Editorial: An Old Fool...

Well, it finally happened. That moment where I stopped and said, "shit, I am old". So I was enjoy a quite Friday afternoon, drinking a coffee at my local Starbucks and drawing in my sketchbook. When around a certain time after 3 PM, I noticed a lot of high school kids coming into the cafe. Loud and noisy bunch, even with my headphones on, I began to notice more and more things that were bugging me. I noticed, hey, they haven't bought a coffee or even a bagel, 20 damn kids and not one of them bought something. Keep in mind, where I live by Royal York and Bloor is a pretty classy neighbourhood and none of these kids looked underprivileged. Then I noticed all of them going to the bathroom, together, and drinking booze in the bathroom. I just thought, shouldn't you kids be doing something useful with your life? Homework? Studying? It was embarrassing to see 16 year old kids stumble drunkly out of the bathroom. I thought, shit, we are a world at war here and all you kids can think of is drinking in a bathroom and trying to get your dicks wet?! And then I really thought hard, what about you? Don't you remember when you were that age? I wasn't on the honour roll. I wasn't a good kid, but that's not to say I was a bad kid by any stretch. I was troubled, I think. I am not sure. To my readers, I must confess, I don't have a good memory. I remember big moments, events and times, but details and little things, I tend to forget. I want to remember more, I want to know what kind of blocks I was laying down, the blocks that became me. I think sometimes, maybe I hurt people, maybe I wasn't as good as I thought I was, and maybe I have a life ahead of me to make up for all my mistakes. But that's what got me thinking about those kids, and what could I do to help.

I think it's easy for all of us to judge. We do it all the time, all of us, in some way or form we are constantly judging the world around us. And let's be honest, because f*ck me if I feel that we can all be way more honest with one and other, even if it hurts. I think of how little time we all have and man, I get scared, I worry on how dishonest we can be.  And hell, I get shit from my family from this a lot, and you know I can admit sometimes I may come off as an asshole, but I don't want to sugar coat things. Am I worried about my finances? Absolutely, I fear Visa is going to send a hitman and murder me. Do I need to find another job or more work? Yes, yes I do and that may involve working overnight to pay off my debts and to be able to look into getting my own place. Do I feel alone sometimes? More like most of the time, I just can't see a future with someone in my life. I hate my body, I want to work out. I want to be a better artist, I want to see more of the world and I seriously want the Toronto Maple Leafs to win the Stanley Cup before I kick the bucket. This is me just being as open as I can be without me showing my browsing history. I am saying all this because I know that I can do more for the present and for the future, regardless of my past. 

I feel a bit like both of these characters.

I know people and programs in this city that are doing and trying to do a lot of good, especially with the youth of today. And knowing that, I know what I need to do next. I want to do something for the youth, I want to help out, make a difference. And why not? What I wouldn't do to go back in time and tell my younger self to focus, to pay attention to the big picture, to realize how much more your worth. I am no saint and I don't think I am trying to be, have you seen how many times I used "I" in this blog alone, it's extremely self help in a way. At the end of the day, we all have the ability to make a difference and to be a difference, we can be pretentious or self righteous, we can tell our selves that we are always doing good and can do no wrong. Or we can just open the door, and go outside. The world is out there, we have to give a chance.

So I guess to close this off, I wanted to apologize about being a grumpy old man. It's so easy to complain and point out the flaws in others, but I think taking the step back and looking at your own imperfections, looking at what you can do to make the world a better place, that's the first step. I am not sure what I am going to leave behind in this world, but I am going to try and leave something worth talking about, something that can inspire courage and compassion to love without question. Okay, the sap is dry from this maple tree, I will see you guys later, thank you for reading and remember to keep chasing the storm. 

Day Old Hate...

Hatred is a strong word. It's a word and feeling I feel we need to be very selective about, something we can't just throw around like a tennis ball against the wall, throwing it again and again. I don't like spicy foods, I dislike the Boston Bruins. But something that I truly with all my heart absolutely hate, that spot goes to only one abomination in my life, the TTC.

I hate the TTC.

I wish it was one thing about this God awful transit service that I could just swallow and stay silent about, but the amount of flaws and failures in the TTC is way too much for me not to say something. I don't really know where to start with my laundry list of complaints. And as a paying customer and as a citizen of the city of Toronto, I feel it's my right and duty to share this with the world.

