad for GO Transit (substitute Islands for Toronto and ferry for train)

Andrew found this on Facebook relating to BC ferries looking to save money.

Dear BC Ferries,

I know that you are having a hard time trying to figure out ways to save money. Please, let me help you.

1. You are not a cruise ship line. You are a bus.

2. You are not a travel agency. You are the travel method.

3. You do not need to advertise. You are the ONLY alternative.

So, with these three things in mind, please consider the following:

• You need a news stand, not a gift shop.
• You need a cafeteria, not a restaurant.
• You don't need slot machines, you need good WiFi and some big screen TV's.
• You don't need a "marketing department", you need a full on Social Media and Customers Service department. You don't need a fancy travel office or vacation planning department, you need plan to keep the actual travel agents informed of what is happening with your ferry service.

I shouldn't see the BC Ferries logo on the boards at Rogers Arena during a Canucks game, or on a TV commercial. Believe it or not, people really are smart enough to figure out that if there isn't a bridge or a tunnel to the Islands, then they will have to take a ferry or a plane.....and you can't get your car into your carry on luggage.

See. I just saved you millions upon millions of dollars.

You're welcome.

Isn't it nice when a person puts his foot up like this, you move and they still don't get the hint?!

This was texted to me. The person was sitting beside this foot rider at first until the foot rider swung his leg up. Really, how rude?

Like anyone would want the bottom of a shoe across the chest? So the person moved to sit opposite of this clown and the foot rider still didn't get it.

Brought a tear me eye ye did

One of your fellow readers has taken the approach of attaching this sign to his/her bag (sorry, don't know the gender as most of you who text me never tell me personal details). This person exits at Exhibition.

I know my headphones are in here somewhere ...

I will warn you, there is TMI is this post so if you've got some work to do, such as formatting a Word file or Powerpoint presentation about next year's budget, now's a good time to close this window and get at it.

I've been on antibiotics as I heal from my gum surgery. Any ladies reading this may be familiar with how our bodies react to penicillin or amoxicillin. Not every woman becomes an automatic bread machine on two legs, but some of us do. Sadly, I am one of them.

It's been a rough few days and yesterday I decided there are places a ruler should never venture, and I broke down and bought a box of stuff that my father NEVER understood.

I put the box, with no bag, in my purse and boarded the train.

Halfway through the ride, I decided I would watch a movie and reached down and pulled on my headphone cord which I did not know was wrapped around the box.

They weren't budging, so I lifted my bag onto my lap, gave the cord another good pull and like a dove being released to celebrate the love of two people joined in matrimony on a Cuban beach, watched as the box flew across the train and hit a woman in the back of the head (two seats over) before clattering to the floor.

A man, being very kind, reached down to grab it and I entered the aisle to retrieve it. But oh, not before several people got a good look at it.

I apologized profusely to the woman, my cheeks redder than a tomato and sat back down, shoving the box deep into my purse. I thanked the man and stared at the floor for the rest of the train ride.

Oh the embarrassment this caused me!!!

"Unfair competition" will cost us how much?

by Ali Gator

Per this article, Coach Canada (CC) is phasing out bus service between Hamilton and Niagara Falls citing “unfair competition” and expansion by GO Transit.

I assume their claim of unfair competition stems from GO Transit being “heavily subsidized”.  Can someone quantify the subsidy?  We’ve seen previously how the GO Transit’s routes through Niagara region operate inefficiently.  Also, the recent personnel issues there make one wonder who is running the show.  I’ll give CC the benefit of the doubt on the competition matter, but I’m not buying in on their “expansion” plea.

GO Transit doesn’t operate a route between Niagara Falls and downtown Hamilton.  A Park & Ride stop exists at Barton and Nash in Stoney Creek, and Hamilton Transit (HSR) operates local buses between there and downtown.  There exist alternate routes from Burlington GO station to Hamilton, but I won’t get into the logistics of those.  Is Coach Canada confusing “expansion by GO Transit” with consumer demand for rail service to the region?

Is CC losing money, because they made errors in their strategic business plan?  Is meandering through small communities often for no passengers a wise practice?  Let’s not forget that the Niagara region has Canada’s highest unemployment rate.  Did Coach Canada come to that realization only recently?

Statements from Coach Canada’s spokesperson, John Crowley, are often nonsensical, like “stopping at centres such as Welland on the way”.  Per CC’s web site – and confirmed by one of their drivers –Welland is not on the route between Niagara Falls and Hamilton.  In Welland, Coach Canada competes with Niagara Transit, not GO Transit.  Why didn’t the Hamilton Spectator reporter and editor pick up on this?

