[LNahid2000]

I just had a weird/frustrating experience on the TTC (what else is new?). I took the streetcar north from College & Spadina, intending to go to Spadina station. The driver made everyone get off at Sussex because there were apparently too many streetcars already in the loop.

So I went into Spadina station to head east to Bay and then to King, but there was an announcement about a track-level injury at Keele, so no service west from St George to Ossington. But also no trains eastbound it seemed. No information on the screens.

So I got back on a streetcar south to College in order to head east to Queen's Park. But the first two streetcars heading east passed the stop and headed down Spadina, without any real announcement of what they were doing.

The TTC still really needs to tell people what's happening and what they're doing, right at the frontline level.

Oh, and both times that I rode the Spadina car there was an annoying CBC film crew asking people about breakfast sandwiches. At 2 in the afternoon.

Why didn't you just go south on the University line?

 

[nfitz]

Why didn't you just go south on the University line?

LOL. I always forget that Kendall station is only a 5-minute walk away!

 

[the lemur]

I normally do it mid-day on a weekday. Every 12 minutes according to schedule. For some reason every time I arrive at the corner, there's one in sight. Though on Monday it raced threw the light before I could get it, so I jumped on the approaching streetcar back up to Spadina station.

Something to keep in mind if the subway is down though. And you can easily see on your smartphone when the next one is coming!

Yeah, I should have thought of that. The 94 seems to run pretty frequently, based on how often I see it on College while the detour is in effect.

 

[the lemur]

Why didn't you just go south on the University line?

I didn't feel like walking over - I avoid changing at Spadina if I can possibly help it - and I had my suspicions that maybe the YUS line might not be running either, for whatever reason. Then again, I did intend to head to the YUS line in order to get to King, but Queen's Park seemed easier to get to than Museum (or Wellesley). Worst case scenario would have been taking the Spadina streetcar from College to Union, but only because of the time involved (I normally really like taking it, but I was already running late).

 

[salsa]

Old news, but today I noticed the newly renamed "emergency alarm"...

...which is a little different from the old "passenger assistance alarm".

However I think the new sticker should have remained red, instead of yellow. I also think the yellow strip should be reduced to a small button or handle, enclosed by some sort of cover to prevent accidental activation.

 

[W. K. Lis]

"Yellow" for emergency?

Same colour as the passenger stop request cord. No chance for confusion here... right?

 

[kotsy]

Old news, but today I noticed the newly renamed "emergency alarm"...
I also think the yellow strip should be reduced to a small button or handle, enclosed by some sort of cover to prevent accidental activation.

Agreed. When I worked at TTC there were a number of accidental activation from something as simple as stretching your arms out.

 

[Dan416]

Why IS it yellow again?

 

[ehlow]

I would imagine lots of people who can't read English might think the emergency alarm is a stop request thing.

 

[P23]

Not to mention the label is completely useless to people who can't read English, which also probably contributes to unintentional alarms. Their new exit signage at Bloor/Yonge has the same problem, it's just the word exit as white on black. I would have thought there were laws against this?

 

[P23]

I would imagine lots of people who can't read English might think the emergency alarm is a stop request thing.

Hah, I need to type faster.

 

[the lemur]

I would imagine lots of people who can't read English might think the emergency alarm is a stop request thing.

Possibly. But on buses and streetcars they would also see others pulling the cord or pushing the stop buttons, which are more at eye level. Cords and buttons are common on other transit systems as well. The emergency strip is up higher and takes more of a concerted effort to reach and press.

 

[doug]

I would imagine lots of people who can't read English might think the emergency alarm is a stop request thing.

Are stop requests common on subway cars?

 

[rbt]

Are stop requests common on subway cars?

Not particularly. Even buttons to get the doors to open are pretty rare.

 

[ehlow]

Are stop requests common on subway cars?

No, but I was thinking there are probably people from places around the world where they don't have any experience with rapid transit or subways