CBC Metro Morning

Once y'all are done with the long weekend and you've put the liquor and bug spray away, I'll be on-air Tuesday morning to talk about tornadoes.

Some of you are in transit at this time so I expect you to pay for the bandwidth needed to listen to the radio live on your phone, and if you're in your car, you better move that radio dial from your country station to the CBC.

Tornadoes. Tuesday. 6:25 am. 99.1 FM

It was 4 am, are you sure the driver wasn't drunk? Fell asleep?

"Early Friday morning, a car mistakenly entered the TTC streetcar tunnel on Queens Quay near Bay St."

Let's look at that sentence, written by an editor at the Toronto Star, shall we?

How does a car make a mistake?

A car needs a driver.

The driver drove into the streetcar tunnel. This wasn't a "mistake". How many more DO NOT ENTER signs does one driver need to realize this isn't where cars go?

Oops! Car drives into TTC tunnel on Queens Quay. @BTtoronto pic.twitter.com/DV5NNx7JLj

— Kevin Frankish (@KevinFrankish) July 31, 2015

I think this is a little "reaching" for things that aren't there... but I can understand the concern (I have enough family drama. I don't need someone else's)

from:		Kim
to:		Cindy Smith
date:		Thu, Jul 30, 2015 at 9:07 PM
subject:		Harry.

Hi.
Read the story about Harry on your site. I'm only writing to give you some advice here as I had a similar situation involving my dad who made "friends" at his local Tim Horton's. My mother died a terrible death because of ALS. My brother and I are in our early 50s and we made the decision to put my mom (who was 74) at the time in an LTC facility because my dad proved mentally to us he could not care for her. Physically, sure, he's a former football player and military man but his mind could not handle what was happening to his wife. He would yell at her for having to wear adult diapers for crying out loud and he would call me to tell me he was leaving, that he didn't ask for this. He was resentful towards us when we decided to take over her care and I learned was telling his neighbours how ungrateful we were to do this to our mother. Anyway, when she died, my dad started complaining to his "friends" how my brother and I were pressuring him to sell the house and move closer to my family so he could become a full time babysitter. Talk about twisting around a situation! It was his idea to move closer and we only suggested selling the house because he was considering renting it and my brother felt he shouldn't have to deal with the stress of being a landlord.

So what happened is these "friends" staged an intervention. I had complete and total strangers on my doorstep one Thursday night telling me they were going to be taking care of my dad from now on so I could live my life completely free of the burden of caring for my father since my brother and I practically "abandoned" our mother by putting her in care. 

It was crazy! I had to call the police. I was so freaked out.

When I spoke to my dad, he had no idea these "friends" would do this. 
He's still friends with these people though.

What I'm getting at is, you made a point to mention it was none of you business. Harry's family is none of your business. Please be Harry's friend by all means but leave his parenting and his children's childrening out of the picture. Don't feel like you need to get involved to fix anything. Sometimes it's easy for people to give off a "woe is me vibe". It's not always the case.

Kim

Well this is different

Service Updates

Lakeshore West

• The Aldershot GO 13:01 - Union Station 14:11 train is 13 minutes late from Aldershot and will not stop at Long Branch, Mimico or Exhibition stations because of earlier track work. Passengers at these stations may take the Aldershot GO 13:31 - Union Station 14:41 train.

Lakeshore East

• The Union Station 14:43 - Oshawa GO 15:41 train trip will operate express from Union to Pickering. The train scheduled to operate this trip was 16 minutes late arriving Union Station due to an earlier brush fire investigation near the tracks west of Union. For passengers travelling to stations between Danforth and Rouge Hill GO: your next train is the  Union Station 15:13 - Oshawa GO 16:14 train trip. 
• The Union Station 15:13 - Oshawa GO 16:14 train trip is delayed 10 minutes from Union due to the investigation of a brush fire west of Union. 

Kitchener

• Kitchener Line GO Trains will be travelling at a reduced speed between Georgetown and Kitchener once again today; this is a safety precaution because of the extra stress that these temperatures can put on the rails. We expect that this may cause delays of up to 20 minutes to those of you traveling to Acton, Guelph and Kitchener GO Stations this evening. We thank you for your understanding.

Last Update: 3:52:41 PM

Source

But I am le tired

Since the train is an extension of a living room for some, how about I offer some comforts of home?

You look cold. Here's the quilt my mother-in-law made.

In case you're hungry when you wake up, here's a platter of crab legs, artichoke dip, some green stuff, pickles, crackers and cheese. Only the best for you.

All that cheese and crab might make you thirsty, so I've made this chocolate martini for you.

Oh, and this guy needs a television.

Happy rails!

Harry

Over the course of last winter and the fall before, I had gotten to know Harry who traveled three times a week on my GO bus into Toronto to visit his wife, Milly, who was living in a seniors home in the east end, receiving end of life care. Harry didn't want her there. His children made this decision. He knew it was for the best, but it killed him to be away from her. Three times a week on the GO was all he could afford...

Talking to Harry often broke my heart.

