A Leisurely Commute

I had a book signing at the Indigo store downtown on Sunday. I thought taking the REM would be convenient, plus, on the way back, I could meet Susan after she finished her workday at the gym and we could ride it back together. 

Oddly, the REM worked like a charm on the way into the city.  

 

When the book signing was done, Susan let me know, no surprise, the REM to Deux Montagnes was completely shut down. They called it a “service slowdown” caused by a rolling stock problem, but there were no trains bound for A4. The proper word would have been shutdown.  

As I’ve said here before, the REM is a crapshoot. You’re as likely to have a problem as you are likely not to have one, and that’s as true for weekdays, weeknights and weekends. 

The REM is a disgrace to modern public transit systems on planets everywhere. 

 

And CDPQ is charging commuters another $25 a month for the inconvenience. 

 

Idiots. Robbers. 

 

The expected resumption time was 2 p.m. but when we arrived at the McGill REM station, we were told the expected resumption time had been moved back to 2:30 p.m. At Central Station at 2:30 p.m., we decided to chance getting on a train with “McGill” appearing as its destination on the lead car. It turns out it was going to A3 (Anse a l’Orme). We got off at Bois Franc and while waiting there to transfer, I spotted an ad on the REM screen suggesting people take the REM to attend festivals in downtown Montreal.  

 

I’m still laughing!