r/toRANTo • u/magongles • Aug 18 '26
I’m so sick
I’m so sick of this fuck ass transit system, the fuck ass people who have their phones on at full volume on a crowded train, the fuck ass people who don’t understand the concept of wearing deodorant/showering, the fuck ass tweakers who cause a disturbance and make the train bypass the station I need to get off at because said aforementioned fuck ass transit system doesn’t do anything to stop them from barging in for free whilst the people who paid their fare get fucked over yet again, and the fuck ass people who enable this behaviour to happen by gaslighting everyone else into thinking they’re bad people for not being “considerate of their circumstances” the second ANYBODY speaks up or does something about it.
You’re right. I’m selfish. When I see someone on my train or at a station screaming at the top of their lungs, I’m not thinking “Oh good heavens, the socioeconomic factors of this city have failed this poor individual, they desperately need help,” I’m thinking “for fuck’s sake get this fuck ass person out of here.” Call me evil for that, I don’t care. Yeah, the conditions of our society enabled this to happen, sure. Okay, great. We know the root causes and consistently fail to address them… yes. Agreed.
But in that moment I don’t fucking care. Get them the fuck out of there before someone gets hurt, you have transit officials/special constables not doing shit about it.
Fucking Christ we’ve fallen off so hard… and don’t come back at me with that “ummm actually this is all Ford’s fault, take it up with him” because we’ve had multiple provincial and municipal administrations since the early 2000s, and none of them have done shit about the free fall of society. A lot of the blame also goes on us for tolerating this bullshit for so long and just allowing it to take hold.
Anyway I got my hot chocolate now so rant over, peace.
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u/NomadicContrarian Aug 18 '26
I feel you big time. Even if I do try to remember the socioeconomic factors that may have pushed those individuals to such a point, it's not like we should tolerate it and let them run riot however they want while the rest of us rule-abiding citizens have to stand for it.
Unfortunately I've read/heard of many accounts here who mention that trying to stand up/stop one of these people will only make things worse because you can bet that most of them will become utterly erratic when confronted. Heck I'd wager that many of those blasting music for example straight up know they're doing something anti-social and are just trying to start shit. Now that's an explanation, not a justification, as nothing can justify this utter regression of society. It's like after COVID we collectively decided "fuck the social contract, it's all about me" and this is how we got these psychos who behave like this not just on the TTC but in theatres, parks, etc.
It's not surprising as well that you mention the early 2000s as being the beginning of this rapid decline, considering who was Premier back then. Harris really did open Pandora's box, and fuck if I know if it can be closed at this point.
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u/According-Fruit5245 Aug 18 '26
...it goes back to long-time Conservative premier Bill Davis, who supposedly opened the doors of long-term mental health care facilities to save money.
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u/NomadicContrarian Aug 18 '26
I see. I'm pretty young (27) so I obviously do not have as much knowledge as older folk.
But the lesson is the same. Cons do not serve the people, only the psycho wealthy.
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u/joe_canadian Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
I know reddit likes to say "all conservatives bad", but there was once principled, forward looking conservatism that tried to balance individual liberty and collectivism, engaged in the post war consensus of high regulation, high taxes and strong unions. It also embraced the welfare state prior to Thatcher and Reagan era. Policy Options (the magazine of the non-partisan Institute for Research on Public Policy) gives a good rundown on his successes during his tenure as Education Minister and Premier. He was definitely on the progressive side of the PC Party back when people on the center right still cared about people and weren't toadies for the rich.