Last night, while I was out for a bike ride, I zoomed off my route to come down Townline Road, that separates Courtice from Oshawa, and spotted Harry as he stood on the corner at Highway 2. I came to a screeching stop. I was so happy to see him. I hadn't seen him since changing my morning bus routine in April.

His eyes brightened and then his smile faded... And I knew.

"When?" I asked.

"June," he said.

I put my bike down and asked him if he wanted a drink from the McDonalds nearby. He shook his head no.

And then I hugged him. I hugged him so hard, right there, at this busy intersection that I thought his bones would break.

"I just need to go to the bank," he told me after I let go. I said I would go with him. We walked over to the TD together, with me pushing my bike, and I waited for him outside. I had so many questions. What happens now? Who is going to take care of him? Is he moving? Does he have help? Who mows his lawn?

I didn't have grandparents. I also had to remind myself his business is not mine. And then suddenly, I felt awkward standing there, sweaty, and really, a total stranger.

When Harry came out of the bank, he asked me how my daughter was. "Fine... she's great..." I trailed off. I then I apologized to him if he felt I was intruding on his time.

"You're my friend," he said. "Come, walk me to the lights, I can tell you about Milly's service."

I don't know how many green lights came and went but eventually I had to leave because I promised my daughter we'd swim together for a bit before bedtime.

I asked Harry for his phone number and stored it in my phone.

I'm going to take him out for a pint one night next week.

Will someone PLEASE think of the seniors!

You painted all of the benches at the Pickering station at the same time so nobody can sit? Well played @GOtransit pic.twitter.com/efD3fISoww

— Etobicoke Ernie (@EtobicokeErnie) July 30, 2015

Cj, why you hate so much?

From:		R
to:		cj@thiscrazytrain.com
date:		Wed, Jul 29, 2015 at 10:07 PM
subject:		Hello.

I just discovered you and your Twitter handle, and looked at your blog, when someone I follow on Twitter mentioned you. I'm sure your intentions are all well and good. But C.J., why you hate so much? Do you not have any love in your life??? You're just. so. bitter. And you mask this bitterness with an attempt to be funny. I'm no psychologist but I'm pretty sure you don't have enough in life to keep you busy that you have to worry so much about what a person does on a GO train or what GO Transit does. It's so bizarre. I could see if you worked for GO Transit but you have to admit, you're pretty petty? And somewhat ridiculous? I mean, why bother with this? What do you get out of it? Don't hate. Just curious.
Just my 2 cents.

R

Sent from my iPhone

from:		Cindy (Cj) Smith
to:		R
date:		Wed, Jul 29, 2015 at 10:13 PM
subject:		Re: Hello.

If we all had to be "paid" to care about something, what kind of world would this be?
Thank you for your email.

Keep the change.

I want to marry him. And have his babies

The discarded chip bag is also another attractive quality.

Swoon.

But wait... near the end, why was "and on time" added after "safe" in the narrative? This is a video about delays!

GO TRANSIT - HOT DAYS AHEAD WITH A CHANCE OF TRAIN DELAYS! from GO Transit on Vimeo.
We’re in the middle of summer, and that means temperatures can soar well above 30. On hot summer days, we seek shelter from the sun to avoid the effects of extreme heat. Unfortunately, train tracks are fully exposed to the sun and can be affected by hot temperatures. In this video, find out how and why your GO train can be delayed on a hot summer day.

Burn this, too!

I'm getting angrier in my old age

this is gross @ThisCrazyTrain! #gotrain @GOtransit apparently lessons in decency need to be posted by QuietZone sign😒 pic.twitter.com/QKBnsl5Xk3

— Thea (@TheaR001) July 29, 2015

NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR PEDICURE. BURN IT. https://t.co/s2SXmOF0Tt

— CJ Smith (@ThisCrazyTrain) July 29, 2015

HOV lanes a boost for GO bus commuters

The Toronto region’s flirtation with high speed HOV lanes has proven to be a bonus for GO bus commuters, a Metrolinx spokesperson said.

Statistics are expected within a few days on exactly how much the HOV lanes sped up GO bus travel but (Alex) Burke said the feedback has been positive.

“Our GO buses continue to benefit…

Confrontation, it's not for everybody

The video above shows a fight between a cyclist and a pedestrian over a red light incident on Queens Quay.

I get a lot of pictures from GO Transit passengers of foot riders on the train and people talking in Quiet Zones. When I ask if the photographer asked their subjects to refrain from the bad or discourteous behavior, 99% admit they were afraid to speak up.

I don't blame you and I certainly don't judge you. You don't know how the other person is going to react and often, the outcome, which can turn violent, is not worth it.

However, this pedestrian demonstrates how not to do it. Don't come at someone with all guns blazing ... of course, the other person will be defensive (even if that person, such as this cyclist, was allegedly in the wrong). Then again, I've politely asked people to remove their feet from seats and paid dearly for it with a tirade of verbal abuse.

Sometimes, you can't win.

Don't you just love the world we live in?

Here's the full story on Beavis and Butthead.

Parenting ... so many fails ... all in one GO train trip

from:		Name Withheld by Request
to:		"Cindy (Cj) Smith"
date:		Mon, Jul 27, 2015 at 3:39 PM
subject:		Re: My Niagara Falls Excursion experience....