10 Things I Hate About You...TTC: 

10. Transit Stranglehold: A shitty service that is no rush to get better. Why? What other option do you have? Not many if you are a low income working class kind of person or a student who is trying to get by on a budget. And with this in mind why would the TTC try to do better? You can complain all you want, they know you aren't going to be taking a cab to work everyday. 

So unless we all start using bikes or cars, the TTC is in no rush to get you to where you need to be on time or being a better service. 

9. More Money, More Problems: A few things you can count on in the city now in days; Reimer will make over 40 saves a night (what a beauty), our mayor will put his foot in his month and every 6 months or so the TTC will feel the need to raise their prices.

I wouldn't care if I saw the progress, if I saw faster trains and more buses on the routes. But we don't and that's why it's hard to constantly be forced to cough up more money for a lesser service. 

8. People Don't Go Out on Weekends: Or at least the TTC would like to think so, and they aren't even considering those who have to be up early and go to work. You are shit out of luck if you need to get somewhere and on time, it's just not going to happen. This a crime to the part time worker and a total disrespect to the concept of time.

7. What's a Schedule?: I am not sure if this happens on your bus route, but I look at the time sheet on the stop and it says the bus will be here at 3:05 and it's 2:58. Okay, the bus should be here in 7 minutes, that's a fair. 15 minutes later and a bus arrives. Absolute dog shit.

These buses need to be on time. I mean traffic or accident can happen, I get that. But the bus I take, the 73 Royal York is never on time. That is not acceptable. 

6. Surprise Streetcars: Who hasn't been on a King or Queen streetcar and finds out half way on route to Dundas West station that the streetcar is stoping at Bathrust or Dufferin. It certainly didn't say that on the streetcar when I got on, good to know that I won't be on time for that appointment. 

Now I have had a few drivers give me the heads up at times, and I honestly appreciate that. But I have been on more then a few were it ends being a surprise that no one wanted. 

5. The Cost is Too Damn High: We pay a lot of money already with the TTC. I mean 7 tokens for $20, holy pumpkins Batman that's a lot! I find this to be ridiculous because it seems to me we go to work, so we can pay for transit to keep on going to work. And it doesn't help when the TTC doesn't get you to work on time.

4. Should be Simple: I am sure many other transit organizations in other cities have their fair share of problems, mistakes and goof ups. I can understand that, especially with subway systems as big as New York and London. But how can you not maintain the TTC? Look at how simple it is, a long line across the city and a U-line in the middle, with a small line at the the top. I don't get it. From what I've been told it's an old system that hasn't been fixed in years, so now we need to play catch up and clean up. 

We can't ask for more lines on our system if we can't take care of the ones we have now.

3. Bus Line Ups, Why Not?: You know what I need, three more Dufferin buses to go with these three infront of me. Said no one ever. I think a few people have complained about this in the past, and I have seen this at Royal York station with 76 Royal York bus, it's especially annoying when the 73 Royal York takes forever to get there. 

2. Let's Not and Say We Did: This one I will admit doesn't happen too often, but I've been on my way to Kipling station and this is during daytime hours as well, and I will hear that this train is stopping at Islington and turning around. This is really annoying especially when you are trying to get to where you need to be and on time, the lack of consideration is really annoying. But again, this doesn't happen to often.

This was a bit of a write off, especially compared to number one. 

1. Rush Hour, Motherfucking Rush Hour: The great Canadian torture,  morning and evening rush hour. Where do I start? Okay so if you work anywhere from 6-9 AM all through until 5-7 PM and you take the TTC, consider yourself shit out of luck. The fact is there is nothing worst then going to a job that needs you to stand for 5 to 8 hours straight (breaks in between of course, it's still a bitch) and taking a packed train with no where to sit. And these trains aren't kind of packed or a little packed, I am talking 40 timbits in a 10 timbits box. Just imagine that for a second, it's possible but you are not going to be happy with the aftermath. 

Rush hour is a punishment to the mind, body and soul. I don't wish upon anyone. 

I would like to hope that the TTC could do something about it, maybe more trains and buses. Or at least more frequent vehicles. The thing is no one needs rush hour, if it can be something we can get rid of, then by all means get rid of this. Before new lines, before new trains, let's fix this monster called rush hour. 

Well that's all I got for now, feels good to get this off my chest and honestly everyone should complain about any product or system that you aren't happy with. We don't have to settle for less, in anything in life, we deserve the best that we can possibly get. So if you feel like I do about the TTC or about anything that you have to deal with on a day to day basis, then by all means leave a comment below or share this blog with others and let's keep the conversation going.

Until next time, keep chasing the storm.