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At the streetcar stop at on the south side of Dundas Street West at Lisgar Street Wednesday morning around 9 a.m., a clump of commuters stood in the blizzard, looking none too hopeful.

A gentleman said, “They’re saying it will be nine minutes. And it will be packed, of course. I am thinking of walking.”

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I joined him. As we trudged eastward through the snow, he revealed his destination: the courthouse at 361 University, for jury duty. He is in a jury pool with none other than Councillor Doug Ford. These tales passed the time.

Fifteen blocks later we arrived to Bathurst Street. No streetcar had passed. At each stop we passed, the crowds waiting got larger, and the faces more glum.

Imagine our shock when we saw, sliding down Bathurst Street southbound, a huge, new, fat shiny red streetcar, taunting us with a sign on its door and on its digital display: “Not in service.”

Walking 15 more blocks, I arrived at city hall (streetcars finally caught up with us at McCaul, and passed us at University). I called Brad Ross, the TTC spokesman, about the shiny streetcar sighting.