This will turn into a CBC mini series. The exploits of TCC workers. "Tonight watch a streetcar driver visit a hooker between stops." and next weeks episode "High times at the Lost & Found"

I think it shoulnd't be a huge problem if during their nightshift a ttc driver wishes to get some coffee to stay up all night. If someone is going to be driving throughout the night then I think they deserve some coffee. However, banking is different and that doesn't make sense.

So we have a driver, who was already running late, who takes an unscheduled 7 minute break to go to the john and get a coffee (and actually sat in the restaurant drinking the coffee instead of bringing it back to the bus), while leaving a bus full of passengers in the middle of the night. He left the diesel-fueled bus idling while he left, presumably to keep the heat running, but then left the doors open, thereby letting in all the cold air and forcing the buses heaters to work harder, and burning more gas in the process. Finally when called out for this behaviour, he allegedly claims that his union will protect him so he has no fear of reprecussions.

Can't wait for Bob Kinnear's explanation/defence for this one. He'll probably suggest that the passenger should've run out and grabbed the driver a coffee himself, as well as holding a bucket for the driver to pee in, rather than filming the whole incident.

On a more serious note, we're seeing more and more of this because riders are being forced to take matters into their own hands by photographing or filming these various incidents - all because the TTC is bloodly clueless to just how bad it is out there sometimes. I ride the streetcar to work and take transit regularly, and to be frank, have never run into this kind of stuff - the drivers I see are either friendly or neutral (which is fine too), so I don't believe all drivers are bums.

However, the ones that show up in these photos/videos are absolutely killing the TTC's reputation and I would bet, killing staff morale. Why be motivated to work hard/be friendly, when bums who do neither get away it all the time and are even protected by their union for it? Its time for the TTC to wake up and realize that step 1 to improving service is to clear out deadweight like this.

Has anybody told TTC drivers that there's this wonderful invention called a "Thermos" that you can put hot coffee, hot tea, hot chocolate, or any number of cold drinks into and carry with them on the routes? There's also something called paper bags that you can put a sandwich or doughnut in and bring with too.

I never complained about one time things, i had them run out before grab a coffee and donuts. It took about a minute. However their shifts are scheduled with breaks and this (as claimed) being daily practice is in fact pretty serious. I met nice TTC workers, but I also meet some serious aholes.

Example (when 5 tokens were $10) I give the guy a $20 ask for my tokens, there is a looong line behind me. He puts the 20 into his register, pulls out a 10, holding it he turns to his buddy and starts having a personal conversation both of them sharing a good life about something that happened prior week. He eventually tuns back and looks at me with confusion on his face. I said he was giving me 5 tokens. So he pumps them out, looks at the $10 and put's it in the register. I say, he "that is my change", he says it's $10 for the tokens. I eventually got my money and called him something unpleasant. Rush hour giant, line and a fun conversation that leads to enough distraction to not do your job.

Actually the customer service proposals came about when Adam Giambrone decided to run for mayor.

The TTC is very much on the defensive about this; when I was taking pictures outside La Paloma gelateria at the St. Clair and Lansdowne LRT loop yesterday, a group of drivers standing around their parked streetcars got very edgy, and an inspector came over to ask what I was taking pictures of. They know they're being scrutinized, and the Sun is on one of its "gotcha" campaigns against the TTC and Giambrone. Whether this translates into better service is something for optimists to debate.

I have experience the mid-ride TTC op. coffee run before! It is absolutely unacceptable to keep fare paying patrons from their destinations. I do LOVE the addition of the camera phone that is holding the TTC accountable to the deplorable customer service that we Torontonians have had to endure for far too long.

Keep it up!

If i was the bus driver and actually cared about the people on the bus at 3 am I would have pulled over and said "HEllo, i am very tired as it is 3am....would any of you mind if i stopped to get a coffee?"

That was hard

When will people wake up and realize that in todays world the only thing that illicits a response from large corporations is voting with dollars. Ride a bike, walk, take a cab, ride share - do whatever you need to get as many people as possible OFF the TTC. You're sadly mistaken if you think that you'll be more inconvenienced by taking matters in your own hands than letting this corp continue to abuse us. The TTC is OUR transit system - not he unions OR the politicians.

In addition to this tactic, make a stink to your city councillor, MPP and MP. Enough is enough.

Riding your bike in -12 is not ideal, but niether is rolling the dice at a cost of $3 on if and when you'll arrive at your destination. If someone sold you a car without an engine, a house without a roof, empty packages of food - you'd do more than just piss and moan. You'd take action.

