The Lesser Way (or Why I Hate the TTC)

I didn't cycle yesterday, having struggled through the snow late the previous night. I should have, because every time I take the subway, it is a disaster. There's the mad rush across floors covered in pools of brown salty dirty water. Or, I get stuck behind someone who is ambulating so slowly, it's like they are in reverse.

At my subway stop, I had to wait ten minutes for a train to show up. When it did, the train was packed like a can of sardines. I had to let that one go. The second train, a further ten minutes later, was also overflowing. I thought when the doors opened, people would spill out onto the platform. I let that train go. But, a few eager frottagers squeezed into the melee. I chose to wait a further eight to ten minutes for train number 3. Sadly, it was also full.

Finally, when train number four arrived, I walked into a car with serious amounts of space, and then a wall of people behind me forced me into the centre. I was swept up in a mini hurricane of people, and when the doors finally shut, I was face to face with a man who smelled of rotten ham.

So, today, I cycled in minus 20 degree Celsius weather. It was refreshing (despite the stench of an occasional tail pipe). I reminded myself that I am getting fresh air, sunshine, and exercise. I am also not burning fossil fuels, or risking death by crushing in the tunnels below the city. I am also saving money. The damn TTC is way too expensive.

Technorati Tags: TTC, transit, cycling