Has CC invested in infrastructure, i.e. the bus terminals that they use?  Per their web site, Coach Canada uses GO Transit’s terminal in Hamilton.  In St. Catharines, CC uses the downtown bus terminal, which was paid for by the provincial government.  Coach Canada passengers have ticket agents, protection from the elements, and washroom facilities in St. Catharines, whereas Metrolinx has provided GO Transit passengers NOTHING at the Fairview Mall bus stop.  In reality, CC is being subsidized, too.

Mr. Crowley claims, “We only get revenues from our fares.”  CC is the ticket agent for GO Transit in Niagara Falls.  Is Coach Canada offering this service pro bono to Metrolinx?

Should we be concerned that Coach Canada is meeting with GO Transit to “work out a solution”?  What are Coach Canada and Metrolinx discussing behind closed doors, and how much will “the solution” cost taxpayers?

Could this be why Metrolinx is holding a meeting tonight?

This story aired on November 3rd:



That same day Metrolinx sent out this note:

From: GO Transit
To: csmith8965@rogers.com
Sent: Monday, November 3, 2014 4:02 PM
Subject: Public Meeting on Accessibility Initiatives

You are invited to share your ideas on how we can make it easier for people with disabilities to travel around our region.

Wednesday, November 12, 6:30-9:00pm
Metro Hall, 55 John St, Toronto
Rooms 308 & 309 (third floor)

Tuesday, November 18, 6:30-9:00pm
55 Gordon St, Whitby
Abilities Centre, Theatre/Multi-Purpose Room (second floor)

Those interested in attending are asked to register in advance at metrolinx.com/accessibility or at 1-888-438-6646.

Ever wondered what it's like to evacuate a TTC subway train at track level?

Only on a GO train can you be this cozy

This got its own seat this morning

I mean, nobody is going to ask anyone to move the company potluck contribution, right?!

Isn't it nice when "one of their own" pulls an all your space on a crowded subway train?

According to the photographer this employee was oblivious to the bodies piling in station after station, never thinking that maybe he should move his stuff.

I bet his union rep would be quick to point out that all someone had to do was ask.

THAT'S NOT THE POINT, SIR.

Because who doesn't love a good fart story? (this story is NOT about me)

I share this true but pathetic story to commiserate with other tortured souls who relentlessly endure and survive extreme humiliation. We're a group of accident-prone fools who regularly trigger embarrassing situations that would permanently traumatize a normal person. My experience this week will be difficult to surpass: I farted inside an MRI machine.

KEEP READING

Lest we forget

So... just how BIG is this rat colony that has moved out of Union Station?

NOBODY KNOWS.

NO ONE.
And it's not a colony but a population. A POPULATION!

More from the Toronto Star
Abell Pest Control says construction at Union Station ‘has displaced a large rat colony.’

Downtown business owners are bracing for a rat infestation after a pest control company warned that “the demolition and construction of several underground structures at Union Station has displaced a large rat colony, forcing its migration to new areas of the downtown.”

But the exact location and size of the rat colony remain a mystery along with other facts about the alleged rats.

Some highlights:

Where in the station were they living?
Nobody knows. Rats are common in any city, especially in underground areas like subways. Since Abell doesn’t service Union, none of its workers have gone in to look for rats, Heimbach said.

Where are the rats going?
No one really knows. Heimbach said the station rats are pushing out other rats in the area, which in turn causes those rats to spread out through the city. As well, since it’s getting colder, more rats will try to get indoors.

Did you read that? NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING.

Burn it down. Just burn it.

No.

When asked if the coat was real skunk, he said yes

You couldn't pay me enough

Here's what happens when you try to feed two hamsters at once

So which one is it?

An equipment issue or passenger assist?

Did you know bicycles aren't allowed on rush hour GO trains?

And here's a perfect example as to why.

HOW MANY SEATS DO YOU NEED, YOU DONKEY!



According to the photographer, this was on the Richmond Hill train and no, he never lifted a butt cheek.

What parallel universe am I living in?

Shut up. You had me at Oshawaygago.

Oshawaygago is going to be my new gang name, if I decide to start a new gang.

While I was away, running around with my last gang (nickname - Bleeding Gums Murphy), GO Transit finally deployed its next stop announcement tool. There's a fancy term for this technology that I'm too lazy to look up so NSAT it is.

At first, I wasn't sure what was happening when I heard this creepy HAL-like voice announce (and way too loudly), "Next stop, Regional Road Highway 2 and Varcoe Road". Huh? What voodoo is this?

And wasn't GO Transit supposed to launch NSAT back in January? Only 11 months late, so, right on time!

The robotic voice has trouble with annunciation. Hell, my Samsung phone can enunciate better this this brokeback Suri version. The highlight of the bus trip, that made up for the driver running 12 minutes behind, was listening to it call out, "Oshawa GO". There was no pause between Oshawa and GO, so it was sounded out phonetically - OH-SHA-WAY-GA-GO.

Awesome.