I walk home from the GO Train most nights. I see drivers do some pretty stupid things. I've been struck --- twice -- by a car. But that's another blog post.
Tonight, I saw a bus driver do what many car drivers do.
At approximately 6:42 p.m., Bus #8006 was making its first turn off Westney Road. There were pedestrians crossing the street. Their light was green. The bus began its turn and had to stop, blocking southbound traffic, and wait for the pedestrians--a cyclist and two pedestrians, to be specific.
As a bus driver, someone whose job is to shuttle pedestrians around, wouldn't you be more aware of pedestrians crossing the intersection? And, in particular, an intersection you travel through every day?
This isn't the first time I've witnessed this. It happens more often than you'd think. And far more often than it should (given that it shouldn't happen at all).
Then again, the Passenger Charter doesn't specifically promise that drivers won't run down pedestrians. And the Passenger Charter is all about passenger safety, right?
Thursday, September 22, 2011
There was an annoying couple sitting in the accessability seats by the doors. I was sitting two quads down. They were watching some video of a baby crying. Without headphones.
Really??
This is not a Cineplex auditorium, or even your living room with surround sound. It's a GO Train. Put your damn headphones in!
And when they finally stopped watching the videos, they carried on a conversation that I could hear all the way down to my seat. Jesus, people! Shut the EFF up!!
When I got off the train, some stupid broad was wandering along a narrow part of the platform, lost in her own thoughts, blocking the way for others, as though she's taking a pleasant stroll through a lovely country garden. Get outta the way, lady, or you're gonna get run over. If you don't want to play with the big kids, step outta the sand box until play time is over.
And what was with the priest at the Ajax GO Station this morning? Was there an exorcism I wasn't aware of? Obviously the holy water missed a lot of people this morning.
Really??
This is not a Cineplex auditorium, or even your living room with surround sound. It's a GO Train. Put your damn headphones in!
And when they finally stopped watching the videos, they carried on a conversation that I could hear all the way down to my seat. Jesus, people! Shut the EFF up!!
When I got off the train, some stupid broad was wandering along a narrow part of the platform, lost in her own thoughts, blocking the way for others, as though she's taking a pleasant stroll through a lovely country garden. Get outta the way, lady, or you're gonna get run over. If you don't want to play with the big kids, step outta the sand box until play time is over.
And what was with the priest at the Ajax GO Station this morning? Was there an exorcism I wasn't aware of? Obviously the holy water missed a lot of people this morning.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
I know. I've been busy. Not to mention these meds are working very well. I'll speak to my doctor and tell him to cut down the dose. My peeps need to hear me rant. I'm sure he'll understand.
The last few days have me hankering to bitch, though. I was on vacation last week, and yesterday...my first day back and Monday, no less...I'm surrounded by talkers.
Talkers in the morning. Talkers in the evening. Jesus, people! Shut the EFF up!! You don't need to shout into your cell phone. The microphone amplifies your voice and the caller can hear you quite well. So can I, for that matter, four rows down from you! I don't care if your brother can't make it to the party. No one else on the train cares either. I felt really bad for the poor shmuck sitting beside the woman last night who nattered on and on and on and on....
I did see something quite peculiar this morning that made me laugh. I was walking to the office, my GO sidekick next to me. As we approached Bay and Front, we both noticed a woman in front of us, holding a baby carrier. You know the kind...nest the little one in the carrier so it can coo and laugh and sleep, and the handle flips up for carrying.
Well, the carrier was empty, except for a bottle of apple juice.
My sidekick turns to me. "I think she forgot something on the train."
"I think so, too," I say.
"She didn't listen to the announcement to check under the seat and make sure she collected all of her personal belongings."
"No she didn't."
The last few days have me hankering to bitch, though. I was on vacation last week, and yesterday...my first day back and Monday, no less...I'm surrounded by talkers.
Talkers in the morning. Talkers in the evening. Jesus, people! Shut the EFF up!! You don't need to shout into your cell phone. The microphone amplifies your voice and the caller can hear you quite well. So can I, for that matter, four rows down from you! I don't care if your brother can't make it to the party. No one else on the train cares either. I felt really bad for the poor shmuck sitting beside the woman last night who nattered on and on and on and on....
