Wednesday, November 21, 2007     « Reminds Me of Mulroney »

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As a non-driver I whole-heartedly support the public transportation system. My favourite North American cities are the ones where the city makes an effort to serve the needs of riders so that people of all classes ride the buses and subways and not just those without a choice. I hate to see a city's public transportation stratified by haves and have-nots.

But in my own city I have got a bone to pick with the TTC and one particular route, the Dufferin Bus southbound from the subway station. That ride is HELL. I ride it approximately 4 days a week and it is always a dehumanizing experience for everyone involved, riders and drivers alike. I rode that bus the entire line every single day for 2 of my 4 University years and while it wasn't enjoyable it was not as bad as those last few minutes I spend connecting from the subway to the Dufferin Bus. On my current route I connect twice to get home and the first two legs of my journey are fine. In fact all three legs are fine going northbound. But that last leg from the station to home is painful. Regardless of my mood I am almost always near the point of pulling my hair out by the time I touch ground at my stop.

Lately I've been strategizing ways to get home without connecting from the station anytime between 3pm and 6pm. It means a lot of extra time and walking WAY the hell out of my way but so far it has been worth the hassle because I get home feeling like a human being. I tried my usual trek today and was so beaten down by the experience I had to take a 2 hour nap on arriving home.

In conclusion, that is why the Dufferin Bus has earned the affectionate nickname, The Sufferin' Bus.

« Reminds Me of Mulroney »