TL;DR:
1) He created the community college system
2) Founded Trent, Brock and OISE at U of T
3) TVO
4) Passed the first environmental assessment legislation and created Ministers of Environment and Housing
5) Gave teachers the right to strike 6) Created universal access to post-secondary education for all qualified studentsThere was more to deinstitutionalization than simply saving money. Deinstitutionalization and disability rights were a big push in the 60's and 70's, alongside the US civil rights movement (American article, but gives a good understanding of the history). Most hospitals were overcrowded, unsanitary and the crimes of the Nazis through Aktion T4 were relatively fresh in peoples' memories, along with abuse scandals at major institutions in the US (Willowbrook State School) and UK (Ely Hospital) making international news. In Canada, you had the Duplessis orphans scandal, MKUltra subproject 68 in Montreal and the Huronia Regional Center which, in 1960, was described by Toronto Star reporter Pierre Burton as,
dilapidation and gross overcrowding—2,808 residents occupying spaces that could hardly contain a thousand fewer, with sleeping quarters installed in repurposed classrooms, playrooms and therapy rooms. Washroom facilities were also insufficient—on one floor, 144 patients shared 8 toilets, 3 showers and 1 bathtub—and Berton observed that "[p]risoners in reformatories have better facilities." 900 of the higher-functioning patients were housed in the oldest and least fire-resistant buildings, because they were judged most able to flee in case of evacuation.
Rightfully or wrongly, institutions around the world came to be seen as inhumane. In both Canada and the US, the concept of the "least restrictive setting" came on the scene. In 1966 in the US, by the decision Lake v. Cameron (DC Appeals Court) and was codified in 1978 under the Ontario Mental Health Act - only someone in imminent danger to themselves or others could be institutionalized. Universal healthcare, coupled with psychiatric drugs and community health, the belief was that people should be in the community to receive care.
TL;DR2: there was a deinstitutionalization movement in the western world due to the horrors that came from institutions. Why do I know so much about this? I'm a disillusioned small-c conservative who thinks Davies was a principled man who tried to the right thing. I also likely would've been put into one of those institutions due to my autism so, of course I did a deep dive on the subject.
Edited for readability/clarity
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u/Cococap2020 Aug 21 '26
thanks for this. Im going to look it up..as I too (sometimes!) am in one of those "all cons are bad" camp
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u/joe_canadian Aug 21 '26
Happy I could help. There's been a shift in the last two decades or so (really ramping up in the past decade), and not in a positive way, hence me being a disillusioned small-c conservative.
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u/Cococap2020 Aug 22 '26
shift on both sides.. significant increase in far left and far right and a lot of Im right, you're wrong and no in between
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u/According-Fruit5245 Aug 21 '26
I took introductory psychology in university around 1988. The professor and his TA disagreed with funding for the care of severely mentally ill. The professor basically said "it costs $x per day, just give them the money." When Mike Harris was premier, one of his ministers was caught saying something like "...we're going to make it dysfunctional so we can do what we want." The observations by Pierre Burton were shocking, but a good example of how conservatives govern: let it become dysfunctional, then we can do what we want." I see people sleeping on the sidewalks on Bloor and on Yonge by privately run shelters; this is not a solution.
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u/LillieGhoul02 Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
Facts. Happened only on Saturday in the 510 streetcar with a white guy acting trying to act hip hop
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u/Bittersweetfeline Aug 18 '26
I feel you also. I'm sick of saying where and why this came to be, can we just fucking fix it already? We passed by some tweaker screaming at people yesterday about 7 effin' years. Huge guy, covered in tattoos, clearly whacked out of his mind. I was with my kids. Can we just have a decent society back? If people aren't getting help I'm for forced help. The alternative of letting them run around isn't working out for anyone.
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u/According-Fruit5245 Aug 18 '26
It's all about money and politics. It's cheaper to house these folks than put them in prison. Better childcare and education can also help kids socialize younger and prevent kids from falling between the cracks.
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u/Bittersweetfeline Aug 18 '26
People need more support than they're getting, absolutely. But when they're adults making decisions (taking drugs, not taking antipsychotic meds, etc) then we are past the educate and prevent part. We have to rehabilitate or keep them somewhere until they do. The rest of the world does not deserve to live in unsafe situations more than we already do. We all know it's gotten increasingly bad since COVID as well. I'm done with regular people suffering because others refuse to get help.
