My great big transit adventure pt 3
Friday, November 21st, 2025 05:51 pmI'd scheduled a cab to take me down to my appointment at Service Ontario but today was the day those No park signs spraypainted onto the street for the last week came into effect as little bobcats ripped chunks out of the pavement and then filled them up again with asphalt. When I went to check 90 minutes before my due time, cars were able to pass, but there was no guarantee the bobcats wouldn't start on a new section. So I cancelled my cab and hoofed it over to Bathurst (shall be oh so happy when the Christie elevator becomes operational) and so down to College. Where my normal up elevator was out of service but I eventually located one in the labyrinthine and badly signposted MARS building. Up to the street and over to Bay and eventually located the totally unsignposted wheelchair entrance, and by dint of asking a security guard, the minisculely signposted elevator down.
I was early because of course I was, but they called me fifteen minutes after my appointed time and I was out ten minutes after. Found my MARS elevator no prob, empty subway train to St George, and announcements that train would bypass Spadina station because of a police investigation. Well, I wasn't going north, I was going west today, so down to the line 2 platform, black with the unlovely youth of TO and their backpacks and their hockey sticks and their shoving and jostling and loud whoops of glee. Ah well, knew I'd hit the student rush hour, shou ga nai. But the westbound train comes in, I get on, and then a stentorian loudspeaker says EASTBOUND TO KENNEDY, THIS TRAIN IS EASTBOUND TO KENNEDY. Bref, all westbound trains were turning back at St George because the investigation was at the line 2 Spadina station. So forced my way back through the crowd and tried to locate the elevator which was on the far side of the sea of humanity, both sides of the platform. And may I say, guys who stand on the platform edge looking down the tunnel in case the train might come earlier than announced, blissfully unaware of someone trying to pass them from behind, are asking to be shoved off said platform. Made it to the elevator along with many other disabled types with walkers, and mothers with tank strollers, and the elevator showed no signs of coming, and when it did it was full of tank strollers who decided no they didn't want to get off after all. One or two walkers made it on, also an unlovely youth who slid past me before I could move and stood there looking innocently over my head.
Got to the street eventually and then walked home. The one good thing being that Wieners was still open and I could buy fruit fly traps. Guy recommended fly paper but I've dealt with fly paper before and don't care to repeat the experience. So 8000 steps today and a temporary health card and the real thing if and when the post office agrees.
The odd thing being that both my health card and ID date from four years ago and I seem to remember going down to Bay St to get them, pandemic or no, but I have no record at all of doing so.
I was early because of course I was, but they called me fifteen minutes after my appointed time and I was out ten minutes after. Found my MARS elevator no prob, empty subway train to St George, and announcements that train would bypass Spadina station because of a police investigation. Well, I wasn't going north, I was going west today, so down to the line 2 platform, black with the unlovely youth of TO and their backpacks and their hockey sticks and their shoving and jostling and loud whoops of glee. Ah well, knew I'd hit the student rush hour, shou ga nai. But the westbound train comes in, I get on, and then a stentorian loudspeaker says EASTBOUND TO KENNEDY, THIS TRAIN IS EASTBOUND TO KENNEDY. Bref, all westbound trains were turning back at St George because the investigation was at the line 2 Spadina station. So forced my way back through the crowd and tried to locate the elevator which was on the far side of the sea of humanity, both sides of the platform. And may I say, guys who stand on the platform edge looking down the tunnel in case the train might come earlier than announced, blissfully unaware of someone trying to pass them from behind, are asking to be shoved off said platform. Made it to the elevator along with many other disabled types with walkers, and mothers with tank strollers, and the elevator showed no signs of coming, and when it did it was full of tank strollers who decided no they didn't want to get off after all. One or two walkers made it on, also an unlovely youth who slid past me before I could move and stood there looking innocently over my head.
Got to the street eventually and then walked home. The one good thing being that Wieners was still open and I could buy fruit fly traps. Guy recommended fly paper but I've dealt with fly paper before and don't care to repeat the experience. So 8000 steps today and a temporary health card and the real thing if and when the post office agrees.
The odd thing being that both my health card and ID date from four years ago and I seem to remember going down to Bay St to get them, pandemic or no, but I have no record at all of doing so.
