StIdes
Active Member
What is the deal with Mississauga Transit's dwell times? I used to live in Mississauga for 14 years between 1990-2004, and I remember these annoying dwell times from that era. I now live in the Queen & Roncesvalles area but I took a trip out to Mississauga recently to visit my parents at Mississauga Rd & Dundas for this christmas this past year, a trip I would usually take my car for but unfortunately it is currently in the shop for repairs. So off to Islington station to catch the 1A or 1C for me. Oops it's just called the 1 now, what happen to that A?
Now mind you its christmas day at about 5:00 pm when I get on the 1C when it arrives at Islington. I had to be at dinner at my folks place by 6:00pm so I figured an hour would be plenty of time to arrive at Mississauga rd/Dundas with the super light traffic of 5pm Christmas day. I hop on the bus and the driver closes the door and heads out of the bus bay west down Bloor St. ...and thus begins the story of turtle without the hare.
The bus continues down Bloor at a speed of which I would estimate to be about 40km. Thats fine, its a bus, the speed limit is only 50, buses are known to travel under the speed limit at times, its cool. But when It wasnt cool was when we hit the 6 Lane 60Km/h stretch of Dundas and the bus didnt pick up any speed at all. The few cars that were on the street seemed like drag racers zooming past the bus, tail lights disappearing into the night ahead. That 18 wheeler must have a NOS system! No stops were made from Islington until almost Dixie rd in Mississauga, yet the driver still continued his snails pace.
Ahhh Dixie Rd. the spot I always considered to be 1/3 of the way home from Islington subway when I lived in Mississauga. Its 5:17pm now, figured id by at Dixie by like 5:12pm because of the light ridership/traffic but its ok, I'm still on pace. Well I better think again because its now 5:23pm and the bus is still sittin at the Dixie Rd stop. I was starting to get annoyed. Finally at 5:25pm, after not picking up any additional passengers or even any Dixie connecting routes passing by to even give the possibility of transfers coming over to the 1C the driver decides to press on.
After losing a race to Hurontario with an elderly woman using a walker on the sidewalk (that was sarcasm for you srs bzns guys on here*) we arrived at the Hurontario/Dundas stop at 5:36pm. Cue operation "sit at the stop for no reason for 7 minutes". Finally at 5:43pm the driver lurches away from the stop. "Alright, I got 15mins to get from Hurontario to Mississauga rd, I'm cutting it close, but as long as the driver doesnt take another random 10 minute coffee break along the way I should make it by 6:00pm as traffic lights get much more scarse west of Mavis", I hope to myself.
Too my pleasant surprise after Hurontario the driver discovered that in fact, the accelerator, is the pedal on the right! We raced past (did the speed limit!!) Erindale Station road at 5:52PM, "holy crap I might actually make it!!!". My joy was overcome with frustration when the bus reached the ultra mega uber transportation hub of Westdale Mall (oooh) and the driver stopped to let someone off and then didnt drive away. Im thinking "please god no, you arent actually going to do another one of your crazy dwells at this stop are you?". After sitting there for another 6 mins my question was answered. I was really fuming on the inside and probably looking rather ocd, looking at my watch every 30 secs.
When we finally rolled out at 5:58pm I knew I wasnt making it on time and my dad was probably not going to be too happy with me delaying everyones turkey time by being late. I arrived at my destination finally at 6:03pm. Now my dad wasnt meeting me right at Miss Rd/dundas as my parents actually live a little south/west of there so we agreed to meet at the Tim Hortons about 300 metres up the road. I figure this walk is going to take atleast another 3-5mins so I decide to run as to not be any more late then I have to be.
I jog about 3/4 of the way to the tim hortons when I start to feel a little winded and decide to walk a bit to catch my breath, when I check my pocket and notice I dont have my cellphone anymore. I figured it must of poped out of my jacket pocket while i was running so I go back to look for it. Its 6:08 now im super late and I can see my dads car in the parking lot waiting for me. Well sorry dad late or not I gotta find my cellphone, so I jog back in the opposite direction looking for my phone. Guess what?! I found it!! Well the pieces of it after being run over by a car on Dundas st. Did I mention its also pouring rain out?
Moral of the story? Screw you Mississauga Transit and screw your dwell times. A 15 minute car ride in average traffic should not take a bus that picks up 5 passengers on the lightest traffic time of the year over an hour. 21 mins of dwell time. Thats 1/3 of my time on the bus just sitting there, It's ridiculous, preposterous, and utterly absurd!! I understand that they have a schedule to keep but by god when you run on a holiday or sunday schedule take into account that their is usually very light traffic on those days and adjust the schedule accordingly!! MT caused me stress about being late for christmas and inadvertently cost me my cellphone. Damn you!!! Damn you MT to hell!!!!
