Seven times a day or so, one of Toronto’s subway lines grinds to a halt after a rider hits a Passenger Assistance Alarm. Here’s what leads to them.
The TTC’s Passenger Assistance Alarms, those thin yellow bands that run along the inside of subway trains, get hit more often than you’d think—more than seven times a day, on average. It adds up: subway lines have been put on hold for a total of 88 and a half hours this year so far. (That’s according to the most recent data provided to The Grid by TTC staff, which runs until October 20.) What was the emergency? We broke down the hold-ups.
SOMEONE GOT SICK
39 hours, 23 minutes
Thursday, June 7, 8:09 a.m., Spadina Station: “UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CUSTOMER SUFFERING A PANIC ATTACK IN CAR 5081. PAA [Passenger Assistance Alarm] ACTIVATED BY PERSON(S) UNKNOWN. CUSTOMER LEFT TRAIN AND STATION, MEDICAL AID WAS DECLINED.” (<1 minute delay.)
Thursday, September 13, 11:47 a.m., Lawrence Station. “PAA ACTIVATED BY PERSON(S) UNKNOWN. UNIDENTIFIED MALE CUSTOMER IN SEIZURE ON CAR 5474. EMS [Toronto Emergency Medical Services] AND SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL IN ATTENDANCE AT 12:08 PM AND MALE ESCORTED FROM TRAIN. MEDICAL AID DECLINED. DURING DELAY THREE TRAINS TURNED BACK.” (24 mins.)
(“A lot of this stuff is fainting,” explains TTC spokesperson Mike DeToma, and most isn’t serious; riders refused medical help 48.8% of the time.)
SOMEONE WAS WASTED OR BELLIGERENT
16 hours, 42 minutes
Saturday, January 14, 12:37 p.m. Donlands Station. “PAA ACTIVATED IN CAR 5313 BY UNKNOWN PERSON(S) DUE TO A DISORDERLY MALE PUNCHING THE TRAIN. NO INJURY. MALE EXITED TRAIN AND PLATFORM AND TRAIN PROCEEDED.” (6 mins.)
Monday, February 27, 7:36 a.m. St. Andrew Station. “PAA ACTIVATED IN CAR 5279 BY UNIDENTIFIED PERSON(S) DUE TO AN UNIDENTIFIED MALE SINGING LOUDLY. OPERATOR INVESTIGATED AND RESET PAA AFTER SPEAKING TO THE MALE.” (4 mins.)
Friday, May 12, 12:12 a.m. Wilson Station. “PAA ACTIVATED BY PERSON(S) UNKNOWN ON CAR 5404. INTOXICATED MALE PASSED OUT ON FLOOR. MALE WAS PICKED UP, PLACED ON SEAT AND TRAIN PROCEEDED.” (6 mins.)
Saturday, September 29, 10:16 p.m. Dundas Station. “PAA ACTIVATED IN CAR 5775 BY PERSON(S) UNKNOWN. AN UNIDENTIFIED INTOXICATED MALE THREATENING TO KILL EVERYONE ON CAR 5775. NO WEAPON SEEN OR INJURY REPORTED. MALE REMOVED BY STATION MANAGER. TPS [Toronto Police Service] SCENE, APPREHENDED AND TRANSPORTED BY POLICE.” (7 mins.)
SOMEONE GOT ASSAULTED
4 hours, 15 minutes
Tuesday, January 24, 4:21 p.m. Rosedale Station. “PAA ACTIVATED ON CAR 5220 BY PERSON(S) UNKNOWN. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTED BEING SLAPPED BY AN UNIDENTIFIED ASSAILANT. ASSAILANT FLED TRAIN AND STATION. FEMALE DECLINED MEDICAL AID AND RODE TRAIN TO DAVISVILLE STATION. NO INJURIES REPORTED.” (4 mins.)
Wednesday, July 25. 9:32 p.m. Woodbine Station. “PAA ACTIVATED BY UNKNOWN PERSON(S) IN CAR 5112. [WOMAN] REPORTED 2 FEMALES POURED JUICE ON HER AND FLED THE SCENE. FEMALE VICTIM SUSTAINED A SORE RIGHT HAND, FOOT AND ELBOW AND WAS TRANSPORTED BY EMS.” (5 mins.)
