Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Monday, November 28, 2016
Can you guess what happened here?
This vehicle was left parked at Oshawa GO Station this morning.
Just as how you see it.
Window down. All smashed up.
Take note of the second photo (why are there no pylons to warn drivers???)... possible source of damage? Or is this a hit and run, then dump and run?
Anyhoo, the experts are handling it. I'm more concerned about the open hole.
Just as how you see it.
Window down. All smashed up.
Take note of the second photo (why are there no pylons to warn drivers???)... possible source of damage? Or is this a hit and run, then dump and run?
Anyhoo, the experts are handling it. I'm more concerned about the open hole.
Thursday, November 24, 2016
To quote @madhatressTO "Many millennials don’t even own cars. They’re stuck on substandard transit or riding bikes on congested streets" It's the baby boomers who will start brawlin' over this
Tory set to announce tolls on the DVP and Gardiner https://t.co/RpLsWya4gJ via @torontostar
— CJ Smith (@ThisCrazyTrain) November 24, 2016
Troll bait - this, ladies and gents, is how you troll... I also liked how this person stopped short of implying "honest fare evasion" is a pet peeve of mine. Almost got me there...
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Ewwwww - seriously? Come on...":
I have been reading your comments for a while now, and I must say; you are the definition of arrogance and entitlement. You spew "holier than thou" posts in every direction; sure, these people may not be completely considerate, but the way you berate them for something as small as putting their feet on the seat or simply taking his foot out of a shoe, or even isolated incidents of unintentional or misunderstood fare evasion.
You are worse than these people.
So much worse.
Posted by Anonymous to You. Me. Ride This Crazy Train - Adventures and Observations on The GO at November 24, 2016 at 2:36 AM
I read these comments to my lawyer while he was ensconced in his luxurious sherpa blanket after an exhausting day. His expression says it all.
I have been reading your comments for a while now, and I must say; you are the definition of arrogance and entitlement. You spew "holier than thou" posts in every direction; sure, these people may not be completely considerate, but the way you berate them for something as small as putting their feet on the seat or simply taking his foot out of a shoe, or even isolated incidents of unintentional or misunderstood fare evasion.
You are worse than these people.
So much worse.
Posted by Anonymous to You. Me. Ride This Crazy Train - Adventures and Observations on The GO at November 24, 2016 at 2:36 AM
I read these comments to my lawyer while he was ensconced in his luxurious sherpa blanket after an exhausting day. His expression says it all.
Y'all ready for Bitching Betty on trains?!
We already have her on the GO bus. She yells every time the doors open, thanking us for pre-purchasing our fare with Presto, screams out the stops and sternly reminds us how to conduct ourselves. Now she may be joining us all on the train! Good times.
Here's what Anonymous had to say about it:
I've observed a fair number of different automated stop announcements on various train systems over the years. The best systems limit the announcements to just three things:
1) As you approach a station, providing the name of the station ("This is Oakville station")
2) At the station, providing the crucial information about the train for those boarding ("This is an eastbound train to Union station")
3) As you pull away from a station, providing the name of the next station ("The next station is Clarkson")
... AND THAT IS IT.
You'll notice the ideal matches pretty nicely with what CSA does now. However, I worry that someone at Metrolinx/GO will feel compelled to add a large amount of surplus information, and we'll end up with something like the external announcements on GO Buses ("Thank-you for pre-purchasing your fare. For passengers using Presto, please have your card ready. Thank-you for choosing GO Transit").
I'm hoping GO Transit doesn't overengineer this either. No feet on the seats reminder -- next stop -- and then shut the hell up -- works for me.
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Meanwhile, GO Transit has a less than 1% fare evasion rate (as per a 2014 report)
2014 GO Fare evasion story on ThisCrazyTrain.comMayor says fare evasion is on the rise, TTC says it's not. Board chair says truth is "probably in between." https://t.co/aYVFYzVcXL— Ben Spurr (@BenSpurr) November 23, 2016
Self-propelled? What?
Nov 21, 1967: seven months after beginning operations, @GOtransit puts its self-propelled coaches into service. 1/5 pic.twitter.com/1xu8zwT5oU— TorontoRailwayMuseum (@TORailwayMuseum) November 21, 2016
Monday, November 21, 2016
Friday, November 18, 2016
If I was wearing that parka, I'd be hunched over, too. Hunched over from heat exhaustion ... (spring in November, anyone?)
However, she's hunched over because that whole two seater set-up belongs to her. And her being tired is more important than anyone else who may be tired, but manage to stay upright for a whole fucking GO train ride, on a rush hour train.
