Saturday’s bus and train ride was quite a challenge. We left home about 12:00 p.m. and went to our usual weekend stop at McDonald’s for your fries. Then we took the Kennedy bus to the Kennedy Station where the subway trains was not working until Victoria Park Subway. Oh! Oh! I thought, sure enough Elijah was crying when the train was not coming and I had to take him on the emergency shuttle bus to Victoria Park. He wanted to go to Donlands Station.

Elijah taking the train from Kennedy Station had become a very strong routine process for you. You did not understand why the train was not coming as much as I tried. You cried a lot on a crowded bus with many people just looking, which I did my best to ignore. Finally we got to Victoria Park subway and took the train, I was thinking that I will take you all the way to Bloor and double back on the Finch line.

That was my plan but not yours, you cried and insisted that we stop at Donlands but I went one stop further to Greenwood Station. We then took the train back to Victoria Park Station and you are thinking the train will go to Kennedy this time (hoping to start your regular routine again at Kennedy all the way to Donlands) but the subway problem was not fixed and the train stopped at Victoria Park Station again.

You kept repeating Donlands, Donlands even though we had already gone past that subway. So we took the shuttle bus from Victoria Park Station that will stop at the Warden Station then to final stop at Kennedy Station. From there I was going to take the RT line to Scarborough Town Centre and then to home (our usual return route).

However, at the Warden Station you wanted to come off the bus thinking you will get the train there, no such luck. Trying to put your confused mind at ease we got off one bus and get on another, in the mean time also trying to calm you because you kept pulling away and most of all trying to keep my cool.

Many eyes are on us as you are reaching the point of meltdown. There was a hot part of me that wanted to tell all the people who were looking on about Autism and routine of things in a particular order. That is why you were behaving that way and not because you are an unmanageable kid. As with many Autistic parents we grow skin over our eyes in situations like that.

So now we are heading to Kennedy Station with you still crying, pulling away and asking for mom. We got on the Scarborough RT and you are still repeating "Donlands" and I am saying no, we are going to Scarborough Centre. Your request for mom is increasing; at Scarborough Centre I tried to re-focus your mind from that stranglehold routine you have of going to Donlands the way you normally do.

Although this situation was quite difficult for you and me there was a part that felt good about what had happened with the subway problem. You will face a life that is quite unpredictable and not everything will fall into its usual routine as you get older. This was a teaching opportunity for you and me as well.

Instead of taking the regular bus to home, I was trying to give you another option than Donlands Station. I am thinking that if I take you home then you will want your mom to take you back to Kennedy Station and then to Donlands via your regular routine. Sorry! Mommy can fix a lot of things but not the Toronto Transit problems.

Also, taking you back home and letting you cry it out (I thought of that) may back fire because of how strong the subway routine is for you at this time in your life. Thank God for being at the Scarborough Town Centre when you said "Don Mills Station - Union". So we took the Sheppard bus from McCowan Road, you fell asleep all the way to Don Mills Station which I think was good for you. At Sheppard /Yonge Station I got you a mild beef patty because you always like a patty on your weekend trip.

We went to Union Station and came back to Don Mills and then to home. When mom opened the door with a concern look it was 6:00 p.m.