I agree that communication is extremely important as it would go a long way to both redress the legitimate complaints that we as TTC patrons have regarding these kinds of issues, and bring back the public's good faith in the system.

Sad that its had to take (a) people recording TTC staff acting like jerks and (b) Giambrone's mayoral ambitions for any action to take place. Kinnear can only deflect the blame for so long.

Having said that, I give a lot of credit to TTC exployees who are courteous and helpful (they do exist!); these people don't deserve to be tarred with the same brush as this particular driver for instance.

yeah voting with your wallet in case of the TTC means they will just get more of your tax money. You are screwed either way.

However i do agree with biking. I have biked every single workday this winter, there hasn't been a day where it has been undoable. You never really get cold, just get the right gear, nothing heavy, just make sure there are no gaps in your armor. My bike comute is 25 minutes in winter. My TTC alternative is 50 minutes with a chance of it being much longer due to a random ef up. You also save money and get exercise.

Would it have killed the driver to do a little customer service thinking and ask, over the PA, "does anyone mind if I stop here to get a coffee? - and if so would anyone else like one?"

This is entry-level managing expectations material, honestly. TTC drivers seem to have lost the ability to see the consequences of their actions through the eyes of their customers. A serious overhaul/retraining needs to happen to get their eyes back on the ball.

me on February 4, 2010 at 10:30 AM , replying to a comment from Rachel

i kinda agree with rachel here! maybe this guy was a bit rude but...it WAS the middle of the night...is he not entitled to grab a quick coffee and go for a bathroom break? its not the same as the driver i get in the mornings some times who stops for a SMOKE BREAK during rush hour!
----
NO HE IS NOT ENTITLED

BRING A THERMOS

PEE BEFORE YOU START YOUR SHIFT, PEE WHEN YOU GET BACK TO THE STATION

Fu*k this driver.

THE END.

I wish I had a recorder for the one time I did a TTC collector's job for him. It was December and I bought ten tickets ($22.50). I gave the collector a $20 bill and a $10 bill. He hands me the tickets and places the $2.50 in coins on top of a $5 bill. I try to take the change, but he takes it back and begins to hand me ten more tickets. He puts the $5 in the till and then notices that I'm already holding ten tickets, so he puts the other ten tickets away. He then asks me how much change he owes me. I tell him. I wish I said I paid with a $50.

100K a year, folks.

I have a particular problem with the route I'm on. Unfortunately it's not something that photos or videos would really help to fix.

The Warden North bus is somewhat unique in that it runs adjacent to a bus depot at one point during the route.

Unfortunately what this usually means is that at certain times of the day drivers will often put their buses out of service at one the two closet stops, kick people out and tell them to get on the next bus.

Now, if the depot was in the middle of the route or something, I could understand this if they were running late. However, the depot is about 2 minutes away from the station. It is clear it is just an attempt by the drivers to save themselves the 3 or 4 minutes it would take to drop the passengers off and return back to the depot.

If it was only happening occasionally or only when there were a few people on board it wouldn't be an issue. However, if I leave work at the same time I have about a 1/2 or 1 in 3 chance of getting left out in the cold. It's so reliable that I know if I can't get out of work on time, I might as well stay an extra several minutes, get to the station at the same time and not have to stand around in the snow.

They seem to validate their actions by assuring people that the next bus is right behind them. Which is great except when

1) The bus that is going out of service is full with a good 40 people on it and are not all able to get onto the second bus

2) The second bus isn't 'right behind them', but several minutes behind (which happens more often than not).

3) (I've had this happen a few times) The next bus is literally right behind and the driver makes no attempt to signal the bus behind that the people getting off would very much like to get on your bus so please don't drive away before they get a chance to approach your door, thanks.

It can be icy, snowy and cold and there could be people with mobility problems or parents with young children and infants and the drivers still do it.

I'm looking forward to getting back on my bike!! Had another bad experience on the TTC this morning! What's the use in complaining? The union has control anyway!

I agree with some comments, ie. its may be okay in some instances. But what really agitates me, is the sense of entitlement like the article states. The response from the driver is esp. uncalled for!

Two years ago on the 90 Vaughn bus, the driver was talking on her cellphone (screaming, actually, at her boyfriend, swearing her head off at one point) while driving. The bus careened off two sidewalks and the little old ladies sitting around me were fucking white-knuckle terrified. I asked the driver if she thought she should be talking on the phone while driving since I'm pretty sure it's illegal, and she threatened to stop the bus and make me get off in the middle of an unfamiliar neighbourhood when it was -24 outside. I complained to the TTC and was told I "must have been mistaken, as our drivers are not permitted to operate cell phones during their route." Oh ok, sorry d00ds, if it's against the rules it must not have happened!

