This is an ode to my fellow commuters. To the ones that wake up hours before class actually starts to have a successful commute downtown, to the ones that carry extra books and bags on the train just to make sure they have all their research books with them to the library, to the ones that know that at least once every two weeks, there is something wrong with the TTC…yes, this one’s for you!
I’ve been a commuter to this school for almost four years. I know, I know. It’s obviously not that fun being a commuter, but you do get to walk away with a few interesting stories every week. Every (other) week there’s always something wrong with the TTC, or some sort of delay. As commuters, we’re generally prepared for that. Music? Check. Book/reader in hand? Check. See? Being a commuter isn’t that bad! We get to “relax” for a few minutes from our adventurous journey in the tunnels of the TTC.
One of the best things about being a commuter is when you get to transfer at the busy stations, like Yonge and Bloor or St. George. My, my, those are fun; especially during rush hour, especially when you’ve got all your research books with you (in those U of T reusable bags of course)! Those stations are the equivalent to a can of sardines: People rushing past you, trying to enter the train when the doors are obviously closing and the train is already filled with people. Or how about when they try to enter the train JUST as the train stopped and everyone needs to exit first, YUP! Fun for all!
Since it is November, we all know what happens. Winter is coming, fast and furious. But that’s nothing for the commuters is it? Waking up even earlier JUST to ensure that your commute doesn’t have any problems, or wearing extra layers just because you know how cold it gets when you go home. Yes, commuters are certainly the lucky ones!
Don’t even get me started on those very rare days when the only class you had was canceled and you didn’t get the email in time only to realize that you commuted all the way downtown for nothing. I’m pretty sure almost every commuter has suffered that. What really sucks is if your commute was a bit more than an hour, only to realize your 50 minute class was canceled. FUN!
Okay, okay, being a commuter doesn’t suck THAT much. We’re lucky that we get to pay $99 each month for the TTC metropass and abuse the hell out of it (I sure as heck do.) We know the subway system inside and out, we even know alternate routes home in case of delays or when the TTC line is completely shut down. We know what the appropriate time to leave is in order to make it to class JUST in the nick of time, while catching those extra Zzz’s at home. But the best part about being a commuter is the joys of just sleeping in (on your day off school/weekends) and remembering that you don’t have to wake up extra early to commute downtown.