City
Falafel Breaks and Brake Lights
Do TTC drivers often leave their vehicles and passengers to go and get something to eat? For about four minutes my 505 streetcar sat on Dundas West, blocking all westbound traffic, as the driver got out to get take-away food from Ali Baba's. I've seen a TTC bus driver park at a stop for an extra few seconds to run in and grab a cup of coffee on a cold day and I'm okay with that, but what I saw last night was ridiculous.
I was on the streetcar at around 6:50pm. The streetcar stopped at the light before Roncesvalles, just around the corner from Dundas West station. I was in conversation with my girlfriend, and so didn't notice exactly what was going on, but before long, I could tell we seemed to be stopped for much longer than usual.
I looked up a couple times, and though the light was green and there wasn't a vehicle ahead of us on the road, we still weren't moving. I assumed there were pedestrians I couldn't see or a car parallel parking really slowly. I wasn't surprised when I started hearing honking from behind us, but it was only then that I realized we no longer had a driver.
I walked to the front of the streetcar to see if he was perhaps dealing with an incident, but he wasn't anywhere near the streetcar. I turned around to ask a few people seated at the front where he was, and a lady pointed to Ali Baba's. He was inside, talking with the people behind the counter as they finished his take-out food (I couldn't tell what he ordered but it looked falafel-y). Everyone inside the restaurant seemed to be having a really nice time and everyone looked really friendly and I told myself I really should eat there sometime. I returned to my seat and waited, with camera.
A full frame photo from my seat in the streetcar of our streetcar driver walking out of Ali Babba's with his food. Notice the taxi (it was parked) in the bottom corner of the frame and completely blocking all traffic westbound on Dundas. Also notice how happy the driver is. Isn't that nice.
It was only then that I realized there was a taxi parked in the right lane, so our drivers little visit to grab something to eat effectively blocked traffic on Dundas Street West during a still really busy time of day. The dozens and dozens of vehicles that had been trapped behind were none too pleased and a few flipped the bird as they sped past when we finally started moving again.
Naturally, no one on the streetcar said anything. This is Toronto after all, we are all too polite.
Apparently this is common? Is this okay?
Maybe I'm missing something. Despite having one of the strongest unions in the country, are drivers not given ample breaks for eating meals, forcing them to scramble for food when their bosses are not watching? Is that's what's going on?
I don't like slagging the TTC. I know it's far from perfect, but it gets me where I want to go and I for the vast majority of the time have a pleasant experience riding our transit system. I have, however, lost a little sympathy this evening when a driver could be so inconsiderate and selfish.
It's important to note that I do meet a lot of great drivers. The other day I was driving my car when I saw a TTC bus wait an extra thirty seconds for an elderly woman to cross the street and get to the bus. I find many drivers really helpful when I have questions about best routes or travel strategies. It's really a shame that there has to be some bad apples in the bunch.
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Next time the operator should call ahead and his falafel should be walked out to him when he pulls up. :)
Is that an oxymoron?
I'm more inclined to blame the taxi for blocking traffic than the streetcar. Which was there first?
"Despite having one of the strongest unions in the country, are drivers not given ample breaks for eating meals, forcing them to scramble for food when their bosses are not watching? Is that's what's going on?"
I'm sure they have plenty of time for breaks, but those breaks probably occurr in locations without easy access to interesting food. All day, these guys drag up and down the street passing by untold tantalizing varities of delicious eats. Sometimes it's too much to resist, I guess?
tardo = retarded troll. go find another blog. we don't want you here. bye.
As for your ride being delayed - get over yourself and grow up, Joseph. Think of all the times in your life when people have waited for your personal indulgences.
MG - they are entitled to a break, no argument with you there. However, the TTC management should ensure sufficient break time so that they can do that while not in charge of a vehicle. There seems to be differing opinions as to whether this is currently the case.
and why did you take a picture of him and put it on a blog? lol what are you a detective?
