Between framing pictures, photography, race cars, and philanthropy pursuits, I get around the city quite well when my locations are on the train line or accessible by taxi. As many of you already know, I have finally buried my little white truck. It was sick for quite some time. It was 20 years old. You know, in truck years, for anything built after 1970 that's about 80 years old. We had some good times, my little truck and I. It was, sad to say, struck with a rare exhaust disorder. Then it gradually spread to the manifold, gaskets, and finally, it took over the carburetor. We held a small memorial down by the river, where we parked and had picnics together. Sad day... but anyway... anyone know where I can sell some scrap metal? Lol!
So now I walk mostly, take a taxi if I'm carrying a lot of gear, or I take the train. If you're bored and have a limited budget, I strongly suggest taking the train. Rush hour is a fun trip. The first two cars of the train are usually jammed full while the last two are almost empty. This I find quite amusing. Now not that I'm knocking Calgary Transit, because yesterday, they were running on time. At least the train I took was on time.
Usually, if I'm heading up to the frame shop at the tail end of rush hour, the train has been on average, maybe 20 minutes late. It's supposed to run at 10 min intervals by the time I get there, but more often than not, I will just miss the 3 trains that come less than 5 minutes apart, and then not another one for 20 minutes. The first few times, I was not impressed, but then I giggled ridiculously after the 4th time this happened. My entertainment value was the realization that they were nothing if not consistently 20 min late. I adjusted my time to leave my place 5 min earlier, still the same result, and then another 5 minutes earlier, still the same. Then at 15 minutes earlier than I really should have to be there, that was the ticket! I finally caught the train and ended up where I needed to be on time. Quite an ordeal but one learns.
Once I thought I had it down, another twist in the plot. One morning, during summer schedule, I arrived at the station in time to have the driver quickly open the doors and then shut them before I could step on the train, departing in a whoosh of air. I foolishly thought another one would be along shortly, no big deal. I waited, and waited, and waited, 20 minutes went by and no train in sight. 4 went by going the other direction, but not one going into the down town core. It was quiet, there was no traffic on the McLeod Trail ... a little eerie feeling creeps up your spine when there is nothing happening on a usually bustling thoroughfare. Finally I see the train coming in my direction, and the driver was obscured by shadow in his teeny little cockpit. It was a little strange. Stranger yet was the fact that not another soul was on the train. I stepped on the train and it lurched to a crawl and headed off to the next stop. I am at this point, the only person on the whole train. Not just my car ( the last car) but on the train. No one gets on at the next stop... (cue creepy music here) . The train jerks and struggles to begin it's journey onward, and as it descends into the first tunnel, it is picking up speed. I am now alone, on an empty train, heading into the bowels of the earth at a gravitational stripping speed, and my train driver is some unidentified shadow character. Either a Stephen King movie, or a Bugs Bunny cartoon, could go either way here.
Finally at the still as yet unopened City Hall stop... ( picture the afore mentioned train to hell stopping at the as yet unopened City Hall Station... can this really get any creepier? ) ... a guy gets on wearing a suit, and no kidding, he looked like that suit wearing guy from the Matrix series of movies, Mr Anderson. I always thought the dark would be a creepy setting for a scary movie, but I have to be honest, dead silent normally crowded city streets and an empty train in the mid morning sunlight is really creepy. So I'm looking at this suit wearing guy and kind of giggling to myself about the absurdity of it all. Could this get any funnier?
That's part one of this story... tune in next week for part two of Train People!
And don't forget to check your Compass!
Cole
So now I walk mostly, take a taxi if I'm carrying a lot of gear, or I take the train. If you're bored and have a limited budget, I strongly suggest taking the train. Rush hour is a fun trip. The first two cars of the train are usually jammed full while the last two are almost empty. This I find quite amusing. Now not that I'm knocking Calgary Transit, because yesterday, they were running on time. At least the train I took was on time.
Usually, if I'm heading up to the frame shop at the tail end of rush hour, the train has been on average, maybe 20 minutes late. It's supposed to run at 10 min intervals by the time I get there, but more often than not, I will just miss the 3 trains that come less than 5 minutes apart, and then not another one for 20 minutes. The first few times, I was not impressed, but then I giggled ridiculously after the 4th time this happened. My entertainment value was the realization that they were nothing if not consistently 20 min late. I adjusted my time to leave my place 5 min earlier, still the same result, and then another 5 minutes earlier, still the same. Then at 15 minutes earlier than I really should have to be there, that was the ticket! I finally caught the train and ended up where I needed to be on time. Quite an ordeal but one learns.
Once I thought I had it down, another twist in the plot. One morning, during summer schedule, I arrived at the station in time to have the driver quickly open the doors and then shut them before I could step on the train, departing in a whoosh of air. I foolishly thought another one would be along shortly, no big deal. I waited, and waited, and waited, 20 minutes went by and no train in sight. 4 went by going the other direction, but not one going into the down town core. It was quiet, there was no traffic on the McLeod Trail ... a little eerie feeling creeps up your spine when there is nothing happening on a usually bustling thoroughfare. Finally I see the train coming in my direction, and the driver was obscured by shadow in his teeny little cockpit. It was a little strange. Stranger yet was the fact that not another soul was on the train. I stepped on the train and it lurched to a crawl and headed off to the next stop. I am at this point, the only person on the whole train. Not just my car ( the last car) but on the train. No one gets on at the next stop... (cue creepy music here) . The train jerks and struggles to begin it's journey onward, and as it descends into the first tunnel, it is picking up speed. I am now alone, on an empty train, heading into the bowels of the earth at a gravitational stripping speed, and my train driver is some unidentified shadow character. Either a Stephen King movie, or a Bugs Bunny cartoon, could go either way here.
Finally at the still as yet unopened City Hall stop... ( picture the afore mentioned train to hell stopping at the as yet unopened City Hall Station... can this really get any creepier? ) ... a guy gets on wearing a suit, and no kidding, he looked like that suit wearing guy from the Matrix series of movies, Mr Anderson. I always thought the dark would be a creepy setting for a scary movie, but I have to be honest, dead silent normally crowded city streets and an empty train in the mid morning sunlight is really creepy. So I'm looking at this suit wearing guy and kind of giggling to myself about the absurdity of it all. Could this get any funnier?
That's part one of this story... tune in next week for part two of Train People!
And don't forget to check your Compass!
Cole