*mic drop
Reports of sexual assault on GO Transit low compared to Toronto Transit Commission
by Cindy J. Smith
Blogger-in-Chief
On October 30, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) released a report about the frequency in which sexual assaults occur on the Toronto transit system. Every three days, passengers file reports about incidents where inappropriate touching or unwanted sexual contact had taken place.
Sexual assaults on public transit are a crime of opportunity for perverts, regardless of gender. Crowded and confined to a bus, subway car or streetcar, assailants press themselves against their victims and grope them. Usually victims of sexual assault don't realize they're being assaulted while traveling on a jam-packed subway car. Objects and body parts being pressed against them seem almost normal considering the crush of bodies jockeying for space. Unfortunately, that's not the truth for what's happening and the problem is worse than TTC officials realized.
The frequency of stops allow these criminals to escape. Many drift through the system undetected and protected by the volume of passenger traffic. They easily take advantage of a system bursting at the seams.
So what's it like on GO Transit?
Although the numbers released to ThisCrazyTrain.com don't reflect incidents reported to police agencies instead of to GO Transit, wrote Anne Marie Aikins, spokesperson for Metrolinx, in an email to this website - the numbers are small for a system that transports 70 million passengers annually:
In 2014, 23 passengers complained of being sexually assaulted while traveling on GO Transit's system. In 2015, 22 passengers filed reports and in 2016, 12 customers have reported being sexually assaulted to date.
But are these numbers realistic?
According to public safety experts, unreported sexual assault on public transit happens because most passengers don't realize an assault has taken place. Overcrowding and the assumption passengers are "accidentally being touched" are many reasons why people don't consider themselves a victim of sexual assault. Or, they fear they won't be taken seriously.
One anonymous female GO train passenger texted ThisCrazyTrain.com describing a recent incident on a busy Lakeshore West train. She alleged a male passenger grinded his pelvis into her back whenever the train swayed side to side. This passenger confronted her assailant and when he denied assaulting her, other passengers came to her defence. This passenger said she didn't report the incident to GO Transit because she believed it was "isolated", and that she had "effectively handled it".
I can back her up with my own story of "handling" unwanted sexual advances when traveling on transit. I was in my early twenties and traveling to Yorkdale subway station one Saturday afternoon. Seated next to me was an older gentlemen who was fondling himself through his pants pocket. He was trying in vain to get me to watch him and I was trying in vain to ignore him. The subway was crowded and I was in a two-seater with him. I was seated in the seat closest to the window. Occasionally, he would press his thigh into mine. I began to plan my escape after we left St. Clair West station. Suddenly, he asked me if I wanted to "touch it". Using all my strength, I lunged at him and managed to knock him off the seat and into the aisle. I don't remember what I said. I just remember feeling humiliated, scared, disgusted and super anxious. I vaulted over him and pushed my way off the train, and managed to escape just as the train doors closed. Standing on the platform at Eglinton West station, I tried to make sense of what had just happened. I didn't report it.
I've never had a situation on GO Transit where I felt sexually violated or touched inappropriately. I find traveling on GO to be quite safe. Unlike subway cars, passengers have the ability to move through the train freely to escape situations we feel might get out of hand. We also have a living and breathing person we can go directly to if we need immediate help, since all GO trains have a customer service ambassador on board.
GO Transit has demonstrated on numerous occasions they take all reports of sexual assault very seriously. Transit safety officers conduct regular patrols of stations and vehicles to deter and prevent criminal behaviour, issuing system-wide and public security bulletins when incidents of sexual assault occur.
A suspect in a recent sexual assault on a GO Transit passenger in York Region was quickly arrested after the decisive and swift actions of GO Transit's Safety division, wrote Aikins.
Aikins also said in her email that GO Transit Safety Officers freely share information with other GTA transit and law enforcement agencies, which is why arrests tend to happen swiftly.
To report an incident of sexual assault on GO Transit directly to GO Transit, contact 1-877-297-0642.
Blogger-in-Chief
On October 30, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) released a report about the frequency in which sexual assaults occur on the Toronto transit system. Every three days, passengers file reports about incidents where inappropriate touching or unwanted sexual contact had taken place.
Sexual assaults on public transit are a crime of opportunity for perverts, regardless of gender. Crowded and confined to a bus, subway car or streetcar, assailants press themselves against their victims and grope them. Usually victims of sexual assault don't realize they're being assaulted while traveling on a jam-packed subway car. Objects and body parts being pressed against them seem almost normal considering the crush of bodies jockeying for space. Unfortunately, that's not the truth for what's happening and the problem is worse than TTC officials realized.
The frequency of stops allow these criminals to escape. Many drift through the system undetected and protected by the volume of passenger traffic. They easily take advantage of a system bursting at the seams.
So what's it like on GO Transit?
