Spotted on Queen West earlier this week is Toronto's newest mode of transportation — Baxi. Yup, it's a piggyback service, which is, you know, way more fun than a rickshaw ride. It's also a publicity tool for a short film that you probably haven't heard of yet.

Written and directed by Nick Latimer — the Baxi himself — Hogtown is in the words of its creator a dark comedy "about an insomniac who spends his nights piggybacking people in a nightmare of a city known as Hogtown. Carl Gilmour (a.k.a. Baxi) piggybacks a slew of scum bags ranging from the mildly annoying to the armed and dangerous. These "pigs" push Carl to the edge of sanity forcing him to violent, bloody street justice. A vigilante is born. Piggybacker by day, butcher by night."

If that doesn't sound like the makings of a quintessential B-movie, I don't know what does. Apparently there's even a cameo from Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Latimer, who studied Acting at Humber College, has been out on the streets trying to get a little attention and a few dollars together for the project. The only quote we've heard on the price of these piggyback rides is five bucks per block, which seems kind of steep — but we've also received assurances that Baxi can take on passengers who weigh up to 300 pounds.

In addition to donning the persona of Baxi to support the film, Latimer has posted the project to Rockethub, where it's about a quarter of the way toward its funding goal of $1600. So the next time you run out of energy while walking along Queen West, seek out the pink shirt and the pig nose to cart you home. Just don't take any rides after dark.

Photo by Tom Ryaboi (who first spotted Baxi)