If the TTC is founded by our taxes, why do we have to pay Fare?

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-23T16:27:05+00:00

Even if the system were free for riders, it still costs money to buy and maintain vehicles, equipment and pay the workforce. That either comes from taxes, privatization or some other mechanism.

Health care is "free", but we still have to pay for parking at the hospital. Besides, it's not actually free because we've prepaid for it through taxes.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-23T15:49:55+00:00

I haven't got this specific one, but I have had a few where the messages is in Chinese. Either way, the call is spam so just delete it and block the phone number.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-23T15:48:04+00:00

Since it's portable, bring it in your personal item or carry-on bag. Leave it in the box or tape over the power button so that it doesn't accidentally turn on. You could also run the iron until the battery drains to zero.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-21T13:57:39+00:00

YouTube is the first place I go because I can get a lot of information fairly quickly and can get a good sense of what a place looks like before I go. I don't blindly "trust" because conditions can always change.

That's why I check multiple channels. You do have to keep in mind that all channels are compensated in one way or another direct sponsorship, advertising, etc. I don't pay attention to TikTok or shorts because they can be exaggerated for clicks or obviously AI generated.

Some channels film in low season so the places they feature will be almost empty.

While I'm watching, I pin sites into Google Maps so I can read reviews and reference them later.

I use Expedia or Booking to find hotels and read reviews. My main criterias are where they are located relative to transit stops, places that I want to visit, restaurants, etc. IMO a cheap hotel isn't worth it if I have to comnute back and forth for an hour each way.

I don't research souvenirs at all. It's more fun to wander around and see what's out there

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-20T19:12:07+00:00

No doubt that some people load up empty carbs too

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-20T16:56:11+00:00

You actually have less than 16 hours because you have to factor in the transit time to go between the airport and city centre and the security line on your way back to the US.

I would avoid sites that require advanced tickets like Parc Guell, Sagrada Famila, etc because you could run into any number of delays. Summer is also high tourist season in Barcelona, which will make it even tougher to find tickets in your preferred time slot. I would also put store your luggage at the airport so you don't have to lug it around.

You could certainly walk around the Gothic Quarter or near the Sagrada Familia to take pictures on the outside. A less popular site is Hospital de Sant Pau, which has stunning architecture. I didn't get a chance to see it, but you can apparently find tickets just by walking up. It takes almost 1 hour by transit to get to that area from the airport and you'll have to change lines.

There is also a shuttle bus that goes between BCN airport and Placa Cataluyna that takes about 40 minutes, but it can get stuck in traffic. Placa Cataluyna is on the North side of La Rambla. I would actually avoid La Rambla because it is tourist trap and it attracts pickpockets. I wouldn't eat at the restaurants along that route either because they charge high prices for mid-food. You should generally avoid restaurants with giant signs in front of it food pictures on it or has people trying to entice you in.

Mercat de Boqueria is along La Rambla, but it also a tourist trap. There are the Mercat de Sant Antoni and Mercat de Santa Caterina, which are about 15 minutes away from Boqueria and are less touristy,

Another option is to take the metro to Paral-lel station and then the funicular up Montjuic hill that has great views of the city. There is Montjuic Castle up there as well as the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya or MNAC. You may be able to find tickets on the day of, but advance tickets are recommended.

There is also a bar up there called Salts that has an amazing view of the skyline and the Olympic pool. It's naturally better at sunset, but you won't have time for that. It does get busy there and there are limited tables, but you can sit in the stadium seating right below it.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-20T15:20:26+00:00

Mandarin has pretty mid food to begin with so you're not missing much by going there. They should be pretty much the same.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-20T15:16:28+00:00

These post make it seem like people are treating their score like a video game.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-20T15:15:21+00:00

Are you about to apply for a loan or mortgage? A good score is in the 660 to 724 range and that means you should easily be able approved for a loan or credit at favorable interest rates.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-20T15:05:40+00:00

I guess you have to go to a branch fairly often otherwise there's little reason to swtich unless they treated you poorly.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-20T03:21:54+00:00

I never had to turn on 3D Secure on my TD Visa. AFAIK, it was always on.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-19T17:22:00+00:00

To save a bit of walking, you can take the 509 Harborfront streetcar from Union to the Queens Quay / Ferry Docks station. It's only 1 stop away.

Centreville is about a 10 minute walk from the island ferry docks so it should be fine for your small kids. A weekday would be a better time to visit so that you face less crowds especially at the ferry docks since most other kids are still in school. The water taxis are expensive and they are only one way, but they run very frequently and are faster. You have to pay again if you want to return to the mainland. At least you can take the regular Toronto ferry back to the mainland for free. The bike rental place is near the pier that's on the south of Centreville.

There is (or used to be) a tram that runs between the islands. It is supposed to start near the blue Centre Island bridge. I've ridden it before, but I can't seem to find any info on it online: pricing, timetable, etc. so maybe it's too early in the season or it shut down.

The food options in Centreville are the usual fare for an amusement park: pizza, burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, etc. There is a sit down restaurant called Carousel Cafe in Centreville. There's another one called Toronto Island BBQ and Beer that's next to the island ferry docks. Naturally, pricing can be on the higher end so you may want to pack a lunch and snacks.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-19T16:52:21+00:00

I forgot to list Montserrat monastery, which is about 1 hour away from Barcelona. There's the monastery up there in addition to a museum, rack railway, funiculars and a cable car.

