Commuter Chaos

I arrived at work this afternoon to find dozens of guys standing around. Dozens. Scores, probably.

"'Scone on, guys?" I asked. "Are we on strike or what?"

"Train wreck," they told me. "Number 435's got seven cars on the ground just east of Mimico. We're not going anywhere for a while."

Seven cars of a freight train had derailed, Ms J, less than three blocks from my home. All three mainline tracks were blocked. The timing couldn't have been worse. It was just as the afternoon rush hour was about to get started, and nearly all of our commuter trains were now stuck in the yard. There was no way to get them downtown to collect homebound commuters. Apparently, Union Station was absolutely packed with people - angry, frustrated people who had worked hard all day at their office jobs and only wanted to get home to their families.

I went and sat in the large kitchen crowded with men who were chatting and joking and generally making the best of a bad situation. We were as uninformed as the poor passengers trapped downtown at Union Station.

"Turn the radio on," someone said. "Maybe we'll hear about it on the news."

We were just in time.

" ... cars of a CN freight train derailed around 2:00 this afternoon effectively blocking GO Transit's commuter trains and causing havoc among frazzled commuters. No dangerous commodities were involved. GO Transit officials say they'll have to wait for word from CN as to how long it might be before service is resumed. Officials at CN were unavailable for comment. Again, GO train service has been suspended due to a derailment of a CN freight train ..."

I sat and leafed through a magazine and listened to the fellows tell stories of other wrecks and of crossing accidents and other railway adventures and misadventures. After a couple of hours, I left and came home. I told a couple of guys that I was leaving and asked them to call me at home if my services were required. I came home and grabbed my camera.


Oops.


The police were there.


So were the local television news people.


Numerous feckless management types followed each other around like pickpockets in a revolving door. I'd never seen so many white hard hats in one place before!


The federal transport ministry was there as well. Civil servants earning a living doing nothing, God love 'em.


Neighbours stood and watched in the oppressive afternoon heat. If there had been an explosion, Ms J, those homes would have been obliterated. They were less than 100 feet from the train.

Anyway, it was a good thing and a bad thing. Most of the trains were cancelled and so train crews got the afternoon off. But for nearly 100,000 commuters, it was a nightmare. It must have taken some of them hours and hours to get home.

Hopefully though, the Einsteins in the white hats will have everything sorted out by Monday.

---

I'm going to spend the day with my brother at his work on Saturday. We'll go for a ride in his big truck. I'll take my camera, Ms J, and tell you all about it tomorrow.

Nighty-night!

***