I did see something quite peculiar this morning that made me laugh. I was walking to the office, my GO sidekick next to me. As we approached Bay and Front, we both noticed a woman in front of us, holding a baby carrier. You know the kind...nest the little one in the carrier so it can coo and laugh and sleep, and the handle flips up for carrying.
Well, the carrier was empty, except for a bottle of apple juice.
My sidekick turns to me. "I think she forgot something on the train."
"I think so, too," I say.
"She didn't listen to the announcement to check under the seat and make sure she collected all of her personal belongings."
"No she didn't."
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Back to school, back to work. My usual car was surprisingly empty this morning. Perhaps all the anxious parents stayed home to send the kiddies off to school.
We did get this message from GO Transit:
At GO Transit, we take your safety seriously and your safe commute with us begins as soon as you enter our parking lots. As a result, we'd like to remind you to always park in designated spots. Parking in an emergency access route, blocking other vehicles with your car, or limiting access to accessible parking spaces may result in your vehicle being ticketed and towed.
This is a perfect example of how my generation has raised a subsequent generation of spoiled brats. We don't discipline. It's all about time outs and never following through with the threats. When my dad said he was going to turn around and go home if we didn't cut it out, he meant it. He only did it twice before we realized he meant business.
Wagging your finger at stupid commuters is not going to solve the problem. If you say you're going to tow, then tow. Piss or get of the pot, GO Transit.
And may I add that someone needs to speak to the illiterate commuters at the Ajax station. There is a designated Kiss-n-GO area. Granted, it's under construction. I get that your commute is screwed up. But there is a specific area that is NOT a drop-off or pick-up zone. That's the area by the day care centre.
People rip through there like it's the Indy and pay no attention to commuters walking through the lot. They get pissed off at us when we walk through the lot. My response is, you shouldn't be there. There's a huge-mother sign that says this is NOT the drop-off area. I can't tell you how many times I've smacked the back window of a car that is backing up. Why do I smack the window, you ask? Because the asshole driving the car would have hit me otherwise.
And they get mad because I've hit their window.
First of all, it's highly unlikely that my superpowers lend to breaking windshield glass. And second...you shouldn't be in that area! Read the fucking sign. Me smacking your windshield is far less troublesome than the criminal charges that will follow if you hit me. Trust me on this.
We did get this message from GO Transit:
At GO Transit, we take your safety seriously and your safe commute with us begins as soon as you enter our parking lots. As a result, we'd like to remind you to always park in designated spots. Parking in an emergency access route, blocking other vehicles with your car, or limiting access to accessible parking spaces may result in your vehicle being ticketed and towed.
This is a perfect example of how my generation has raised a subsequent generation of spoiled brats. We don't discipline. It's all about time outs and never following through with the threats. When my dad said he was going to turn around and go home if we didn't cut it out, he meant it. He only did it twice before we realized he meant business.
Wagging your finger at stupid commuters is not going to solve the problem. If you say you're going to tow, then tow. Piss or get of the pot, GO Transit.
And may I add that someone needs to speak to the illiterate commuters at the Ajax station. There is a designated Kiss-n-GO area. Granted, it's under construction. I get that your commute is screwed up. But there is a specific area that is NOT a drop-off or pick-up zone. That's the area by the day care centre.
People rip through there like it's the Indy and pay no attention to commuters walking through the lot. They get pissed off at us when we walk through the lot. My response is, you shouldn't be there. There's a huge-mother sign that says this is NOT the drop-off area. I can't tell you how many times I've smacked the back window of a car that is backing up. Why do I smack the window, you ask? Because the asshole driving the car would have hit me otherwise.
And they get mad because I've hit their window.
First of all, it's highly unlikely that my superpowers lend to breaking windshield glass. And second...you shouldn't be in that area! Read the fucking sign. Me smacking your windshield is far less troublesome than the criminal charges that will follow if you hit me. Trust me on this.
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