After four years of commuting by way of the GO, I'm a veteran of the service's broken promises. Friendlier? Only by low standards. Faster? That depends on whether your train arrives on time. In the winter, GO veterans expect a late train.
This past Tuesday morning, I missed the 7:46 train at my stop, Long Branch. I arrived at 7:47 as the doors closed. I had to wait for the 8:13 train, which arrived around 8:20. The cause of the delay was a mystery. I'm not sure if the train crew apologized as it occasionally does; apology or no, I still wouldn't know why I was left in the cold for an extra seven minutes beyond some vague excuse.
GO smartly decided some time ago to guarantee its unreliability with this 'fine print':
GO makes every effort to maintain published schedules; however, we are not able to guarantee that service disruptions or schedule changes will not occur due to uncontrollable circumstances such as accidents, road and track conditions, or weather. GO Transit may modify schedules without notice, and cannot accept responsibility for any delays or resulting inconvenience which may occur.
When I started commuting via GO, my monthly student pass cost around $66. When I buy my pass for February, I'll pay $94. While the cost of the service has increased, the quality of the service hasn't been on that same upward slope. (That's also why columns, including this one, that lampoon the service are cathartic for GO passengers.)
If the GO Transit's vague and mysterious excuses for poor service weren't tiring enough, seeing a sign detailing a new excuse is exasperating: at Long Branch, a sign was posted this week with information about the GO Transit Rail Improvement Program.
One of the promises of the program is that "there will be some delays and unforeseen events." That's a promise I believe.
No comments:
Post a Comment