Maybe, and I'm just saying maybe, if you have sex with your girlfriend more often, you won't be obssessed with trivial things like this.
The the train/bus is running ahead of schedule...the guy take 4 mins to get a bite.
If i was that driver and you pulled an asshole stunt like that (picture/article) about me getting some food i would have toseed you "under the bus"
:)
Ali Baba's is good stuff, but there has to be a better time to grab a bite. Some would also say that he shouldn't be eating while driving in the first place.
Regardless, the driver leaving the vehicle unattended creates safety concerns both inside and outside the streetcar.
This all too common, isolated story of a driver taking a break during his route is indicative of a larger problem: the TTC's lackadaisical service which permeates the commission all the way down to the drivers who feel like they can take a break whenever they please.
A doctor doesn't pause mid-surgery to eat some junior mints would he or she?
everyone in every profession does a little slacking off. get over it.
They're given breaks, but I doubt anything in their contract entitles them to "interesting food". Where I work has very little choice when it comes to affordable food, but do you think that entitles me to take a 2 hour lunch break so I can get to and from somewhere with better food choices?
And he's a fucking driver, with 50-80+ people standing there waiting on him to do his job. This isn't at all comparable to taking 5 minutes to check your email at work. Imagine if you stood up in the middle of an office meeting (where you're giving a presentation) to take a personal phone call. THAT's a better comparison.
You take his picture, post it for everyone to see and claim that he blocked traffic and had fun while on the job and other nonsense.
I hope that the driver finds out and sues the hell out of your reactionary and stupid ars for defamation and slander pertaining to the driver not doing his job. Also posting of his picture on a website which makes money by ad revenue without his consent and a model release.
Absolutely inconsiderate. No one is saying driver's don't need breaks, but this is definitely not the way to go about it. Just another example of how poorly managed the TTC is.
Um, no. Some people don't even have the time to take the breaks which they are legally required to take, and then their friends get all mad at them because they weren't spending their work time responding to their dumb text messages. (I do like having an excuse for not responding to them though). Sometimes you just have to work. Without stopping.
Also -- I think that because this man is in a public place, a photographer would not require a model release.
Its like the religious people bashing gays and then getting caught in a men's bathroom trying to have sex with another guy lol.
Get off your high horses people. Dont be a hypocrite!
Isn't the point that the road was completely blocked? An ambulance, or other emergency vehicle, might have needed to get through. I understand the cab driver was also at fault...but this driver saw that the other lane was blocked, but still went ahead and abandoned his vehicle. I'd be interested, are TTC drivers allowed to do this?
Emergency vehicles always pass the traffic by going around them. Have you never seen ambulances pass busy intersections?
Secondly his claiming that the driver was slacking off and stopped the traffic for a "long time" while his photo only shows the driver relaxed and smiling - there is no photo-journalistic value to the shot, it does not show the stopped traffic or any other information to suggest the driver has causes considerable consternation to the riders and traffic.
These Micky Mouse blogs with its wannabe journalists are fine as along as they don't infringe on other people's rights.
I surly hope this driver finds out and takes action but even if he don't, let this be a lesson to not post any silly event that happened to annoy you on the street and incriminate people with photos.
If there is none, then perhaps I should start photographing cops while they're in a coffee shop and claim that they were slacking off whilst the public needed security...
If i was the owner of this site, I'd remove the pictures of the driver - at least out of sensitivity and his privacy. Because I'm pretty sure there is a privacy law for TTC workers like any other government workers especially while they're at work.
truth be told, you can take a deep sigh and let these things slide, or you can raise your heart rate and take 5 years of your life. i'm of the mind to just let it go.
- 4 mins x (40 bus passengers x 12 car passengers behind) = ~3.5 hours of wasted time4 mins is just 4 mins in my case
- He's in a service position ? it's his job to drive the streetcar when he has customers; whenever I'm in a meeting, or dealing with clients I certainly do not take a break for food or anything else
- If I'm ahead of schedule on a project, I get it done early and rest when the work is finished; no-brainer.
