Post by kelvin on Sept 25, 2008 21:36:00 GMT -5
Photos:
www.680news.com/more.jsp?content=20080925_180644_8760
Story:
www.citynews.ca/news/news_27266.aspx
There is always chaos whenever the subway shuts down in Toronto, especially at rush hour. But there's rarely been anything quite like this. After an electrical cable fell and stopped trains between Bloor and Lawrence stations on the Yonge-University line Thursday afternoon, thousands of people emerged from the tunnels and spilled onto the streets looking for shuttle buses.
But many complained they weren't told anything and there weren't enough TTC personnel around to tell them where they were supposed to find their impromptu lifts and which were going in their direction. To add to the chaos, there were too many commuters for the sidewalk to hold them all and many wound up blocking traffic on the street, creating even more gridlock.
And the longer they waited without answers about what caused the delay and what was coming to pick them up, the angrier they became.
One exchange perfectly captures the moment.
"Do you know where we have to wait to catch the shuttle bus?" a stranded passenger asks an overwhelmed TTC inspector, armed with a bullhorn.
"There are thousands of people waiting, I can't tell you," he responds, his frustration equally evident. "It's supposed to stop here. I'm only one person for thousands of people!"
"Where's the TTC bus?" another demands as no vehicles approach.
"I can't argue with people," the transit official sighs. "I told you what the situation was."
Passengers weren't happy with that kind of response.
"This is a madhouse, it's a zoo. It's insane," complains Lena Sa. "It shouldn't be like this. Even if it's for safety issues, it still shouldn't be like this." Her problems are just beginning. She lives in York Region and faces more troubles with a Viva bus strike once she finally reaches the Toronto-Vaughan border. For now, she'll be happy just to get there.
Giovanna Colarossi was stranded for more than three quarters of an hour, finally calling her husband to set out for the long journey to pick her up. "The shuttle buses are too full," she moans. "They're stopping but they're packed. I don't think I'll get on one. They're too packed."
"There's not a lot of buses coming around," adds Rosa Sinopoli. "It's really slow ... They're all filling up really fast ... They're telling us we can take different routes but you have to walk ... It's really hard."
It was a long day at work that turned into a hard day's night for thousands. But unlike the lyrics of that Beatles' classic song, no one seemed able to 'get home to you' in any kind of hurry.
www.680news.com/more.jsp?content=20080925_180644_8760
Story:
www.citynews.ca/news/news_27266.aspx
There is always chaos whenever the subway shuts down in Toronto, especially at rush hour. But there's rarely been anything quite like this. After an electrical cable fell and stopped trains between Bloor and Lawrence stations on the Yonge-University line Thursday afternoon, thousands of people emerged from the tunnels and spilled onto the streets looking for shuttle buses.
But many complained they weren't told anything and there weren't enough TTC personnel around to tell them where they were supposed to find their impromptu lifts and which were going in their direction. To add to the chaos, there were too many commuters for the sidewalk to hold them all and many wound up blocking traffic on the street, creating even more gridlock.
And the longer they waited without answers about what caused the delay and what was coming to pick them up, the angrier they became.
One exchange perfectly captures the moment.
"Do you know where we have to wait to catch the shuttle bus?" a stranded passenger asks an overwhelmed TTC inspector, armed with a bullhorn.
"There are thousands of people waiting, I can't tell you," he responds, his frustration equally evident. "It's supposed to stop here. I'm only one person for thousands of people!"
"Where's the TTC bus?" another demands as no vehicles approach.
"I can't argue with people," the transit official sighs. "I told you what the situation was."
Passengers weren't happy with that kind of response.
"This is a madhouse, it's a zoo. It's insane," complains Lena Sa. "It shouldn't be like this. Even if it's for safety issues, it still shouldn't be like this." Her problems are just beginning. She lives in York Region and faces more troubles with a Viva bus strike once she finally reaches the Toronto-Vaughan border. For now, she'll be happy just to get there.
Giovanna Colarossi was stranded for more than three quarters of an hour, finally calling her husband to set out for the long journey to pick her up. "The shuttle buses are too full," she moans. "They're stopping but they're packed. I don't think I'll get on one. They're too packed."
"There's not a lot of buses coming around," adds Rosa Sinopoli. "It's really slow ... They're all filling up really fast ... They're telling us we can take different routes but you have to walk ... It's really hard."
It was a long day at work that turned into a hard day's night for thousands. But unlike the lyrics of that Beatles' classic song, no one seemed able to 'get home to you' in any kind of hurry.