The Toronto subway system has been a sanctuary from the intrusion of cellphone use, giving commuters the opportunity to read, daydream, chat with their seatmates, or just stare mindlessly into space. Unfortunately it looks like this cellphone-free zone will be going the way of the dodo bird as Toronto scrambles to catch up with more technologically advanced subway systems.

Following the lead of some of the other subway systems around the world, the Toronto subway system may soon be wired for cellphone use. The idea is still in the exploratory phase but the likelihood is that there will be some sort of cellphone wiring in the Toronto subway within the next 5 years. And it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be able to talk on your cellphone while traveling on the subway. In New York City the underground subway stations are wired for cellphone use, but the trains and tunnels are not. Costs are offset by a fee that is charged to the cellphone carriers for the use of the signal.

How many of you who ride the bus or streetcar have felt victimized by people who can’t live without talking on their cellphones non-stop? Why must we be barraged by the continuous mindless chatter that makes up the fabric of these peoples’ lives? Can you just imagine the sounds of a rush hour commute on the Toronto subway with everyone trying to talk above their neighbour in order to be heard on their cellphones? The New York system of wiring the stations but not the trains seems like the best of all solutions. What do you think?