Seriously im mad.
Now mind you its christmas day at about 5:00 pm when I get on the 1C when it arrives at Islington. I had to be at dinner at my folks place by 6:00pm so I figured an hour would be plenty of time to arrive at Mississauga rd/Dundas with the super light traffic of 5pm Christmas day. I hop on the bus and the driver closes the door and heads out of the bus bay west down Bloor St. ...and thus begins the story of turtle without the hare.
The bus continues down Bloor at a speed of which I would estimate to be about 40km. Thats fine, its a bus, the speed limit is only 50, buses are known to travel under the speed limit at times, its cool. But when It wasnt cool was when we hit the 6 Lane 60Km/h stretch of Dundas and the bus didnt pick up any speed at all. The few cars that were on the street seemed like drag racers zooming past the bus, tail lights disappearing into the night ahead. That 18 wheeler must have a NOS system! No stops were made from Islington until almost Dixie rd in Mississauga, yet the driver still continued his snails pace.
Ahhh Dixie Rd. the spot I always considered to be 1/3 of the way home from Islington subway when I lived in Mississauga. Its 5:17pm now, figured id by at Dixie by like 5:12pm because of the light ridership/traffic but its ok, I'm still on pace. Well I better think again because its now 5:23pm and the bus is still sittin at the Dixie Rd stop. I was starting to get annoyed. Finally at 5:25pm, after not picking up any additional passengers or even any Dixie connecting routes passing by to even give the possibility of transfers coming over to the 1C the driver decides to press on.
After losing a race to Hurontario with an elderly woman using a walker on the sidewalk (that was sarcasm for you srs bzns guys on here*) we arrived at the Hurontario/Dundas stop at 5:36pm. Cue operation "sit at the stop for no reason for 7 minutes". Finally at 5:43pm the driver lurches away from the stop. "Alright, I got 15mins to get from Hurontario to Mississauga rd, I'm cutting it close, but as long as the driver doesnt take another random 10 minute coffee break along the way I should make it by 6:00pm as traffic lights get much more scarse west of Mavis", I hope to myself.
Too my pleasant surprise after Hurontario the driver discovered that in fact, the accelerator, is the pedal on the right! We raced past (did the speed limit!!) Erindale Station road at 5:52PM, "holy crap I might actually make it!!!". My joy was overcome with frustration when the bus reached the ultra mega uber transportation hub of Westdale Mall (oooh) and the driver stopped to let someone off and then didnt drive away. Im thinking "please god no, you arent actually going to do another one of your crazy dwells at this stop are you?". After sitting there for another 6 mins my question was answered. I was really fuming on the inside and probably looking rather ocd, looking at my watch every 30 secs.
When we finally rolled out at 5:58pm I knew I wasnt making it on time and my dad was probably not going to be too happy with me delaying everyones turkey time by being late. I arrived at my destination finally at 6:03pm. Now my dad wasnt meeting me right at Miss Rd/dundas as my parents actually live a little south/west of there so we agreed to meet at the Tim Hortons about 300 metres up the road. I figure this walk is going to take atleast another 3-5mins so I decide to run as to not be any more late then I have to be.
I jog about 3/4 of the way to the tim hortons when I start to feel a little winded and decide to walk a bit to catch my breath, when I check my pocket and notice I dont have my cellphone anymore. I figured it must of poped out of my jacket pocket while i was running so I go back to look for it. Its 6:08 now im super late and I can see my dads car in the parking lot waiting for me. Well sorry dad late or not I gotta find my cellphone, so I jog back in the opposite direction looking for my phone. Guess what?! I found it!! Well the pieces of it after being run over by a car on Dundas st. Did I mention its also pouring rain out?
Moral of the story? Screw you Mississauga Transit and screw your dwell times. A 15 minute car ride in average traffic should not take a bus that picks up 5 passengers on the lightest traffic time of the year over an hour. 21 mins of dwell time. Thats 1/3 of my time on the bus just sitting there, It's ridiculous, preposterous, and utterly absurd!! I understand that they have a schedule to keep but by god when you run on a holiday or sunday schedule take into account that their is usually very light traffic on those days and adjust the schedule accordingly!! MT caused me stress about being late for christmas and inadvertently cost me my cellphone. Damn you!!! Damn you MT to hell!!!!
Seriously im mad.