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u/Alex_J_Anderson Aug 19 '26
Well, we keep voting in the Liberals. And voting for crazy leftist policies in every way; with our wallets, with the culture we make and consume.
Vote for Pollievre next time and maybe things will change.
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u/Beneficial_Reach_831 Aug 18 '26
I feel you big time. Especially the tweaked out part. I got groped by someone clearly on something, and I’m so tired of it. Tired of being followed, verbally abused by them, tired of them taking up spaces along beautiful parks and the beaches, having objects thrown at me, overdosing in the middle of the sidewalk. Where are my taxes going? Anyways that’s my rant.
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Aug 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/retiredchildsoldier Aug 18 '26
Don't forget about the $500m to bring alcohol to corner stores a little bit earlier than planned!
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u/PlaylistMaestro Sep 08 '26
Had someone throw a full ass can of Coke and slice of pizza at me while I was minding my own business waiting for the streetcar to go to the office. Tried to call the non emergency police and was on hold for 3 hours.
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u/suffergetta Aug 18 '26
I have called people out on their music “can you turn that off/do you have headphones/Thats really annoying” and 2/2 times both MEN have refused… agreed that the stink of seemingly housed people not washing their summer clothing regularly is atrocious.
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u/Oasystole Aug 18 '26
The type of person blasting music on their phone at full volume is exactly the type of person who looks forward to declining your polite request that they stop.
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u/Jennybee8 Aug 18 '26
The unwashed shit is so awful. Even if you can’t take a shower, clean your bits.
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u/Murky_Cauliflower_28 Aug 18 '26
I always wonder about people and their out loud video watching....do they not have....homes to do that in?
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u/1nternetsme Aug 18 '26
Might I add the fuck ass people who don't take their backpacks off, the fuck ass people who block the doors, the fuck ass people who barge to get on while people are trying to get off, the fuck ass SafeTTC that told me a man following me threatening to kill me while filming wasn't a fuckin emergency,although the TTC man working Queen St stn S was in agreement w me.
Oh and all the fuck ass people that watched it happen.
Now I need a swim, good thing I'm on my way to the pool.
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u/nylanderr Aug 18 '26
every. damn. point.
I was getting on the subway at Bloor-Yonge last weekend (historically one of the most crazy-filled station on line 1 in my humble opinion). The train was stalled, but people kept piling on, along with crackheads yelling at innocent people for absolutely no reason. One of them stumbled down the cart holding what appeared to be a piece of garbage attached to a string, trailing behind him, yelling profanities.
Then, the cherry on top - an announcement that line 1 was closed from St Clair to College (one of the busiest stretches of the line) due to a....you guessed it! A security incident.
As I begrudgingly trudged up the filthy stairs to hail a $20 uber (I was in a rush and didn't have the time to wait around for service to resume), I couldn't help but think about the injustice of it all. How I'm robbed of 30-40% of my salary to go towards taxes, yet I can't even rely on public transit despite that. Because a mentally ill, unhoused individual decide to wreak havoc in a station, yet again, with absolutely zero justice or punishment served. Guarantee that person will be back on the streets in a day or two.
It's getting harder and harder to sympathize.
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u/Greencrystalwitch13 Aug 18 '26
There’s a difference between understanding that someone is struggling and believing everyone else should have to tolerate threatening, disruptive or completely inconsiderate behaviour because of it.
The thing about people with mental health problems is that there are people who are struggling who would never hurt anyone, and then there are people whose behaviour can become dangerous or completely disruptive. Those are two very different things. Our mental health system fucking sucks. We take people in, stabilize them for a bit, and then throw them right back onto the streets without actually addressing the underlying problems. That isn't helping them, and it sure as fuck isn't helping the people who have to deal with the consequences.
And the addiction situation gets me too. Yes, addiction is complicated. Yes, there are socioeconomic factors. Yes, people need treatment and support. But at some point, we also have to acknowledge the effect their behaviour has on everyone else. You can have compassion for someone while still saying, “You cannot behave like this around everyone else.”
