Woman on GO Train had knife pointed at her over seat dispute, questions safety protocols
Barrie resident Rachael Spurling contacted emergency text line during the incident but said confusion over the number and response time left her frustrated.
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A Barrie woman has recounted a frightening incident aboard a GO Train in which a man allegedly pulled a knife and pointed it at her and her boyfriend over a seating dispute, raising questions about GO Transit safety and emergency response.
Rachael Spurling was making her first-ever GO Train trip with her boyfriend when a man boarded eight stops after they had settled in. She had her feet propped on the edge of the seat in front of her. The man confronted her, saying "Get your feet off the seat," then sat across from them and stared. He got up several times, then pulled out a knife and held it pointed at the couple in silence before cutting a Presto card in half and placing it on the seat's edge in front of Spurling.
Spurling contacted the emergency text line 77777 while panicking, but said confusion over the number itself — she had to count the sevens while nervous — and the response time left her frustrated. She was told police could only meet them at Union Station, roughly 45 minutes away. The couple eventually moved two cars away when the man went toward the bathroom. At Union Station, police and Metrolinx staff detained the man and confiscated the knife, but Spurling said she was shocked when officers released him because he had not verbally threatened her.
The incident has left Spurling questioning GO Transit's safety measures. She wants more security or police presence onboard and believes the emergency text system is difficult to use during a crisis. "I doesn't think [I] will ride it again," she said.
Were any charges laid against the man detained at Union Station, and what was the basis for his release?
What is GO Transit's response time standard for the 77777 emergency text line, and how many emergency texts does it receive monthly?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
What happened during the incident on the GO Train?
A man boarded the train, confronted Rachael Spurling about her feet on a seat, then pulled a knife and pointed it at her and her boyfriend. He cut a Presto card in half and placed it on the seat before the couple moved to another car.
How did Rachael Spurling contact emergency services?
Spurling used the GO Transit emergency text line 77777 while the incident was happening, though she found the number difficult to remember while panicking.
What was the police response time?
Police told Spurling they could meet the couple at Union Station approximately 45 minutes after she contacted the emergency text line.
What happened to the man after police arrived?
Police and Metrolinx staff detained the man at Union Station and confiscated his knife, but officers released him because he had not made any verbal threats.
