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What's the most annoying TTC rider behaviour?
What constitutes the most annoying rider behaviour on the TTC is not as easy to determine as one might think. Ultimately, there's just too many egregious violations of basic etiquette to choose from. What's worse, after all, having a high school kid with an enormous book-filled backpack continuously bump into you or being tucked into a two-seater on a packed train with someone who hasn't showered in days?
I'd have to say the latter, but I've always believed that I have an abnormally acute sense of smell. What about people who blast their music so loudly that it seems as though it must originate from hidden speakers rather than earphones? Worse still, what if it was Nickelback?
There have, of course, been various campaigns to improve rider etiquette -- both official and unofficial -- but I'm not convinced that such efforts have always targeted the worst behaviour. Leaving gum under seats and pop cans to do a Sisyphean roll on the subway floor (litter seems to be less of a problem on streetcars and buses where a driver is within sight) are surely an annoying, but they don't tend to make me consider engaging in a physical altercation with the responsible parties.
So let's help the TTC do a little market research for their next set of etiquette posters. What rider behaviour bothers you the most on Toronto public transit? There are 12 options to choose from, but if you think I've missed a noteworthy sin, let me know in the comments section.
Photo by asianz in the blogTO Flickr pool.
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The worst is when a train is at a major transfer station like Bloor or St. George and someone stands in the doorway because they are too confused by the idea that they could take one step off and then step back on.
AUGH.
Can you say TRANSIT RAGE!
Eating and personal grooming are decently a strong second, but much else common, in my opinion.
Give your seat to the elderly you lazy f*cks.
AND BRUSH YOUR TEETH BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSE IN THE MORNING YOU LAZY SMELLY F*CKS
Can you say TRANSIT RAGE!
I'm sure a lot of us TTC commuters here make it a personal vendetta to teach these inconsiderate and clueless people some manners. I know I've pushed a few dozen students with massive backpacks crowding up a bus or train. Elbowed eager beavers blocking my exit out of a train just so they can sit down for 2 stops. Glared at people with their feet on the seats. And scoffed at the nail clipping idiot...man you're getting your shit on me STOP IT!
It can be a cultural thing. Certain cultures tend to be a lot more clueless than others. Students tend to be more distracted.
I guess the TTC wont make an official push until there are more violent related outcomes because of this inconsiderate behaviour....
*dusts elbows off
1. Morons SCREAMING into their cellphones. "Can you hear me?!" Guess what, jerkoff, WEE ALL CAN HEAR YOU!
2. Streetcar drivers with their TTC buddy standing next to them the entire time, refusing to move
3. Littering (obviously!), especially assholes who leave glass juice bottles on vehicles, where they roll back and forth
4. Urine on seats (ergh, um, yes. My skin crawls)
5. Gangs of roving teenagers sitting on vehicle floors
6. People sneaking on rear streetcar doors without paying
7. People moving large objects during rush hour! (it's the TTC people, not a freaking moving van)
8. Horkers. Christ! Spit into a tissue, not the TTC floor!
9. Smokers (yep, still goes on, especially at Eglinton and Dundas West station. Just because you're outside doesn't mean it is allowed, since you're still on TTC property)
10. Jerkoffs sneaking through Eglinton station bus bays without paying. If they had a security guard there, the TTC would make a fortunne in fines and recouping lost revenue.
People who don't give their seat to someone who is disabled/elderly/pregnant.
This isn't just irritating, or gross, or inconvenient. It's painful and sometimes damaging.
My vote for second worst thing TTC users do is tied between just about everything else listed here.
"I know I've pushed a few dozen students with massive backpacks crowding up a bus or train. Elbowed eager beavers blocking my exit out of a train just so they can sit down for 2 stops."
We could be friends :) I've done the same thing many a time. I just don't get the lack of consideration and common sense. I use a backpack -- and I take it OFF in TCC vehicles. I step out of the way when people are getting on and off, and I always leave through the rear doors.
Perhaps it is time for the TTC to bring back those "no littering" and "sit up straight like your Aunt Cicely told you to do" signs, because it looks like people need to be told to be considerate.
People who don't have their fare ready and block all the people behind them when it's pouring rain outside.
People who don't move to the back of the bus.
People who don't prepare to get off at their stop and sit on their ass until the bus comes to a complete stop then by the time they get to the door the bus is already moving and the passenger yells at the bus driver because it's his fault he didn't idle at the stop longer. MOVE YOUR ASS!!!
Seriously, people need to get their heads out of their respective a**es and treat others how they would like to be treated. It is the golden rule after all.
"That person in the picture should be fined. Didn't they write laws for people like that...oh wait, TTC doesn't care about their own laws."
The TTC did bring in bylaws (I believe) regarding people putting feet and bags on seats, which I have never seen enforced.
"HEY ESCALATOR MORONS: STAND RIGHT, WALK LEFT."
How I could have missed one of my biggest peeves eludes me. Remember when they actually had little signs on escalators reminding people about this? I heard they were removed by vandals.
It really is pathetic when some TTC riders need to be told the obvious... don't block doors, stand to the right, etc., but it seems that's what Toronto has become.
Just take the bag off and set it down at your feet. It's easier for everyone, including you!!
In the morning, the downtowners going East let everyone off with room to spare. Returning home, people push and shove getting on to go home to the 'borough. My solution is I push right through you, unless you are eldery, disabled or a child. Apparently courtesy doesn't exist on the shortest subway line in Toronto after 5:00 pm.
People with an irrational fear of the back of the bus/car. These also tend to be the same people who give you a dirty look when you have to push by to get to the roomy, empty back.
People who board TTC vehicles before everyone who needs to has gotten off.
Bus and streetcar drivers who see you and shut the door in your face/drive away. Especially when they're running a yellow/red light.
Drivers who stop and take 15 min to get a coffee while they hold up an entire bus/streetcar full of people.
I travel a lot for work and have used a lot of other transit systems extensively (Chicago, New York, DC, etc.) and they all allow more time. