Sunday was the 2006 Christmas Parade in Toronto. I didn't even know it was that day until the subway was jam-packed with crying kids and SUV strollers. For some reason my tolerance for crying babies has lowered about 0.05 seconds, even lower on the Subway because of the confined space. After this point my attitude transforms to be an irritable bitch. Luckily the transformation disappears as fast as it appears once the negative stimulus is removed.

What shocked me most was how DISREPECTFUL the parents were on the TTC. Do they never take the TTC? Are they from 905 land and decided to drive b/c the roads are closed? Do they have any commuter manners, or just plain manners? I'm not saying that the regular rush crowd are saints (do you NEED to run at Bloor station? cmon now. you're going to WORK), but at least have the decency to understand there are other people JUST as anxious to get on/off as much as you and your kid(s). It got to the point where an announcement on the station intercom had to repeatedly state

"Please use all available doors when entering the train. And please let all passengers off the train... I REPEAT! LET ALL PASSENGERS OFF THE TRAIN BEFORE ENTERING!".

Too bad no one was listening.

Another example: The subway arrived at Queen's Park station, loaded with people ready to jump on. I had to get off and taunted my roomate who was staying on; boy, did karma kick me in the ass. Karma sucks!

As the doors opened, hordes of 5'2" women and their kids charged into the doors. It was as if I was at Edgefest 1996 in barrie when kids ran to get front row of the mosh pit. I was pushed BACK into the train! Yell "HOLD IT!!!" I tried to make eye contact with them to help them realize what they were doing. Instead, the mothers avoided eye contact! They knew how selfish they were acting. All they wanted was a bloody seat for their kids and themselves. Selfish pricks! SELFISH!

I thought about simply staying on the train, standing beside them and giving them a big lecture, most notably telling their kids:

"Your mother is a selfish woman. She did not consider others today, and this is the Christmas parade! Santa would not give her any gifts! Don't be like that when you grow up."

Unfortunately, I’d then be late for my salsa class, so I just ploughed through.

Even getting out was a challenge. People were lined out all the way upstairs, through the turnstile and almost outside the station. Crazy. Luckily Zanta was there to keep me entertained! The parents’ faces of horror were priceless.

On second thought, Karma rocks.

-RE