Although the numbers released to ThisCrazyTrain.com don't reflect incidents reported to police agencies instead of to GO Transit, wrote Anne Marie Aikins, spokesperson for Metrolinx, in an email to this website - the numbers are small for a system that transports 70 million passengers annually:
In 2014, 23 passengers complained of being sexually assaulted while traveling on GO Transit's system. In 2015, 22 passengers filed reports and in 2016, 12 customers have reported being sexually assaulted to date.
But are these numbers realistic?
According to public safety experts, unreported sexual assault on public transit happens because most passengers don't realize an assault has taken place. Overcrowding and the assumption passengers are "accidentally being touched" are many reasons why people don't consider themselves a victim of sexual assault. Or, they fear they won't be taken seriously.
One anonymous female GO train passenger texted ThisCrazyTrain.com describing a recent incident on a busy Lakeshore West train. She alleged a male passenger grinded his pelvis into her back whenever the train swayed side to side. This passenger confronted her assailant and when he denied assaulting her, other passengers came to her defence. This passenger said she didn't report the incident to GO Transit because she believed it was "isolated", and that she had "effectively handled it".
I can back her up with my own story of "handling" unwanted sexual advances when traveling on transit. I was in my early twenties and traveling to Yorkdale subway station one Saturday afternoon. Seated next to me was an older gentlemen who was fondling himself through his pants pocket. He was trying in vain to get me to watch him and I was trying in vain to ignore him. The subway was crowded and I was in a two-seater with him. I was seated in the seat closest to the window. Occasionally, he would press his thigh into mine. I began to plan my escape after we left St. Clair West station. Suddenly, he asked me if I wanted to "touch it". Using all my strength, I lunged at him and managed to knock him off the seat and into the aisle. I don't remember what I said. I just remember feeling humiliated, scared, disgusted and super anxious. I vaulted over him and pushed my way off the train, and managed to escape just as the train doors closed. Standing on the platform at Eglinton West station, I tried to make sense of what had just happened. I didn't report it.
I've never had a situation on GO Transit where I felt sexually violated or touched inappropriately. I find traveling on GO to be quite safe. Unlike subway cars, passengers have the ability to move through the train freely to escape situations we feel might get out of hand. We also have a living and breathing person we can go directly to if we need immediate help, since all GO trains have a customer service ambassador on board.
GO Transit has demonstrated on numerous occasions they take all reports of sexual assault very seriously. Transit safety officers conduct regular patrols of stations and vehicles to deter and prevent criminal behaviour, issuing system-wide and public security bulletins when incidents of sexual assault occur.
A suspect in a recent sexual assault on a GO Transit passenger in York Region was quickly arrested after the decisive and swift actions of GO Transit's Safety division, wrote Aikins.
Aikins also said in her email that GO Transit Safety Officers freely share information with other GTA transit and law enforcement agencies, which is why arrests tend to happen swiftly.
To report an incident of sexual assault on GO Transit directly to GO Transit, contact 1-877-297-0642.
Thursday, November 17, 2016
You would think sleep studies would be a medical requirement for this kind of job...
Engineer of NJ commuter train that slammed into station suffered from undiagnosed sleep apnea https://t.co/KdVZn2UGeH #drivingsafety
— WSPS (@WSPS_NEWS) November 17, 2016
F this nonsense - my morning commute in one brief summary
Get on GO train at Oshawa.
Head up to Quiet Zone.
Arrive at Whitby.
A group of ten 20-somethings board on-route to TO for a conference/meeting/entertainment (not sure).
No idea about Quiet Zone based on their really loud arrival.
CSA makes no further announcement other than the first one made prior to departure at Oshawa.
It gets LOUDER.
I get up and leave.
But this group doesn't realize why I leave.
As I go down the stairs, someone says just loud enough so I can hear it: GUESS YOU DON'T LIKE BLACK PEOPLE.
It took everything in my being not to toss out a really bad word (a phrase starting with an "F" and ending with a "u") and start a brawl.
Because I don't like jail.
AND BECAUSE IF YOU GO LOW, I'LL GO HIGH.
Head up to Quiet Zone.
Arrive at Whitby.
A group of ten 20-somethings board on-route to TO for a conference/meeting/entertainment (not sure).
No idea about Quiet Zone based on their really loud arrival.
CSA makes no further announcement other than the first one made prior to departure at Oshawa.
It gets LOUDER.
I get up and leave.
But this group doesn't realize why I leave.
As I go down the stairs, someone says just loud enough so I can hear it: GUESS YOU DON'T LIKE BLACK PEOPLE.
It took everything in my being not to toss out a really bad word (a phrase starting with an "F" and ending with a "u") and start a brawl.
Because I don't like jail.
AND BECAUSE IF YOU GO LOW, I'LL GO HIGH.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
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