Nine times drivers couldn’t resist the pull of the Queens Quay streetcar tunnel

Nine times drivers couldn’t resist the pull of the Queens Quay streetcar tunnel

Early Sunday morning, a car drove into the Queens Quay streetcar tunnel—again. Since the route reopened in 2014, 25 drivers have pulled up to the tunnel entrance, glanced at its wall of flashing red lights and do-not-enter signs, and thought to themselves, “Sure!” (Update: Make that 26 drivers. The TTC had to remove a blue BMW from the tunnel on St. Patrick’s Day. TTC communications director Brad Ross tweeted hours later that the commission will install a gate to keep cars out.)

I don't understand how this keeps happening… #toronto Car drives into Queens Quay streetcar tunnel — again https://t.co/MDWZWpGP1H … via @torontostar pic.twitter.com/vmrSYPV62H — Colin Walmsley (@ColinWalmsley) March 11, 2018

Next month, you too can experience the thrill of getting your ride stuck in the city’s stickiest streetcar tracks, thanks to the local heroes who just created a Facebook event dedicated to “the activity Torontonians just can’t get enough of”:

It’s all a joke, of course, but in the spirit of the big day, here’s a look back at some of the trailblazers who inspired the event.

STORY: Man in custody after he drove an SUV into streetcar tunnel on Queens Quay http://t.co/dB2YSGr8zM pic.twitter.com/KLO37nujuG — 680 NEWS Toronto (@680NEWS) October 24, 2014

October 24, 2014

The first publicized tunneller was a doozy: the driver reportedly stole the car in Oshawa, smashed some windows along Queens Quay and then, for his encore, motored down the streetcar ramp. Police called a hazmat unit to investigate; it’s cute that the city actually got worked up about this sort of thing once upon a time.

Car stuck in TTC streetcar tunnel on Queens Quay » http://t.co/rllryB9v0m — Toronto Solds (@torontosolds) November 22, 2014

November 22, 2014

Less than a month later, a copycat emerged, driving into the tunnel around 4 a.m. on a Saturday morning. According to the Star, “[the TTC is] now considering making the signs warning drivers not to enter the tunnel more obvious.”

Wrong-way driver stuck in Queens Quay streetcar tunnel overnight http://t.co/t10LwNmBp2 pic.twitter.com/JoduBlLXRc — CP24 (@CP24) July 31, 2015

July 31, 2015

Because driving in the right lane wasn’t rebellious enough…

Car found abandoned 600 metres inside the Queens Quay streetcar tunnel on Sunday https://t.co/bvhjlLaq80 — Global News Toronto (@globalnewsto) April 25, 2016

April 25, 2016

This is one of the the more impressive ones: the driver somehow managed to make it all the way to Union Station before getting stuck.

An SUV was driven into a TTC streetcar tunnel on Queens Quay causing headaches for commuters Thursday morning. https://t.co/QYZcn9S9ir pic.twitter.com/wYsCKekPcy — Toronto Sun (@TheTorontoSun) February 23, 2017

February 23, 2017

“Oops, I did it again.”

Someone drove into the Queens Quay streetcar tunnel — again https://t.co/xpK22utB1n pic.twitter.com/rYUybMHV0p — CBC Toronto (@CBCToronto) October 18, 2017

October 18, 2017

The TTC added more signs and rumble strips to the tunnel entrance in spring 2017, but that didn’t stop this guy.

Go home, Toronto, you’re already drunk and it’s not even New Year’s yet RT SUV without plates removed from Queens Quay streetcar tunnelhttps://t.co/vkhAsg8vFn pic.twitter.com/CrZdVhqyC9 — J-TO (@MontagsOnFire) December 31, 2017

December 31, 2017

Our personal favourite: the plate-less SUV that showed up in Queens Quay station on New Year’s Eve.

Car drives into Queens Quay streetcar tunnel disrupting TTC service https://t.co/ATkUd7LKHJ pic.twitter.com/sje41jLuTo — CBC Toronto (@CBCToronto) March 11, 2018

March 11, 2018

After this incident, one tweeter asked, “Is this one of those drinking games where we all take a shot every time someone drives into the Queens Quay streetcar tunnel?”

The car has been removed from the Queens Quay tunnel and regular streetcar service has resumed. https://t.co/PjLvEkcRTb pic.twitter.com/ACIkz5jx7l — CityNews Toronto (@CityNews) March 17, 2018

March 17, 2018

Police found this blue BMW on the tracks around 4 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day and arrested a 24-year-old man for impaired driving. The TTC decided it was the final straw and vowed to install a gate—an incident that we will forever refer to as Gate-gate.