This one at least let people stay on the bus. Some driver just left people out in the cold while he digested daily news in a heated streetcar.

The number one reason for delays is from passengers holding doors.

A full investigation? Oh please, this kind of thing happens all the time. There's something in the water at the TTC that causes laziness and apathy. Maybe it's their union?

I AM IN TTC RAGE IT CANNOT BE STOPPED

I had this happen to me recently too on a sunday on the 53 Steeles bus. I'm glad they finally get in trouble for this.

Privatize the TTC. Get rid of this stupid union and these overpaid, lazy drivers, fare-collectors.

Again, this is a tip of the iceberg. Not only the bus drivers, but I experienced an RT operator taking a good 5 min break in the middle of the line, during the rush hour. If it was Kennedy STN, people could've moved to subway, but it wasn't. We all wondered what's happening, looking at each other, here comes a relaxed operator with a cup of coffee in his hand. Some people said the TTC customer shouldn't be angry about the sleeping TTC collector, but those ATTITUDES are outrageous especially after the fare hike, when we expect BETTER service.

Hella lame. My beef is when I used to line up at the Tim Horton's on York Mills at lunch time, the driver parks his bus and immediately walks to the front of the line bypassing 20 people and plunks down his $1.52 and walks away with a coffee. Good for the people on the bus that they didnt have to wait but WTF??? I have to line up like a schmuck while TTC boy gets red carpet treatment?

i'm also surprised that it's taken so long for this to come to the ttc's attention. while it's their union-given right to take breaks, i have a strong suspicion that many ttc employees take advantage of this. i routinely take different bus routes to and from ossington station, and i can't remember a time in recent memory when the driver did not saunter off after showing up late, and take his/her sweet time chatting with co-workers and moving as slowly as possible to/from the bathroom.

i also can't wait until good biking weather is upon us (15 minute vs. 45 minute commute). i just wish that transit was a reasonable alternative in winter months. the ttc is so expensive now that i prefer to drive myself, despite high parking costs, because it often works out to be LESS expensive than the ttc. also, my car insurance now costs less than a metropass. way to go, ttc. it truly is the bitter way.

SO WHAT: you are retarded and your comments lack logic.

"...it's their union-given right to take breaks"

It's every worker's law-given right to take breaks. If you aren't taking yours, either you're a sucker or your employer is taking advantage of you as well as breaking the law (maybe consider getting in touch with one of them thar' unions?). What the union has "given" to (actually, won on behalf of) its members is whatever framework is in place at the TTC for taking those breaks. But never mind, no one cares about the facts of such matters, as anyone who doesn't casually union-bash in a TTC comment thread is just sticking up for his union buddies. Moving right along...

I have been kept waiting on dozens of buses and streetcars over the years while operators ran off to take a whiz and/or pick up a coffee or slurpee, but it was never more than a minute or two and often it was (ostensibly at least, and in most cases at least plausibly) when the vehicle was a few minutes ahead of schedule. But like you said, this is clearly being abused frequently. Good on us riders for bringing egregious abuses to the TTC's attention for remedial action.

"...also, my car insurance now costs less than a metropass."

Who hooks you up with the free car, maintenance, and gas (I see you did at least account for parking)? Can you give me his number?

Why the hell are we paying a $3 fare if this is the type of thing we have to endure? I assume the fare increase is to IMPROVE service. The sense of entitlement these assholes have is unbearable. Watch them go on strike in a few months. I encourage everybody to report their complaints at the TTC'S customer service line 416-393-3030. Also whip out your camera phones and record these injustices!!

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The only way to make the TTC stand up and pay attention is to flood their resources via phone calls and e-mails. Do not use the TTC unless you have to. Record and document every incident. Make them pay out of pocket to listen to or read about your concerns.

AV - I've been called worse things by undoubtedly better people. And I'm actually an adjunct philosophy professor that teaches a logic class at U of T. I think what's flawed isn't my logic, but rather your ability to be democratic and entertain an opinion that's any different to your own. Ironic, given your desire to rally the masses and have them exercise their freedom of speech/opinion with the TTC union.

If you don't like it, don't read it. If you don't think everyone's entitled to their opinion, then you've chosen an unusual forum (ie, an open 'say what you want' comment board) to aire your views.

I feel sorry for someone who harbours so much anger. Whoever traumatized you by scraping meat of your bone as a child should be reported to the union.

Official complaints here, only accepted by mail (union requirement):
https://www3.ttc.ca/feedback/individualEmployeeComplaint.action

Call as well as mentioned above:
416-393-3030

Report ALL problems with customer service and staff abandoning their duties. Period.

