City
If you're not careful, a TTC turnstile might eat your bike
Taking a bike on the TTC is a struggle at the best of times - there are staircases to climb, people to avoid and, worst of all, revolving door-style turnstiles. These cycle and stroller hungry entrances claim victims on a regular basis, despite signs on the door warning of the seemingly obvious, says the TTC's Brad Ross.
"This happens about twice a week," he explains, "we have to send someone to the station and reverse the gate. We don't have to take the gate apart, though reversing it doesn't always work, in which case the bike needs to be taken apart."
So there you have it - you've been warned, again. Don't try and post your bike through the turnstile unless you're prepared to have the comical results posted on Twitter. The image above was tweeted yesterday by Laurie Brown, the host of The Signal on CBC Radio 2.
Here are a few more examples:
At Lawrence Station, seen by @amanda_chum
Via orbz on Flickr
Caught by maguireji on Flickr
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That I enjoy seeing.
When an entrance says 'no bikes' what they really mean is 'I dare ya, bro'.
most actual cyclists would probably ride to their destination rather than take their bike on the subway.
Lugging it up the stairs was a bitch and when I finally got up there, the only exits were the revolving doors.
I actually managed to get mine through though :)
Not quite as stupid as leaving one's dog or child inside a car when its 38 degrees outside, however.
If you have a bike, ride the damn thing. If it rains, you should have checked the weather before you left home that morning. If you're too tired and lazy, then you're a fat fuck who shouldn't be riding to begin with.
Second, not everyone who takes their bike on the subway is a "fat fuck," I do it on occasion when I have a couple of drinks in me. Not because I'm lazy but because I am doing the responsible thing and not riding home while intoxicated. I know some folks who work over at St. Mike's hospital and they are sometimes too burnt out from doing a 12hr shift to bike back home so they lug it on the ttc. This is totally acceptable and a lot safer than having some burnt out nurse try to bike back home.
That said, I've never attempted this maneuver. There is usually that little gate, the one they need for wheelchairs/strollers...or bikes.
That being said, I've found that the subway system is rather cycle/stroller/wheelchair unfriendly.
The main issue is that there is not always signage at platform level telling you which stairs lead to exits with attendants. You go up the stairs, are faced with only turnstile exits, then you have to turn around try another exit. Not an ideal situation. While the images scream square peg round hole, I can understand why people would try it.
Oh I'm getting the vapours! I might faint! Oh deary me! *clutches pearls*
You're ridiculous.
FAIL!
[1] Not every situation is predictable (beyond the getting drunk stories mentioned here)
[2] Not every distance is desirable. I live at Downsview Station, when I plan to spend the my weekend downtown biking from shopping centres to the beach, must I make the big treck down?
[3] Weather can turn sour quickly. Maybe I expected to ride in the rain, but the rain is harder than expected.
Holier than thou?
http://torontoist.com/2010/06/thats_not_a_streetcar/