DANGER & DETERIORATION
by JEN ROBERTON for Urbane Magazine
FROM VOL I: Issue 1, Spring 2010
Photo by RYAN RAZ
The Hotel Waverly is a fixture that stands out as a sort of shady cesspool in Toronto. Its decrepit ap
pearance has a great deal to do with its reputation, the former not exactly serving to bolster the latter. The main feature of the hotel’s lobby is a flat screen TV facing the front of the check-in desk, a short distance from the iridescent candy and soda machine lurking in the far corner. The architectural modernity stands in stark contrast to the stained, pastel-colored chairs scattered in the waiting area. A women, hunched and sipping a bottle of beer through a straw, lends the room a sense of quiet desperation. One cannot help but feel that bad things happen in the Hotel Waverly.
A deteriorating hotel in the city holds both elements of danger and intrigue- I am oddly drawn to such a place. The Waverly’s nightly fee of sixty dollars was, however, out of our range and we decided not to rent a room. I can only equate staying at the Waverly to a similar experience I had at a hotel downtown on Carleton Street, where i had previously stayed with co-workers. Despite the number of noise complaints leveled against us, the staff at the Days Inn were extremely friendly and we enjoyed our stay. The decor, however, was awful- the color palate was a great deal more subdued and floral patterns abounded. The layout of their hallways seemed to have been inspired by The Overlook Hotel, in both the generous application paisley wallpaper and blue carpeting. The stylistic neglect had a great deal to do with the general lack of care on part of the employees and residents regarding the building- it is not their home and they do not treat it as such. Clearly, the owners of the Days Inn were not concerned with the appearance of their Toronto location, and I am certain that as long as profits are sustained and no legal ramifications are incurred, the decor will remain relatively the same.
The Hotel Waverly and the Days Inn, serving both public and private functions, hold an inherent duality- and it is this duality that is the root of their deterioration. They may be considered as a private space as they are temporarily occupied by people, but remain public due to their ownership by a wider organization. This dualism can make the traveler uneasy, especially so when the owner of such spaces does little in the way of upkeep. More often then not, they delegate the duty of maintenance to their employees and cleanliness ends up suffering. The people utilizing the space don’t feel obligated to sustain or improve upon it, and are usually contributing to the general deterioration. Take, for example, the TTC- the stench of vomit, vodka and McDonald’s is particularly fowl on the last train of the night.
Vessels of transportation tend to acquire their own distinctly nauseating atmosphere. Whenever I travel by air, I am reminded of the made-for-TV movie The Langoliers. Ten people wake up on a deserted airplane, only to discover that the other passengers and crew have mysteriously vanished. Conveniently, a pilot is present among the remaining survivors, and manages to safely land the plan. Throughout the course of the movie, the survivors are harassed by a fellow passenger, an especially high-strung, psychotic business-type who constantly raves about tiny monsters known only as langoliers. Once they manage to safely evacuate the plane, they find themselves to be the last humans alive on earth. The movie requires no further viewing past this point, as Stephen King provides yet another disappointing ending. It has, however, provided me with many, possibly unfounded, fears regarding air travel. Aerophobia is not an uncommon condition, and their are a multitude of programs, medications and therapeutic treatments for those who suffer from it. The preponderance of aerophobia is most likely due to the lack of control people have in such situations, as well as the extensive media coverage plane crashes. Other risks involved in flying include dealing with fellow passengers- in a post-9/11 world, almost nobody is above the suspicion of terrorist activity.
However, the airplane is not the most dangerous means of transportation. The likelihood of being involved in a car-related accident is higher than being involved in a plane crash. All forms of streets, residential to highways, have a degree of implicit danger. Drunk drivers are of primary concern to the average pedestrian, and organizations such as MADD do a great deal to ensure that people drive sober. Decreasing the number people that driver under influence however, does not ensure that the streets are absolutely safe. The outskirts of Toronto feature roads with little or no safety measures, lacking any traffic cameras or general means of deterrence. As a result, a significant number of hit-and-runs with no identifiable suspect are perpetrated. In such instances, we rely on the honesty of drivers and the police regulate such incidences. I personally trust neither.
The air of uncertainty clouding these transient spaces and systems of transportation manifests itself in decay and deterioration. They are public spaces in the sense that we have no connection to the people that use or maintain the space. This heightens our unease. Its physical appearance increases this sense of discomfort, as most of these spaces are extremely dated, falling apart, or a combination of the two. Being a frequent coach flyer on the low budget circuit, I can assure you that most aircraft contain a nebula of offensive odors and dilapidated furnishings. Subways, trains, buses, and streets less traveled are also oft neglected, but i personally find these locations charming. I love their unpolished look. I enjoy the risk posed therein, and it is why i frequent these spaces. In large city like Toronto, hotels like the Waverly will always exist. Streets will always be in differing states of decay, due to the constant onslaught of the elements. Toronto has seen a number of decrepit building closed down in the last few years, including such venues as The Big Bop, a popular haunt for raves and shows. I do not think, however, that this marks the decline of less visually appealing spaces. All cities have them, and although they may end up migrating due to the process of gentrification, they will always be present to some extent.