G. Smith, it is required:
"Please proceed to complete the online form in full. You will be required to print, sign and return the form to TTC Customer Service"

The page says that they "request" that complaints be submitted using the form. The form "require[s]" you to print, sign, and return it in order for the complaint to reach the TTC because the form does not submit your complaint electronically. But a complaint submitted by other means could be acted upon by the TTC. The web page gives the impression that TTC "requests" that complaints be submitted by mail in order to comply with the language of the collective agreement.

Touche G Smith, touche :-)

Perhaps my ability to separate the schoolyard from the scholarly is also flawed. It would certainly explain my dismount in reply to AV!

Just trying to make sure the passenger's voices are heard.

Bingo.

To get his way all the driver had to say was, "sorry everyone, I've been busy and haven't been able to use the bathroom for a few hours and I really need to go, so I'm just going to stop off over here and run inside. I know it's late, but I'll be quick". Throw in a couple smiles and thank the passengers on your way back.

Then again, he's a typical union bully fucking idiot who can't see the bigger picture. Give me his job. I'd never leave my passengers stranded.

Almost as meaningless as your opinion AV? You live in a meritoracy and education typically does equate to credibility - that's why you take medical advice from your doctor and not your . Enjoy leading the TTC revolution from your grandma's basement. Perhaps you're right - I'm sure people calling the union, and not the fact that two embarassing incidents were caught on video, is what resulted in the disciplinary action.

Keep up the great work! I'm sure the world will be much better off when TTC workers have to ask permission to piss. Viva La Revolution!

Go away. Don't you have some romantic-eyed undergrads to scam or something?

No, what's baffling is how the usual suspects poke their heads above ground to tell people to chill out, it was only 7 minutes, TTC drivers have to piss too, which tells me they either work for the TTC, or they're just twats.

It's a courtesy issue. You work in public service, you should be courteous and let the riders know what's up. Everyone understands the call of nature - just let people know.

Can't we all just get along?

PS - IT SAYS IN THEIR CONTRACT THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THIS.

No kidding. It's not like they can dismiss BlogTO as some bastion of right-wing thought, either.

no one taped it, cause you're probably not important to it. The driver of the bus is very important to not just the passengers on the bus, but the ones ahead, waiting for the bus in the cold.
But you're much more concerned about the driver than them, aren't you? How many people who take that bus have a job that pays as well as his? I'd reckon none. My sympathies are with them. They deserve a quick, comfortable, courteous ride home. We all do.

I'm going to tell Adam's office this was a bad idea. Sorry to piss everyone off, but it was what I was asked to do.

Have a nice afternoon!

The fu*king passnegers have the fu*king right to know why the fu*king driver is fu*king walking off the bus or streetcar.

Is it an emergency?
Is he going to go barf?
Is there a mechanical problem?
Is he in desperate need of a washroom?

To simply get up and walk out without any explanation is rude, unprofessional and BULLSH*T.

In this case, the driver GOT A COFFEE that he had no right to get. He has breaks when he can go get his stupid coffee. (Or pee) Or, he can use whatever brain power he has in that peanut-sized blob of grey snot at the top of his skull to realize gee I should buy a thermos and I'll have as much goddamn coffee as I want for my entire shift.

Sure buddy!!! I will just hop on my 10 speed at Royal York and Lakeshore and bike to yonge and Eg.

Not a problem.

I've seen this sort of behaviour first-hand several times when taking the Bathurst bus south from Sheppard down to Bloor around 10:30 p.m.

At the stop just after Wilson, the driver would silently exit the bus, leaving about a dozen passengers waiting for at least five minutes while he goes into Country Style and grabs a coffee and doughnut, leaving the bus idling.

I'd love to see someone take the bus for a short joy ride around the corner, just to see the look on the driver's face when he comes back to the bus only to find it gone. Sounds like an episode of a reality TV show waiting to happen.

I wonder if it's suspension with or without pay? I doubt we'll ever know, as it's an "internal matter" to which the public is not privy, even though this is a public institution. When will it end?

G Smith, it's funny that you ask that, as I was just having a conversation with some co-workers about that exact same thing!

Anyway, you know you can't cause drama when Police jump to the front of the line and get their coffee for free, cause the next thing you know, they'll say you were resisting arrest and will then proceed to beat and taser you non-stop!

Now the TTC Drivers, that a whole other issue... :)

http://jackandcokewithalime.blogspot.com/

Adding this latest one to my top reason to ride a bike...
At this rate, the TTC will help change our urban ecology one way or another !

http://thumbshift.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/1st-reason-to-ride/

peace
Jo

I lol'd.