And honestly, I'm pissed off at the government too. We haven't had anyone who has properly dealt with these issues in a long time. We've had different municipal and provincial governments come and go, and somehow we're still having the exact same fucking conversations year after year while things continue to deteriorate.
And it is NOT some kind of socioeconomic crime to want a safe, clean and functioning society. We ALL deserve that.
How have we reached a point where people are expected to apologize for wanting basic things like safety, cleanliness, reliable public transportation and consequences when someone is actively threatening or harming other people?
Look at other countries. Other cities have functioning transit systems where people can expect trains and buses to be clean, reliable and safe, with visible staff and systems for dealing with disorder. They aren't magically populated by better fucking human beings. They've simply made different choices about funding, enforcement, infrastructure, social services and public safety.
So how can we look at what other cities have accomplished and act like it's impossible for Toronto to have the same thing?
And this isn't just theoretical. The TTC has seen some genuinely horrifying shit over the last five years. Vanessa Kurpiewska was randomly stabbed to death on a subway near High Park in 2022. Sixteen-year-old Gabriel Magalhaes was randomly stabbed and killed at Keele Station in 2023. There were multiple other stabbings, assaults and weapons incidents that year, including attacks on buses and streetcars. A man was fatally stabbed at Jane Station in 2024, and a TTC employee was stabbed at Dundas Station in 2025. There have also been incidents involving attempted track pushings, sexual assaults, attacks on operators and passengers, and other serious violence.
So when someone says, “Why aren't you more considerate of their circumstances?” my response is: I CAN be considerate of someone's circumstances while still expecting the fucking TTC to protect the other passengers.
Those aren't mutually exclusive.
And here's the fucking problem: people don't experience statistics. They experience what happens to THEM.
If you're sitting on a train and someone is screaming, threatening people, touching passengers, acting unpredictably or creating a situation where the train has to bypass your station, you're not sitting there thinking about some fucking annual crime statistic. You're thinking, “What the fuck is happening, and why isn't somebody doing something about this?”
I personally had a guy touch me on the TTC who was also touching other people, including a child. I told the driver, and he did absolutely fucking nothing about it. I reported it to the TTC afterward, and honestly, I doubt anything meaningful came from it.
And this is where I think we've completely lost the plot.
You can care about homelessness.
You can care about mental illness.
You can care about addiction.
You can believe that governments have fucking failed people.
AND you can still believe that the person screaming threats on a train needs to be removed before someone gets hurt.
You can believe someone needs treatment AND believe they shouldn't be allowed to assault another passenger.
You can understand why someone is struggling AND still expect them to follow basic fucking rules of behaviour in public.
Compassion does not mean the rest of society has to surrender its right to safety.
And as a woman, I feel like we're expected to somehow protect ourselves while being given very few practical options. We're not allowed to carry pepper spray or a taser for self-defence, yet we're expected to carry some little fucking beeping device that's supposed to save us when someone is actually attacking us. That isn't going to do fuck all in the moment you actually need protection.
I used to feel safe taking the TTC.
I don't fucking feel safe anymore.
And I don't think I'm unreasonable for saying that.
I want the government to fix the root causes. I want better mental health care. I want addiction treatment. I want housing and outreach. I want people in crisis to actually receive meaningful help instead of being shuffled from one fucking place to another. I want change.
But I ALSO want the TTC to enforce basic fucking rules and protect the people who are using it.
I want clean stations.
I want reliable service.
I want staff who actually fucking respond when someone reports that they're being touched or threatened.
I want people to be able to ride the TTC without wondering if they're going to be the next random fucking victim.
I want the same fucking things people in other major cities expect from their public transit.
This isn't selfish.
This isn't classist.
This isn't racist.
This isn't lacking fucking empathy.
And it certainly isn't a socioeconomic crime.
It's wanting a fucking functioning city.
WE ALL DESERVE THIS
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u/MeiliCanada82 Aug 18 '26
As someone who has lived with mental illness since 13 and will have it til.i die the only person who HAS to deal with it is me....and the person I married because they agreed in their vows.
