Extra, Extra: A Gamified TTC Commute, Plus Three Ways to Battle Bike Theft

By Meg Campbell

• Ride the Better Way is a game based on the banality of commuting via the TTC. Don’t let that dissuade you from trying it out, though. It’s also very creative and funny. The game’s creator, Patrick Lo, says it’s an homage to old text-based games like Oregon Trail and Cross Country Canada, calling it “spectacularly uneventful.”
• In the market for a car dealership west of the city that was abandoned more than 20 years ago? A BMW dealership in Oakville that has sat undisturbed since 1988 is up for sale, with a $3.6-million price tag. The so-called “ghost dealership” even comes with ’80s Bimmers! And since they never left the lot, their value can’t have depreciated much.
• The Toronto Cyclists Union announced a new anti–bike theft campaign today, called Register/Report/Check. The campaign recommends cyclists take three steps: register their bikes with the Toronto Police Service; report all bike thefts; and, when purchasing a used bike, check if its serial number is listed at Is This Bike Stolen?. The TCU is hosting a campaign launch party on November 7 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Bike Sauce (235 Broadview Avenue).
• Good news for people who work near College Street and University Avenue. Our friends at Urban Toronto are reporting that construction on MaRS Phase II will connect the pathways running under the area’s hospitals with the Queen’s Park subway station tunnel network. Read more details here.
• When you set your clocks back this weekend, Toronto Fire Services wants you to replace the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors too. It’s also a good time to make sure you and your housemates have a fire escape plan too. Read all of Toronto Fire’s tips on smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors because knowledge is power and so on and staying alive is good and such.

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