I agree with coastie, it all boils down to a lackadaisical organizational attitude throughout the ttc ? don't get me wrong, I take it every day and don't discount the value it provides to the city; but anyone who's ridden transit in France, Germany, or many European benchmarks will tell you the TTC can do a LOT better in providing the service it does....
and the compounded effect of all of us sighing everytime they do something like this is to let the TTC slide further into mediocrity
we shouldn't accept this behaviour from anyone, much less the transit authority...would you be so accepting of this if the ttc were a private company? why lower your expectations for a public service?
As importantly, the DRIVERS know this. Bring snacks, or a bagged lunch. I see lots of drivers toting knapsacks, probably with food, and water bottles. Why is this so unacceptable?
Nobody cares for it when a car stops so the driver can grab a sandwich, or when a van parks in a bike lane so the driver can make a delivery. Not sure why this streetcar driver gets a pass.
all i'm saying is, if you're going to be this hypercritical of the ttc and the public sector in general, make sure you're equitable in your treatment.
I wish I could take a picture of him slacking off on his work. its easy to hide behind your computer, why didnt he complain to his face? what a coward.
It IS pretty easy to hide behind your computer, isn't it?
I have no problem with a driver getting a break, or grabbing a coffee during their shift, as long as they use common sense about it.
Stopping at a busy intersection to get take out is devoid of common sense. Additionally, comparing a streetcar opperator to an office worker is also devoid of common sense. I could compare the entire situation to a baked potato and it'd be just as relevant.
also you also called me an asshole lol so you are doing what you are criticizing me for. so your argument is flawed.
Nowhere did I say your being an asshole meant that your points were invalid (even if they may be anyway). But it remains that the way you tried to advance them was childish and excessive.
Maybe you should get laid?
(Oh ... now *I'm* an asshole too! We should have a party.)
I don't usually mind when they stop for a few minutes. Except when they are running late. I've had drivers show up about 5-10 minutes late, only to stop 5 mins in, to stop at Timmies.
Thanks for proving once again that your argument is flawed and you are a hypocrite for accusing people of the same things that you yourself do. lets get back to the real issue here.
http://blogto.com/city/2008/06/morning_brew_june_24th_2008/
I can relate to this driver - I've put funerals on hold in the middle for a falafel craving.
"ahead of schedule"
yeah...
The TTC is a service organizations (yes, i am cringing when using service and ttc in the same sentence). Provide the service then take a break; don't provide the service only when you feel like it.
For the personal attacks that will probably come of this, yes I realize I am retarded (mentally, physically, emotionally, athletically), or whatever other politically incorrect word people use to make their case on these things.
Link: https://wx.toronto.ca/inter/ttc/feedback.nsf/icomplaint?OpenForm
And count me among the chorus of people who say that comparing a four minute break at a desk job to this brain fart isn't anything close to comparable. If I'm not on deadline or in a meeting, taking four minutes to check my email, make a phone call, etc., is well within the scope of reality. But if I'm stuck in a meeting or scrambling to meet a deadline, I'm not getting up to take a piss, much less get a falafel. In that case, either I plan ahead and bring a bagged lunch, or wait until I'm done my work, or I'm screwed. When this guy is driving around a load of paying customers and sitting in the middle of Toronto traffic, he's 'on deadline.' If he doesn't like it, he should find another line of work.
Think of it this way; what if you were twenty-fourth in line at Tim Hortons, there was only one person on cash, and they just suddenly walked outside and lit up a smoke? I seriously doubt you'd be making excuses for the employee, you'd be outside demanding to know why the @#$! they are having a smoke when there are two dozen people waiting for service inside.
The appropriate action for the fictitious Tim Hortons employee is to wait for a dead period with nobody in the store, and the appropriate action for the TTC operator is to take the break at a terminal/station.
I don't know much but I do know that TTC drivers are on a schedule and need to slow down if they're running fast, I've had streetcars wait out full traffic light cycles at night. So why not grab a bite.