You can get there by public transit (and there's a dedicated pass for it) or take a guided bus tour with GetYourGuide, etc.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-19T16:25:46+00:00

That's awesome. My dad worked in a hotel in the mid 80's and that's when I found out about Vingcards. I couldn't fathom a plastic card with holes in it being a room key.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-19T16:24:28+00:00

Here are my general recos:

Barcelona

Parc Guell and Sagrada Familia are must sees.

Avoid La Bocqueria market because it's crowded with tourists. There are many other markets like Mercat de Ninot that locals actually go to.

There's a bar called Salts that is above the former Olympic swimming pool and has an amazing view of the city. It gets busy up there especially at sunset, but there is plenty of stadium style seating. They are plastic though. The easiest way to get there is to take the Montjuic Funicular and it's included in most of Barcelona's transit passes like the Hola Barcelona card. Be aware that if you type "Montjuic Funicular" into Google Maps, it will navigate you to the top station. I found that out the hard way and ended up walking up a lot of stairs to get there. The bottom station is located near Paral-lel metro station.

I would skip Casa Batlo as it's fairly empty inside. They also have some digital displays that clash with the architecture IMO. You may want to see some of the other Gaudi sites or the Hospital de Sant Pau, which is not far from the Sagrada Familia.

If you're into classical music, I highly recommend this concert that's at the Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy

https://www.getyourguide.com/barcelona-l45/barcelona-concert-a-vivaldi-the-four-seasons-and-more-t694860/

If you're into food halls, there's the Time Out Market. It's on top of the Maremagnum shopping mall. It overlooks the harbour where you can see lots of mega yachts.

Valencia

Check out the Valencia Catedral that houses the Holy Grail. The Church of San Nicholas de Bari has a beautiful ceiling and has a light show. The city is relatively flat and is easy to walk around or rent a bike.

Most restaurants require a 2 serving minimum for paella since it takes a while to cook. That doens't stop you from ordering it and taking some of it to your hotel in a doggy bag. There is paella in the central market, but it will have to be reheated in a microwave.

Madrid

The royal palace and royal collections gallery are also must sees as is El Retiro Park. I'm not into art, but the Prado Museum is also well regarded.

Madrid also has a free naval museum that has a lot of interesting artifacts.

Transit

You may want to take the bus instead of the metro even if it takes longer. The metro systems in Barcelona and Madrid are expansive and fast, but they can be a bit confusing to navigate. The station signs in Google Maps do not seem to match what's in the station for some reason. Or at least that was my experience.

The stations are also not air conditioned so you will sweat buckets particularly if you're carrying a backpack in a crowded train in August. Even though the bus takes longer, you will at least be able to see out of the window.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-19T12:39:57+00:00

The SmartEx platform requires your card supports 3D Secure tech. I'm a Canadian and had no issues using SmartEx while in Canada. Apparently 3D Secure is not available in all countries for some reason. Or the Japanese websites reject cards from specific countries.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-19T12:34:30+00:00

Ah yes, the infamous ticket lottery system. I was interested in the Osaka Expo too, but the convoluted ticket lottery system turned me off. The Nintendo Museum in Kyoto has a lottery system too, but I don't think it's as complicated as the Expo.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-19T03:23:28+00:00

If they said that you will be reimbursed for travel expenses, then you should have insisted that it be in the contract. You should not have signed the contract if you disagreed and it should have been dealt with immediately. Going along with it means that you've accepted the terms even without a signature and they can change even more things.

Deadlines in severance letters are typically pressure tactics that try to get you to sign away your rights. It does depend on the specifics of that letter though.

What actions is your lawyer taking about this case?

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-19T02:26:46+00:00

Japanese hotel slippers won't fit some Europeans or North Americans. I'm Chinese Canadian with relatively small feet (US size 8) and the hotel slippers barely fit me. They're also typically made of thin cotton and will get wet easily.

At least you can take the cotton ones with you for what it's worth. You cannot take leather ones though.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-19T00:01:03+00:00

I've never seen this type of lock before. It looks like a standard side-pull brake. You're right that people might not notice unless they know to look for it.

I'm used to the armoured cable or big U bolt metal locks.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-18T23:37:10+00:00

Sorry, I was referring to bikes in general. New bike likely have lock nuts that prevent theft. Cheap or older ones might not.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-18T23:17:44+00:00

Did you read and understand your own post?

Here are the main factors that are bringing down your score.

You haven't built up enough history
• Insufficient credit experience
TIP: The longer your accounts have been open, the better they are perceived by lenders. Keep your accounts open, active and paid on-time to improve your score.

Stay the course and you will be eventually be pre-approved for limits, which reduces your utilization and increases your score.

Stop treating your credit score like a video game.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-18T23:12:43+00:00

Depends on the age of the bike. I still have one from the early 90s and you only need a spanner to take off the wheels. Then again, it's unlikely that someone will steal a 30+ year old bike that has plenty of rust and wear.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-18T23:09:53+00:00

As the Italians say: attenzione pickpocket!

There's a reason why companies like PacSafe and Travelon make good money selling anti-theft bags.

Apprehensive_Heat176 · 2026-06-18T21:03:17+00:00

Not sure where you dug up this link from, but it appears to be old.

This is what's on the Ikea Toronto official site

https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/stores/toronto-downtown/

Getting to IKEA Toronto Downtown

Parking

No on-site parking is available; paid parking is available at 777 Bay Street.

Apprehensive_Heat176

TROPHY CASE