Drivers caught on video using on-ramp to get off Gardiner

Published Aug 27, 2024  •  2 minute read

Motorists on the Gardiner Expressway drive in the wrong direction by using the Bay St. on-ramp to exit the heavily used thoroughfare. Photo by GreatBagels /Reddit

Nobody likes to sit in traffic, but if you get stuck — whether due to reduced lanes, construction, a crash or sheer volume — you just have to scream-sing to an angry song and deal with it.

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But drivers on the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto over the weekend had other ideas and chose to completely disregard traffic laws — as well as the safety of themselves and others.

A video was shared on Reddit’s Toronto page, showing a trail of vehicles trying to exit the Gardiner by using the Bay St. on-ramp.

Yes, the on-ramp, not off-ramp, as they were in the eastbound lanes of the Gardiner before essentially U-turning to join the line of cars travelling in the wrong direction to avoid traffic.

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“Drivers going backwards on the Bay St.-Gardiner on-ramp,” Redditor GreatBagels wrote in their post.

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“Looks like some drivers are getting too frustrated with the traffic and are turning around using the on-ramp.”

All it took was one motorist to start this fiasco before dozens of others followed suit.

The footage zooms down the ramp to Bay, showing the chaos the wrong-way drivers were causing once they reached the street — which clearly led to even more traffic given that anyone wanting to get onto the Gardiner was unable to.

Viewers were shocked at the brazenness of the drivers, with some suggesting how many tickets Toronto Police officers could have doled out to the wrong-way motorists.

“All Toronto needs is two police officers at the end of the line handing out tickets for wrong-way driving. Cha-ching,” one person wrote.

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Another person added: “All the driving violations lately seems like a gold mine. Mayor should pressure the police. Seems like it would solve all the cities (stet) monetary issues.”

A third user proposed, “Make it a new fine, $5k, plus immediate seizure. It’s indefensible. Hell, just the fines from this footage alone would pay a special constable or cop salary for a while. Selling or crushing the cars would finally send a f—ing message.”

However, one commenter lamented, “I feel police have given up everywhere.”

Another added: “There are no rules of the road if nobody is enforcing them. The TPS has abandoned their responsibilities.”

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