Brampton F-up

   ENTRY 408



BRAMPTON F-UP

What can I say?  A complete and totally wasted weekend and a total waste of my time. 

First of all, the weigh-ins were not held at the venue. Which I found really confusing.
There was no indication on the Boxing Ontario website otherwise. If I had not confirmed it with coach I would have gone to the wrong place.

The location the weigh-ins were located had no bus service. Of course, Boxing Ontario doesn't think that not everybody has a car.

I needed to be at weigh-in for 8:00 in the morning. That meant catching the 6:00 bus from my place. Take the 35A to the new (crappy) Pioneer Village station. Then taking the subway one station south to the new (not-so-crappy) York University station. Then walking to the York University bus terminal (because nobody thought to move the bus terminal closer to the subway station). From the York University bus terminal I had to take the Brampton Transit 501A Züm to West Drive (the closest stop to my destination). Then a ten minute walk in minus 15 degrees to Clark Boulevard, then another five minutes over the Highway 410. 
By-the-way. the Brampton bus stop announcement does not announce West Drive. It announces Laurelcrest Street. 
If I had not noticed the sign for West Drive, I would have missed it.

I arrived at weigh-in at 8:15 to find a huge lineup. I guessed I was in the right place.
I messaged my coach while I was in line to bring my passbook.
10 minutes later someone came down with my passbook and I was still in the exact same place in line.

The whole weigh-in process was incredibly disorganized. 
For a while I had an OBA flashback.
Take my book downstairs for part one of the medical check-in. That was a 25 minute wait after 20 minutes in line upstairs.
Then take the book back upstairs to the head official for event check-in.
Then back in line to wait for the actual weigh-in and part two of the medical check-in.
Another wait. About 20 minutes.
Finally in for weigh-in.

Weigh-in was fine, but when I went for part two of the medical, he sent me back downstairs.
Then back upstairs to wait again.  By this time it was after 10:00.
Right at about that time and probably by no coincidence, my opponent walked in.
A really nice guy from the Steeltown Boxing in Hamilton.

It was right about that time that we were told that our bout was cancelled due to some stupid technical crap that I am not going into.

Okay, so you are telling that after all this trouble getting here and the long wait and the fact that I took the day off to be here, it was all for nothing?
Thanks a hell of a lot.

I came very close to going ballistic. 

I didn't. I said nothing and turned around to go home.

Going home took longer than getting there.

I discovered a different way to go home but at the time I did not realize it would take three hours.

I walked about a block and found a bus stop where the bus number 1 stops. I took the Brampton bus number 1 to the Bramalea terminal where my intention was to catch the 501A  Züm again, but the 501 Züm (not the 'A') came first, so I took that. After spending almost an hour on this so-called "express" bus, I realized that this bus stops at the new Vaughan Corporate Center station. The 501A does not stop at that station.
From there I was able to take the subway down to the (still crappy) Pioneer Village station. That station is huge. Three levels with three entrances, and I was the only one in there. Well, except for a few TTC employees walking around with their thumbs up their asses.
Unnecessarily huge and complicated station that nobody uses. Total waste of resources. Like the Highway 407 station. Located between Pioneer Village and Vaughan in the middle of a field with nothing around. 
Really?

I exited the Pioneer Village station as per the signage to catch the bus. 
When I exited the station I was met with an empty field with a bus terminal that was "under construction".

I crossed Steeles Avenue to another station entrance.
This entrance like all others had automated fare gates, but not one accepted a Metropass card, only the Presto fare card. Of course as typical with the TTC there was no clear signage indicating such.
I had my Presto card with me to use on Brampton Transit, but I had a Metropass card for Toronto, so how do I enter this station without the need to use a fare off my Presto card for no reason?

Easy.

I had my gym bag with me, of course. I didn't use it today, but it was about to come in handy.

These gates have sensors for anyone who is exiting the station, but will only open for entry upon presentation of a fare card.

Not a problem. You stand slightly to the side and hang something large in front of the exit side of the gate...like a huge gym bag. 
The gate will open outward, but there will be enough time to enter...without paying a fare.

Your welcome.

Anyway, after all that I was able to finally find where the 195 "Express" bus stops. It was not running earlier in the morning, but it was by that time. Although completely useless since it actually took longer.

I arrived home at 1:00. I left shortly after 10:00.

Just over two hours to get there and just under three hours to get back. 
From Brampton to West Toronto. A 45-minute drive at the worst.

Not to mention I was out almost $400 for taking the weekend off.
My weekends are my goldmine. They are longer shifts and I get a premium for working on the weekend. 
I don't mind if I am actually doing something. Like, for example, actually climbing into the ring and competing. Which is what boxers are supposed to do. I think. Unless that has changed?
Maybe boxers are just supposed to waste time training for the soul purpose of travelling to another city to stand in line and look good.
What a waste.

The point of this post:

Reasons 23,24,25,26,27 why public transit in Ontario is totally useless.

• The TTC wasted resources building a subway system way up there and the stations are too large and complicated and poorly marked.
• Brampton needs a non-stop service from Vaughan Corporate Center to Bramalea Terminal.
• The TTC 195 Express service has too many stops to be considered an 'Express'. This bus only needs to stop at major intersections north of Wilson Avenue.
• Public transit in the GTHA in general is too complicated for people who are not used to a particular service. It needs to be simplified so to not be confusing for visitors.
• Brampton stop announcement system is useless as it is. If a street has two names, both should be announced by the system.

Reason number 1 why Boxing Ontario pisses me off.

• Don't schedule a bout and then cancel it after the athletes arrive. If there are any questions about the bout, give a decent amount of notice. The bout was scheduled for a week in advance. Lots of time.

  I deserve a gold medal for all the trouble. 

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Paul 'The Brick' Brec, Brampton Cup Non-Medalist