'I heard this catastrophic shattering': Multiple bus shelters damaged in London
The London Transit Commission (LTC) is once dealing with a rash of incidents where the glass in bus shelters have been smashed out.
Ashlaigh Potter heard strange noises during the early morning hours late last week. Then there was a jarring noise that gave her the most concern.
“I heard like this catastrophic shattering and the bus shelter was broken when I woke up the next morning,” she said.
The shelter sits a few meters away from the patio of her ground floor apartment along Proudfoot Lane, south of Oxford. The glass has been pushed into the structure and has been sitting there ever since, with caution tape wrapped around the shelter.
The shelters are made with tempered glass that shatters into tiny bits, but Potter — who rides the bus with her service dog — is concerned about the risk the glass might pose.
"It does worry me about the glass being on the sidewalk and whatnot. They haven't cleaned it up,” Potter said.
The scene is repeated a couple of blocks away on Farrah Road and on Oxford, near Guildwood Boulevard.
Some LTC riders estimate almost a dozen shelters were hit.
A bus shelter located on Proudfoot Lane in London, Ont. is seen on May 30, 2022 damaged, after its glass windows were shattered. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)One of the biggest concerns for transit riders is that the shelters will be removed completely, leaving them out in the cold during the winter.
Brian Cloney is one of those riders that doesn’t wan’t want to lose the shelters.
"LTC are basically going to probably say, 'Well, look we're spending all this money constantly rebuilding these shelters' and because it costs more money they're probably going to stop doing it,” he said.
He also worries about those with mobility issues who are waiting for a bus in the heat.
“Like seniors that probably use a walker, right, or a cane. They get tired very easily, right. So they want to be able to sit down and catch their break," Cloney said.
The London Police Service (LPS) said to this point they've only received one formal report regarding bus shelter damage, adding that the LTC will often file reports when a number incidents have accumulated.
LPS Const. Sandasha Bough said someone who is found responsible for multiple acts of damage could face significant charges.
"An individual who is found to be responsible for damaging property could face a charge of mischief, under $5,000 or over $5,000, depending on the cost of the damages,” she said.
CTV News London reached out to the LTC to determine how many incidents have been reported and when they anticipate the glass will be cleaned up but, as of Monday evening, have not responded to our inquiry.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Drone footage shows Ukrainian village battered to ruins as residents flee Russian advance
The Ukrainian village of Ocheretyne has been battered by fighting, drone footage obtained by The Associated Press shows. The village has been a target for Russian forces in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Parliamentary report on Emergencies Act decision is 18 months past due — and counting
The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.