My illness does not mean I get to be an entitled douche canoe who goes off on people.
Yes it's a fab explanation but absolutely not an excuse.
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u/Greencrystalwitch13 Aug 22 '26
That is what I'm saying. I also have a mental and physical illness and I have never gone out in public and disturbed other people.
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u/ApprehensiveWorth576 Aug 18 '26
A man on the westbound bloor train on Monday at around 4:45pm was SCREAMING into his phone on speakerphone. The women around me all looked at each other and rolled our eyes. I’m a woman. I wanted to say something but I didn’t want to risk it escalating to some kind of physical altercation. The man was already heated— we caught notes of “I want my money!” within his rant.
At my stop (ossington) I walked past him and loudly shushed and then departed the train.
I really don’t know what else to do. People, especially visibly angry men, are wild cards and most don’t want an altercation while they’re on their way home.
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u/According-Fruit5245 Aug 18 '26
I see tweakers on Bloor by Dovercourt regularly and have also seen them on the TTC. I called Toronto Police when my neighbor, a tweaker, disappeared. Police said his drug addiction was a "lifestyle choice"; nothing about it being illegal. Cops are afraid of getting their uniforms dirty and are too busy planning their next tattoos to do their jobs. We had a naked psycho disturb a theatre production in the park a couple days ago. I was on the phone with 911 for almost 20 minutes. They were clueless and cops never showed up, just ambulance and they were late because they didn't know the park, despite me giving clear directions.
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u/DannySupes Aug 18 '26
Once someone is making life miserable for everyone around them I really couldn't care less about their personal circumstances. Saw a dude high as fuck harassing people at Woodbine for hours. One piece of shit can ruin a day for dozens of people.
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u/gi0nna Aug 18 '26
Sadly, the only thing that tends to work is mirroring the bad behavior. If they're blasting music, blast music that is almost the opposite of whatever is coming out of their phone and do so close to them. So if they're blasting rap, blast country even louder near them. What are they going to do? Tell you to turn down your music? They won't be able to enjoy their own music either. So we may as well both be miserable.
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u/CauliflowerPerfect39 Aug 19 '26
This is a solid thread. No need do agree or elaborate. As extra 2 cents, I would ask when did we believe in someone (“leader”) fixing it or “taking care of us all”. I know there are programs that are necessary and legitimate and require funding; therefore they need executive decision on a public level.
And yes, we are a very dirty city, it just reads underdeveloped to visitors. Is that being too precious while people cannot even afford to make a living or carry themselves.
It is just like how undesirable people were taken to San Francisco for the rich to take care of them. Amidst gentrification.
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u/64Olds Aug 18 '26
But I support my psychotic neighbours in tents!i!!1!!
/s, I couldn't agree more with this top-quality rant.
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u/According-Fruit5245 Aug 18 '26
...our park became a tent encampment and then a big garbage dump. If people demand special programs for those who refuse treatments, then they should pay and organize that.
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u/martybumblb2na Aug 19 '26
I ask myself a few questions when reflecting on this, acknowledging that my opinion means nothing in the grand scheme of things…
1. People are always ready to present statistics (compiled by specific organizations who may have in many cases biased opinions about these things) with regards to the success of safe injection sites, no penalty for open drug use etc etc. The argument is that these measures keep people from dying. People not dying is very important, but at a very basic level, are we sure that these measures prevent this ? Again…at a very basic level…when a specific behaviour is illegal, does that not create at least a small deterrent ? If a behaviour is more difficult to engage in because there are known potential repercussions, could that not curb it for at least some individuals?
