Bike on Go outside rush hour
Last Monday I get on board at 9:08 am on Claukson the train supposed to be arriving Toronto at 9:33. Reading the Go regulation regarding bike on the train says no bike on trains arriving Union on rush hour between 6:30 to 9:30 am so clearly this particular LSW GO train is outside the rush hour window.
However, I got a warning from the conductor saying I should not bring the bike on cause this is a "Express" train. I argued train arrives after 9:30 but she insisted "Express" train is always considered as a rush hour train. Therefore, no bike on it.
I called on the same day for their PR, got a call two days later. Although there is no such words of "Express" train no bike, I was told there is one rule says "No bike on train when too crowd" but what crowd? There are plenty of empty seats, will it be considered crowd? who will be the judge? The conversation ends with the only conclusion that I could drew from it, now I am take my chance when boarding the same train I have been taking for the past 3 months.
Please share your experiences and suggestions please.
William
Sunday first time ever on a GO train and we take our recumbent bikes. So many stairs to climb at Union Station to get to platform #6 Long Branch train. Got on train, sign says 2 bicycles here and we are blocking both doors and part of the staircase to the upstairs. After leaving Mimico station some guy in a GO shirt says we cant have our bikes there and will have to leave the train at the next station (Long Branch). There are 5 people in the car, including us two, so why cant they go out the other doors if they want to get off? Sunday 2:45pm. so its not rush hour. They have that stupid pole in the middle of the doorway and I get my handlebars caught on it when getting off backwards, while the recording is playing that the doors are closing stand back from the doors. I got my bike off and grabbed the front of my gf bike to help her get it off and the doors hit my arm, I pryed and they opened again (scared the crap outta me). I asked the woman at the Long Branch ticket office if there is a conductor like on the TTC who watches out his window to make sure everyone is off, and she says sometimes! WTF, I just phoned GO and was told about what you was told about bikes during rush hour etc. I very rarely take the TTC and now its going to be even rarer for me to take the GO. I'd rather pay the extra and take the VIA Rail as they care about their cycling passengers! Tom Polarbear Toronto.