My recent experience on the blue line TTC inspired me to write in response to the related news frenzy. After a night out for a buddy's birthday, I found myself stranded on York U's campus without my original ride back downtown Toronto. This was around 1:30 am, so to my knowledge the subway was shut down for the rest of the night. I was facing a sad $30 dollar taxi ride home when I came across an idling TTC bus with the driver having a smoke break outside. The taxi expense made me shudder, so I asked the employee about the possibility of getting home via a bus route.
"Sure buddy, you'll be doing some transferring but you'll get home," he said. I was in no rush, and since saving money was one of my strengths, I hopped on.
At the time of night, I was the only passenger to take the 41 bus down to Keele Station. The driver took off after his smoke, and suddenly I was reminded of the recent news surrounding the TTC. From passed out attendants to inappropriate coffee breaks, I felt inclined to strike up a conversation with him. I asked for his opinion and how he felt about the recent TTC situation. He glanced at me sort of surprised and with skepticism, likely to figure if I was truly interested or just drunk. Eventually he relaxed and began giving me his perspective.
I asked how it felt to be spoken for by a negative TTC driver's behaviour and having to face the consequences that might not reflect him personally.
"Actually, the driver isn't actually suspended for the coffee break," he answered. "He was suspended for being rude and escalating the situation."
I was quite intrigued at this response, and urged him to go on. According to him, the media had gotten some key facts wrong, and that the driver was actually 6 to 7 minutes ahead of schedule. Technically drivers are not allowed to arrive or leave stops earlier than schedule.
I was captivated when he began telling me that he had driven that very route a couple years ago.
"I know that route, and I know that stop where the Tim Hortons is. Its almost guaranteed that the bus will arrive 5 minutes earlier than expected," he recalled. "But I personally never took a washroom break there," he finished. "There's no running water in the washroom!"
Our conversation lasted a while longer, and he managed to get several points across. Being a passenger in the past, he was always ticked off at the way drivers went for coffee breaks during their routes. Therefore, he personally vowed never to take breaks when passengers were on board.
I transferred buses 4 times that night to get home. Three of the four drivers gave me food for thought. One driver described an incident that happened 5 years ago. While working on the TTC subway, the driver fell victim to gang violence that ended up leaving a scar above his right eye. Apparently, the assault was committed by a newly recruited gang member. His test, or better known as "initiation", was to punch the TTC employee in the face while he was making sure the doors were shut properly before the train took off.
"Did you catch the bastard?" I asked. He snickered and said, "We're talking about the TTC here guy. He was gone like the wind."
I got off my last stop and was left with my own thoughts. The driver who drove down Yonge St. did was stuck in my head. Several homeless folk caught the bus and clumsily boarded. "You know we're not allowed to give free ride," the driver sighed. The men murmured softly and found their comfort in the back of the bus. What was the driver to do? Deny these men the ride? Adamantly deny them in the name of the TTC?
That night I felt a strong desire to begin looking deeper into the story. Personally, I am a pleased and happy customer of the TTC, and thoroughly enjoy the service. I'm sure there are many of those out there that share the same approval of our city's public transportation. But when a couple of people with their cellphones recording a worker on his coffee break and causing such useless news coverage, I feel like I've been spoken for. You are not the righteous citizen that you think you are.
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As someone whose father drives for the TTC, I can tell you that it's fairly common for drivers to take coffee breaks when they're ahead of schedule.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, if you've ever been on a bus that's detoured or "short-turned", 99% of the time it's because the driver is too far ahead of schedule and the "route control people" will tell them to detour the bus.
Also, driver assaults for both bus and subway drivers happen far more commonly than the media reports on.
And the fare/metropass increases that happen every so often? They're mostly a response to the ridiculous amount of money the TTC loses as a result of a good portion of riders not paying their fare.