Brampton Transit Hell

Laura from Niagara Falls, Marie from Toronto, Amanda from Brampton get their photo taken.

For anyone that has to travel from downtown Toronto to Brampton using the GO transit on a regular basis this entry is dedicated to you. As a non-GO trainer getting into Union station and figuring out how the ticketing system, the zones and what track to get onto is a bit of work.

I managed to get on the right train but wasn't sure if I was getting off at the right stop. As there are two stops for Brampton I got off the train looked around, wasn't sure and jumped back on the train. It was only after the doors closed that I realized that was the stop to get off at. D'oh!

Six minutes later I arrived at the next stop (Mount Pleasant) at 18:03. Luckily I picked up a schedule and noticed a train was going back in the other direction at 18:08. I got off the train and proceeded to the other side of the tracks. Only there were no other tracks! I looked at the schedule again and realized that it was a bus going back! Running over to the bus area I arrived just in time to see the bus pulling out way across the the lot. Crap!

Squinting down at the schedule I found the next bus to leave the station would be at 21:08. Three hours! There were other buses in the area labeled with the Brampton transit logos. I approached a bus driver and asked for directions. He pointed out that I had just missed the GO bus then told me how to get back using the local transit. To get back to the Brampton GO station I would have to use two buses. I took these buses back. It took an hour. An hour!

From the station it was another 20 minute walk to the local Hooters and the Bikini contest. I managed to walk in just as it was starting.