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Commuters Not Welcome

Posted by Jerrold Litwinenko / April 8, 2008

6 Comments

no commuters toronto
Custom signs posted in public space by citizens of Toronto, whether they aim to be in jest, to express disdain, or to spread awareness, are an interesting part of our urban fabric and often get us thinking.

Until today, I'd never seen this "No Commuters" sign, which was photographed near the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Front Street (not far from Union Station), and seen without context I wasn't sure how to interpret this one.

At first I thought it might be someone's failed attempt at humour or a political message. Clearly it couldn't be a statement posted by a devout downtowner who doesn't want to share Toronto with 905'ers (because all you inner city folk love us suburbanites, right?).

In all likelihood, this is simply a case of poor choice of graphics and words. I'm guessing MTCC management has made and posted this sign as an attempt to discourage commuters from short-cutting through their premises. Good luck making an indoor route off limits to pedestrians so near a major commuter hub, in a city with crazy cold and crazy hot weather.

Thanks to blogTO Flickr pooler hypersapiens for sharing this photo with us.

Update: A few people have documented this sign previously, and it appears to have been posted since at least February of 2007.

Discussion

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Katie / April 8, 2008 at 03:23 pm
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Yup, I park at the MTCC every day when I go to work, and those signs have been up around the convention centre and the parking lot for a really long time. I think it's to deter traffic from cutting through on their way to Union, which, since it is private property, is understandable. Might not be the best choice of wording and graphics, but it makes me giggle every time I see it.

And I'm a 905'er :)
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Ryan Coleman / April 8, 2008 at 03:41 pm
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On the Union Station end they actually post a guard/employee in the morning to steer people from cutting through. I'm pretty sure it's the Hotel's doing though, not the MTCC...
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Adam / April 8, 2008 at 03:45 pm
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I love this. Poor urban planning and design leads people to cut through paths that are clearly open (and will save them time in their day) and they think a sign is going to solve the problem?

Not only is the sign poorly worded, but poorly conceived. Good ol' Band-aid (TM) solution.
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Diane / April 8, 2008 at 04:13 pm
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Is it unique to Toronto institutions to want to be at the centre of activities, while at the same time complaining about all the activities you're at the centre of?

I'd say the MTCC are out of line for demanding that pedestrians walk around their mammoth grounds, and negligent for not providing at least PATH and Skywalk connections.
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Hamish Grant / April 9, 2008 at 08:00 am
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Anyone actually call the MTCC or the hotel to ask them what the sign's aboot?
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Jerrold / April 9, 2008 at 08:43 am
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It's more fun to speculate (and pretty obvious what the sign's aboot, no?). :P
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