SOMETHING BROKE
1 hour
Friday, March 30, 4:28 p.m., Bloor Station. “PAA ACTIVATED ON CAR 5728 BY PERSON(S) UNKNOWN. GUARD REPORTS ALL DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN. GUARD CYCLED DOORS OPEN, PASSENGERS EXITED CAR AND TRAIN PROCEEDED MEETING LINE MECHANIC ENROUTE.” (4 mins.)
SOMEONE GOT ROBBED
20 minutes
Thursday, March 29, 9:09 p.m. Chester Station. “PAA ACTIVATED ON CAR 5855 BY PERSON(S) UNKNOWN. GUARD REPORTS THREE PATRONS STOLE A FEMALE’S PHONE AND FLED TRAIN AT BROADVIEW STATION. VICTIM EXITED TRAIN AT CHESTER STATION TO COLLECTOR BOOTH TO AWAIT TPS. NO INJURIES REPORTED.” (3 mins.)”
SOMEONE SPOTTED A SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE
4 minutes
Sunday, June 10, St. George Station. “CUSTOMER OBSERVED AN UNATTENDED PACKAGE IN CAR 5812 AND ACTIVATED PAA. PACKAGE REMOVED BY STATION MANAGER J ROBERTSON AND TRAIN PROCEEDED.” (4 mins.)
SOMETHING ELSE
1 hour, 26 minutes
Tuesday, March 6, 10:27 a.m., Finch Station. “PAA ACTIVATED ON OUT-OF-SERVICE TRAIN BY TRAPPED CUSTOMER ON CAR 5171. CUSTOMER ACCOMMODATED AND TRAIN PROCEEDED.” (<1 min.)
Thursday, March 15, 10:31 a.m., Rosedale Station. “PAA ACTIVATED BY PERSON(S) UNKNOWN IN CAR 5286 AS TRAIN DEPARTED STATION. GUARD INVESTIGATED AND FOUND FAMILY SEPARATED FROM CHILD. COLLECTOR 51524 RETRIEVED CHILD FROM PLATFORM TO BOOTH TO AWAIT FAMILY.” (<1 min.)
NOTHING
25 hours, 28 minutes
Friday, January 6, 7:01 p.m. St. Patrick Station. “PAA ACTIVATED IN ERROR IN THE LEAD CAR ACCIDENTALLY, BY THE OPERATOR.” (<1 min.)
Friday, January 20, 2012, 4:50 p.m., Old Mill Station. “PAA WAS ACTIVATED IN ERROR ON CAR #5883 BY AN UNIDENTIFIED PERSON WHEN A HOCKEY STICK CONTACTED THE YELLOW STRIP.” (<1 min.)
Saturday, February 18, 2012, 12:57 p.m. York Mills Station. “PAA ACTIVATED IN CAR 5238 BY A GROUP OF YOUTHS CAUSING A DISTURBANCE ONBOARD THE TRAIN. GROUP CAUTIONED BY THE GUARD AND TRAIN PROCEEDED.” (<1 min.)
Friday, February 24, 9:18 p.m. Lawrence Station. “AN UNIDENTIFIED MALE ACTIVATED THE PAA IN ERROR WITH HIS SKIS ON CAR 5416.” (<1 min.)
Monday, April 9, 12:15 p.m., Summerhill Station. “PAA ACTIVATED IN ERROR BY A CURIOUS CHILD IN CAR 5425. ALARM RESET AND TRAIN PROCEEDED.” (3 mins.)
Thursday, May 24, 4:40 p.m. Osgoode Station. “PAA IN CAR 5436 ACTIVATED IN ERROR BY UNIDENTIFIED CUSTOMER STRETCHING ARMS.” (<1 min.)
Sunday, September 30, 1:53 p.m. Warden Station. “PAA ACTIVATED ON CAR 5824 BY PERSON(S) UNKNOWN. PATRON NOTICED AN ELDERLY MALE WITH A CANE TRYING TO EXIT TRAIN AND THOUGHT HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT. NO INJURIES REPORTED.” (3 mins.)
