City
TTC Bus Discrimination
I visited Chicago this past summer and I was totally impressed by the scale, convenience and how technologically ahead the Chicago Public Transit System was. To top it off, for such a large city, their transit staff and operators seemed to be the ideal for a "service with a smile" slogan; you just can't get that here!
Now I don't mean to compare the US and Canada, but for a rapidly growing city like Toronto and the development boom in Mississauga, Toronto's Transit Commission has lagged behind in growth and service expansion. I'm a firm believer that the subway system should be extended into Mississauga as the number of people commuting between the two cities keeps growing by the day.
I'm going off my point though. Aside from the lack in growth, the TTC still runs their old, clunky, fuel guzzling buses. They have planned to add around 800 new buses in the next couple of years, but my ride today made me wonder if these new additions would mainly be seen in upscale, higher income areas.
In Chicago, every one of the buses had an automated system to call out the stops and display them on a digital screen. Cool right? Well, I took the Bayview 11 bus, which goes east from Davisville station, on Davisville St. Not only did the bus carry well dressed, middle-aged, upper class folk through the quiet and pristine part of Toronto's uptown, but the bus actually had an automated system to call out every stop. Imagine my surprise!
It made me wonder: why did the city choose to install these buses in this neighborhood where the bus traveled barely full and not pick the Eglington West neighborhood, or any other neighborhood with high TTC usage? The answer is blatant - need I say more?
Discussion
19 Comments
Sort By Oldest First / Newest First
Subscribe
And since when is Davisville pristine?
The newer buses are also wheelchair accessible, which should be kept in mind. I'd imagine that the reason that Lawrence West buses are the old kind whereas the eastbound ones out of Lawrence station are newer is becuase Sunnybrook lies to the east.
There is, despite your "blatant" example, still room for questioning. Why does the Yonge line have nicer trains? Is there some infrastructure reason? It does seem that the crappy trains aren't evenly distributed.
As for Chicago, their transit system is more heavily subsidized than the TTC, which would explain their tech toys. Even though they're a much larger city, their system carries roughly the same number of passengers annually as the TTC.
Why would you implement something simple and efficient like an automated system to call out stops on a low traffic route, where most everyone can sit and have a clear view of the street they're traveling on?
The need for such an automated system needes to be on higher traffic bus routes as the buses are susally so crammed that one can hardly see the upcoming stops. It's pure logic.
As for "Since when was Davisville such a prostine area", do you live in a bubble and not notice how a lot of Toronto is much more rugged in comparision? I got on that bus and I felt like I was someplace else.
You seemed to miss Wrenkin's part about the CNIB. These people can't see, they are blind.
I had to laugh one day when the TTC was running their "Pizzaz" contest, a passenger who obviously didn't speaker very good english (let along be able to read it) got lost trying to find the bus platform at Davisville and ended up outside the paid fare area. The stairs to the bus platform are very narrow and hidden in a corner of the station and very poorly marked. She realised her mistake and went back to the collector to ask if she could go back into the station to the bus. This collector proceeded to give her such a hard time about leaving the station and said that "next time, she should ask before thinking on her own." Who talks like this to another adult? I was the next customer and told this employee that I didn't appreciate the way he treated this person and advised that it isn't wise to treat passengers that way, especially when you work in the basement of the head office of the TTC!!!
Never blame discrimination for what simple politics can explain. Where are voter turn-outs highest and lowest? Where do representatives on varying levels of government have more to lose? Now do the math...
Also, the CNIB is on Bayview, as Wrenkin points out.
And a note to those who feel compelled to press the emergency alarm button to stop the whole frigging subway system because they need a glass of water and get a free ambulance ride home, "stay home if you are sick!"
I clearly put in a token I even heard it drop into the machine! The attendant started talking like I was trying to rip him off, after bitching back and forth he said “it did not fall you need to bang it FAGOT” then a bit more bitching back and forth then I ask him if there is a washroom I can use, he then stated “shit yourself FAGOT” I ended up having to walk for an hour with furniture to get to my lovers home.
This is clearly discrimination and this guy knows I am gay (I am quite sure this is the same person) because 3 months ago on a Saturday around the same time I was with my lover and his 12 year old son and before we paid our fair I kissed my lover to say good-bye. The attendant stated, “You should not do that.” I stated “Do what?” He stated, “Kiss a guy in front of a child” I stated, “I kissed his father and there is not one thing wrong with showing his child we love each other”
All this is complete discrimination this man should not be working with people!
I really don’t care if people call me a faggot but I do think I should be able to pay and use the TTC like everyone else!
@Freddie: This is annoying, and in fact is supposed to be a no-no for TTC drivers to do, if I'm not mistaken. There is already a device to call out street stops on TTC buses and streetcars; let those devices handle the job. IF the devices are not working, THEN the driver can call out the stops, but that's all that they should do. If I can't sing out loud like that on a TTC vehicle, than neither should they.