THE TERRIBLE COMMUTE: July 6, 2023
Days like today is why I still have a Blog. I need a space to rant when everything seems to go wrong.
Today was a commute from Hell going home at the end of the day from downtown.
I got on the platform of the St. Patrick subway station just after 4:30pm Thursday July 6, 2023. As soon as I got on I heard an announcement of an incident at Eglinton Station. I already knew there was going to be some inconvenience but I really underestimated the chaos that caused.
After waiting for about 5 min I got on a busy train and my coworker got off at Union. It slowed and spurted up to Rosedale and then sat there for about 15 min or so. Then at Summerhill I think we had to get out and go to the opposite side to get a shuttle train or take a shuttle bus. I went to the other side of the train. I waited for 3 trains to pass trying to get on one so I could get a seat. I was carrying my laptop, my purse and a bag of stuff. Standing for about another 20 min before I jumped on. Still didn't get a seat. Then got stuck between St. Clair and Davisville. Finally got out at Davisville.. They said the same thing, get a shuttle bus on yonge or go to the other platform to get a shuttle subway train. I went outside and decided to wait it out for a bit. I started walking up Yonge and decided to stop and get dinner at Khau Gully. It's food from Goa I think. I ordered the coconut chicken, naan breat and raita. Thought maybe the subway would be clear by the time I finished. As I ate my dinner, only people picking up takeout and maybe one couple in the restaurant a half hour later. I watched as people continued to walk up Yonge street. After I finished my dinner I continued to walk up Yonge street. Maybe to catch a shuttle, a Yonge bus, who knows. I got up to Eglinton and was able to get on a shuttle bus and got a seat. Eglinton Station was completely shut down so it by passed. Thought I was closer to getting home and then of course about 5 min after we left the street the driver announces that Lawrence is the last stop. Originally the shuttle was only going to York Mills. I get out at Lawrence thinking I have to take another shuttle to York Mills but luckily a girl told me the subway was back on. I go down to the subway hauling all my crap and get on but don't get a seat right away. Finally get a seat at York Mills and was praying that it wouldn't stop again before Sheppard subway.
With all that my journey started from my office at Dundas/University at 4:30 and walked in my door Yonge/Sheppard at 8pm. 9, 200 appox steps later.
Not to mention that I had a rough day with my computer. After working late to clean up an excel database yesterday it didn't get saved properly to the Cloud and I had to try and do it over again today.
As we are told this past week that we have to go back to the office 3 days a week. I rarely have much tech issues when I work from home so I was not too happy to be there today. If this is what my 3 days a week is going to be like I may have to consider a life change. I need to win a lottery so I can afford to retire.
So let's add a heat wave, rain and nowhere to sit along the way and anyone would get kinda grumpy.
All this was caused by 2 idiots arguing over who knows what at Yonge and Eglinton station. They argue and one guy pulls out a knife apparently and stabs the other guy while everyone around runs away screaming. I am not sure on the exact time this happened but it sounds like it affected the subway for many hours. One guy is in the hospital now and the guy that stabbed him got away so they said on the news.
Here's the problem as I see it. The City/TTC want more ridership on the TTC so they can get more money. Employers are telling their workers to go back to work and they still complain that ridership is down but as I see it the subway is packed at peak hours of the day and scattered with homeless people taking up 3-5 seats sleeping with whatever stuff they have and nobody wanting to sit near them. Then there are other homeless people who walk up and down the subway with a cup asking for money. Some muttering, some shoving the cup in your face and some kind of loud and scary. Do you think they pay to get on the subway to do this? I think not. So space is taken up while people that are just trying to get to a fro are harassed, or fearful that at any minute someone will snap and then someone gets hurt or at the very least the commute is extended.
This is a multi-prong scenario that needs to be fixed and I am looking at new Mayor Olivia Chow to push to make some changes to solve these issues.
1. Treatment facilities needed for mental health and addictions.
2. Short term housing with support systems in place.
3. Rehabilitation or skilled trades training because we need people to fill jobs in this field and build more housing.
4. More affordable city so that people don't have to beg or lose their homes and can still eat and buy necessities of life.
5. Improve the TTC with more frequent service and finish the Eglinton crosstown because if you get north of Bloor and something goes wrong you are stranded because nothing moves any other way.
I am so tired of seeing this get worse every year. I used to love Toronto and thought it was the best City but I am losing faith and apparantly Celebrities are starting to comment about the inconveniences of this City which will drive down tourism. We also don't have enough housing for the Refugees that are flooding into this city. This all makes for a powder keg ready to blow.
I am getting up in years and am not the fittest so it's days like today that make me wonder if living in Toronto is really worth it.