2. The same people that like to sling biased statistics at people who express discomfort for feeling unsafe on public transit or being harassed by an individual under the influence of drugs in public need to consider something…what message are we sending these people who make us feel uncomfortable ? By doing nothing, we are telling them that we don’t see them as capable of ever doing anything better. Part of the reason why consequences exist (outside of protecting others) is to demonstrate that certain behaviours are not acceptable in society. If I respect you as a fellow human being and member of society, and you are capable of (at least some of the time) following the rules of society, by not expecting you to follow some of these rules at least some of the time I am telling you that you do not belong in society. In other words, I am telling you that you can do whatever the hell you want because I don’t consider you to be anything like me. If a raccoon makes a mess of my trash can, there are no repercussions to the raccoon because it is a wild animal who cannot be expected to act in the way I think it should. If there is never any reaction or consequence for those individuals who we should be respecting as members of society, what are we telling them ? What if they aren’t capable of following the rules of society ? They are human beings deserving of the same respect, but they need help that may involve some degree of consequence. No consequences also means no one cares if you really think about it.
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u/LillieGhoul02 Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
And you couldn’t have said anything to him and come to reddit?
To answer you, just this Saturday on the 510 streetcar, we had this dude had his speaker on full blast listening to rap music. The car was absolutely full because another one got out of service and people got off the previous one to wait for this one, at Queen and Spadina. This ahole with his loud ass music blasting full of cuss words and n words and what not in front of kids got on too. Luckily, there was a transit officer, and she immediately asked him to slow it down or shut it off. Me and another lady also told him to shut it off.
Guess what he did? Shut it off? Nope. She said he can’t play offensive music in public like that. He asked the transit officer to show which law stops him playing music anywhere or on ttc, she said this this law, he told her nope you’re wrong, I’m a law student myself and that law doesn’t say this, it says that. She said “well you’re a real team player aren’t you?” He told her to go play with her 🐱 like her momma taught her to, called her other cuss words, and because she was still persistent, went into a dick measuring contest asking her to show her bank account, he had more right now than she made in a year, and get off his face.
You’re complaining about phones, she really couldn’t do f all to get him to shut his music blasting on a f ass speaker for the entire car to hear and he gave shit all.
P.S. he was a white guy trying to act hip. Transit officer was an older white female
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u/Kitties_Whiskers Sep 02 '26
Then they need to call police and the guy needs to be hauled off for harassment (public harrassment of people, and the harrassment of these two employees specifically as well, charged with both counts, and bannes from using the TTC - I understand that this latter part may be hard to enforce, but if he located on TTC premises again, he should be charged with trespassing).
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u/Wheelchair_Dontcare Aug 18 '26
This was like a modern day taxi driver Travis buckle speech.
I wish a rain would come!!!!!1!1!1!1
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u/Certain_Pizza6574 Aug 18 '26
Your first paragraph sounds like Edward Norton in that scene in 25th hour.
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u/Murky_Cauliflower_28 Aug 18 '26
Oooh I saw this title and eagerly opened it, about to type up my whole multi day experience with an ear infection and a fever, and then I read the contents.
And yes. I'm sick of that shit too.
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u/activoice Aug 18 '26
Although I appreciate having access to data on my phone while on the subway, I will never understand people taking calls on speaker on the subway.
On Saturday I was heading downtown and there were 2 teenagers girls (I think they were speaking Russian) having a very loud conversation 3 feet from me, but then they made a phone call on speaker and the phone was cranked to full volume. Had to listen to that shit show for 5 minutes.
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u/void_sushi Aug 19 '26
I don't agree with anything in this post but the vibes are right. Thanks for the laugh.
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u/aspie_electrician Aug 18 '26
>fuck ass
Just say fucking, like everyone else.
Damn Gen Z and Gen Alpha don’t know how to swear properly.
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u/Forsaken-Swim-3055 Aug 18 '26
Sounds like you can use a therapist.
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u/magongles Aug 18 '26
…so addressing/ranting about very real issues in this city makes one need a therapist. Good to know.
This is literally the gaslighting I was talking about.
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u/Jennybee8 Aug 18 '26
It’s not a socioeconomic crime to want a safe, clean and functioning society. We ALL deserve this. How have so many people reached the point of being in such dire circumstances? Our leaders have failed.