This kind of thing isn't allowed? Drivers, especially out in the far reaches of the city limits, do this ALL THE TIME.

Crazy. I just assumed it was part of the deal.

Think everyone needs to understand that you get this sort of employee attitude when they have a "jobs for life" clause in the Collective Agreement that makes it virtually impossible to get dismissed. When Lastman tried to get rid of the clause and stop it from spreading during amalgamation Miller and gang pillared him relentlessly and even walked the picket line with the Strikers. This is not an issue of union vs non union it is an issue of bad Leaders not putting the public interest first when they owe their political careers to the Servants as is the case of both Miller and Giambrone.

I wish I had gotten by camera out fast enough to take photos of a Lakeshore/Woodbine bus driver stopping for pizza pizza. Not only is the guy taking an unscheduled break and affecting peoples' schedules, he is risking their safety by eating, drinking pop and driving.

the sad thing is, they probably dont give an ish to do this

Bahahahahahahhahah burn the TTC.

So the driver has the nerve to say "This is the 21st century, kid, not the '60s; I can do whatever I want." It appears a lot of drivers feel the same way because of the union they are a part of, and it is responses like this why unions are losing respect. This is absolutely infuriating and it's about damn time that changes are made to this piss-poor union. Just saying...

Dear People of Toronto.
I am NOT employed by the TTC. I love taking the bus. My buses are on time, I get to work and back home safely every day. I'm greeted with a "good morning" on an almost daily basis. Your bus drivers are human beings. If your that upset with the service, apply for a job and make a change. Turn off your Iphones and mp3 players. Pick up a book. If you don't like the TTC, stop complaining, buy a car, a motorcycle,a moped(or motor-assisted bicycle), a scooter, a regular bicycle(bring mitts and a toque for the weather), a unicycle, good stout walking shoes or call a taxi. And for those of you socially awkward people playing distorted music from your cell phones, if your on my bus, I will destroy your sound and read aloud from the pages of the book I am currently engrossed in. Shut up and sit down!

I can't even finish this (particularly funny) thread of comments without taking a bathroom break. Now, just to be clear -- do I have to ask permission too?

Hey Miriam - How about you take a bus sometime? 7 minutes can make a huge difference, especially at 3 am when connections are infrequent at best.
The bus driver has a job - to drive the bloody bus. Not to shuttle people to his favorite donut shop or give his riders some more "alone time" with their thoughts. No one wants to be sitting on a bus at 3 am.
I don't care if he is thirsty in the middle of his shift - bring a goddamn Thermos.
I know I am being very harsh and I do realize there are always exceptions to the rule but I've witnessed enough of this crap from TTC employs over the years and I've had enough. I am glad people are finally calling them on their shit.

Life must just suck in general if you take the bus, or drive one. I'd complain about every little thing too. TTC bus drivers and riders deserve each other. Bottom of the barrel.

With all of the promotion the TTC gives to its request stop service it is incredible that they could in any way argue that it is acceptable for a driver to leave a bus of passengers at 3 am.

First off, who cares if you're an academic from U of T. That school is so over-rated. Also, you'd think that after all that education, you'd spell your words correctly. I don't care if it was a "typo".

Second, if drivers did their job properly and if the TTC made definite and obvious improvements, they would never get that kind of treatment or hassle from their passengers.

Maybe if he wasn't stopping to pick up a coffee on route, he could manage to hold his bladder until his scheduled break?

you are WRONG

No, he can hold it in, and if that's not a possibility, he can stop, inform the passengers there's an "emergency" that they all could relate to, excuse himself, run to the Timmy's or wherever, do his business and return, thank them for their patience and understanding, and resume his trip.

I'm quite certain his passengers wouldn't have a problem with that -- unless he decided to order a coffee and a sandwich without the good grace to grab a big box of Timbits for the passengers to pass around.

Honestly who cares what time of day or night it is. They are providing a paid public service. Could you imagine being in the grocery line, they ring up half your order and then walk away and take a 7 minute break? I don't think so. And especially when the bus was already running late.

I don't know why but my posts are showing here?

Daniel ........... Toronto
http://dandmb50.tumblr.com/

see if this one appears?

Sure they deserve a break and coffees and they are supposed to do that before and after their shift. That is what is in their contract that the union put together and they all voted on. So if they don't like it, they shouldn't have voted on it and should find a different job. The TTC is a paid service. If I'm paying to go from point A to point B, then I don't expect to be held up for breaks.

When was the last time you were driving down the digital highway and felt like you were shot by words?