Me, the wife, my kid (19 yrs old) and her friend got on the train at Oakville for 9:30 last saturday morning. We got on the second car from the cab car because it's close to the station in the falls.

When we went upstairs because the kids wanted a view, I was shocked to see that a group of parents had their SUV style strollers in the aisle. Six of them lined up effectively blocking about 6 quads and the aisle completely. UPSTAIRS. The first event was when the fare checkers came around. They asked politely, I might add for the people to move the strollers either downstairs or place then inside a quad since the car wasn't crowded. They explained patiently that this was a hazard and not allowed. Well one of the mothers exploded with the "I pay taxes and I know my rights" routine. They adamantly refused to move them because they weren't bothering anyone. The fare checker patiently explained again that in the case of an emergency, they are blocking escape routes. Of course they said that it won't happen. Then the fare checker said that if they didn't move them out of the way, they'd be escorted off the train at Burlington. This caused a stream of profanity directed towards them right in front of the children (who I'll get to). They did comply and bitched about it the entire time. They demanded his badge number and promised to get him fired. I showed them my badge and told them to call me if required (editor's note, this person works for the province in an official capacity). I wish I had my phone recording.

Next we got stuck at the Welland canal by a boat passing through. In that span of 35 minutes, their kids went from well-behaved kids oohing and ahhing at the landscape to a bunch of monkeys in the zoo. They ran all around the coach, up and down the stairs, and took turns seeing who could slam the bathroom door the hardest. The kids were using the floor to ceiling pole in the aisle to jump from seat to seat playing tag. One kind of tripped and fell into my wife's leg. When she mentioned what they were doing was not polite, the kids' mother came steaming down the aisle yelling at my wife to not talk to her kid that way. I mentioned that someone should. She grabbed the kid and stormed off.

Next, when we were actually crossing the canal, one little guy was looking out the window wondering what all that stuff was. About 8 or 9 years old. I described what he asked about and explained in a kid's way what they were doing. We were having a great time. Until another hell-mom came screeching down the aisle yelling at me to stop talking to her little boy. If I didn't stop, she was going to press the yellow bar and claim I was luring her kids. We were sitting back to back, so that would seem an awkward way to lure kids like that. I actually dared her to press the bar. When I said my kid's phone is recording this whole conversation (I was bluffing) she slunk off, calling me names and questioning my heritage. I said thanks for the footage and see you on youtube.

Anyway, she returned to her gaggle of hens and they continued to talk about us from their safe perch. I later learned that their men were downstairs playing cards in a quad totally ignoring the kids as they ran rampant.

You might wonder why we stayed there and that's because it was only 10 more minutes to the station, and since they thought we were recording, they calmed down and stayed away. The kids got bored with the rampage and eventually sat back down.

I can't imagine being around people with so few manners and so little respect for others. I watched them struggle to get the strollers down the stairs and out the door. I had no intention of helping in the slightest, where normally I'd be the first one to offer my help despite my bad knee and my bad hip. It never occurred to them that it's ok if you take the stroller in one trip out the door and the extra gear in another. They tried to get it all off the train at once. Those bars dividing the doors nearly foiled their plans.

OK rant over. Of all my trips on that train, that was the only bad experience and it was a doozey.

It's time, once again, for everyone's favourite game: Name... that... STAIN!

I bet it tastes like peanut butter.

Go home Triplinx, something something drunk

from:		SS
to:		"cj@thiscrazytrain.com"
date:		Mon, Jul 27, 2015 at 2:19 PM
subject:		Triplinx is messed up

Just did a search for getting from 1 Atlantic Ave in Toronto to Niagara Falls for 10am on Friday. 

It told me to start at 5:45 am and walk to Dufferin St.
Take Dufferin Bus to Bloor. Bloor Night bus to Danforth Go.
Take westbound train to Union.
Stay on train to continue to Burlington.
Take GO bus to Niagara Falls. 

The entrance to exhibition GO is at 1 Atlantic Ave.

Tried another one: same locations. 

Told me to walk north on Atlantic to Liberty St.
Take Ossington bus to Eglinton West Stn.
Take subway to union.
Take westbound GO train to Burlington. 

20 km on TTC bus and subway for a 30 sec walk???  

It would be faster to just go up to King St take the streetcar to Bay St and walk to Union.

Try it yourself

Be prepared for delays this week my friends, because of safety

Steel doesn't like heat, especially extreme heat.

Because you know me, and I know other people, I am here to tell you that GO Transit will be extra diligent this week with track safety. This means you may experience slower speeds so not to derail.

Excessive heat can cause tracks to buckle, but only in spots where rail stressing has the potential to occur.

I know we all find delays annoying but derailment isn't something we want.

Is that a winter tire?

Just FYI, this is not cool during the morning rush... #gotransit pic.twitter.com/vogeC1wunf

— Erica S (@speedyerica) July 14, 2015

If I were a CSA, I'd be a raging alcoholic when I'm not working ... because this

@ThisCrazyTrain Screaming match in the QZ and then someone pushed the e-strip. CSA told them that this was not emergency and to calm down

— Carol (@carol_lablover) July 27, 2015