You're Not A True Torontonian Until You've Lived Through 4 Out Of These 7 Winter Struggles
The struggle is real.
A Toronto bus stop during the winter time. Right: Someone shovelling snow.
Toronto winters are high maintenance.
Travelling is difficult, snow shovelling snow is hard, and the wind can feels like it punches you in the face.
However, the one thing that makes the whole thing survivable is that everyone is dealing with the same annoying B.S.
Fun fact: Suffering bonds people together. And, since ranting about getting stuck in the snow or immediately dropping the F-bomb every time you step into the cold feels good, compiling this list just made sense.
So, here they are, the top eight worst winter struggles you inevitably run into living in Toronto.
Losing all bodily feeling while waiting for transit
\u201cDid you guys know that the TTC does NOT use winter tires? Something about the busses having enough weight to make winters pointless, so the bus-makers say. Yet.....\u201d— Jerome Persaud (@Jerome Persaud) 1674769612
Public transit becomes a gong show when winter hits Toronto. Streetcars get delayed, buses get stuck and crowded subways invade everyone's personal space.
Commuters can find themselves waiting for upwards of 20 minutes at freezing bus stops, regularly craning their head down the street to see when salvation coming.
If you reading this activated your sense memory, congrats, you're a real one.
Wiping out hard In front of a crowd of onlookers
\u201cDid you know \u2013 from Toronto's Community Paramedics: A slip and fall on ice this winter could result in a 911 call and visit to the hospital emergency room. Falls can be avoided with proper winter maintenance and careful steps.^JH\u201d— Toronto Paramedic Services (@Toronto Paramedic Services) 1549292541
Everyone's done it, one second you're feeling fresh in your new peacoat hitting your stride, the next you're on the ground with what you're sure is a broken tail bone, but turns out to be just a sore ego.
If you haven't wiped out hard on a bustling street, and picked yourself up like nothing happened, you're no dweller of the 6ix, friend.
Frantically shovelling snow
\u201cThe best tip you will get to shovel snow! What else could I do with 350 feet of driveway! The #atv helping out big time\n#snow #toronto #shovel #wet #winter #canada #farm #offroad\u201d— Handy Solutions Home Services (@Handy Solutions Home Services) 1671761615
Every year people forget to check the city's forecast and wake up in winter wonderland. Then, they rush outside to clear off their cars because they're already late for work and spend the whole day grumpy at the world.
Do you judge them? No, because you're in the exact same nightmare. Ah, good times.
Getting stuck in a snowstorm on Highway 401
\u201cLmao this was in yesterdays winter storm downtown Toronto, no amount of snow will stop mans from getting them strokes in! Gotta respect it\ud83e\udd23\ud83d\ude2d\u201d— CryptoJay \ud83d\udc80 (@CryptoJay \ud83d\udc80) 1674771583
Toronto traffic is already bad enough, and there's no good reason for the universe to throw a blizzard at the problem, but it does.
Every year drivers find themselves stuck in white out conditions on the 401, trapped in a world of wintry misery, praying their data will last long enough to download the entire Lord of The Rings trilogy off Audible. It's going to be a long one.
Waiting outside a bar or club without a coat
People tend to abandon this ballsy approach to the city's nightlife by their late 20s. However, if you came of age in Toronto, there's a good chance your entire friend group has huddled together for warmth like penguins on a Queen West Antarctica.
Watching all your favourite spots become overcrowded
Toronto's reliance on patios is bad news during the winter. Yes, many spots do their best to heat their outdoor space as long as possible, but there comes a point in the season when no one wants to sit outside anymore.
Suddenly, you're struggling to find a seat at your favourite dive because its usually manageable amount of hipsters is now at max capacity.
You gaze longly through the window, while the people sitting at your favourite table look just like you.
Feeling too guilty to order UberEats
There's just something terrible about asking someone to bring you McNuggets in the middle of snow storm, even if you are paying them for it. You just have to pretend to be fine with the frozen chicken strips that have been in your freezer since 2018.
Hopefully, this list will make you feel less alone through all your winter woes this year. And remember, you're only a true Torontonian if you've experienced more than half of these struggles.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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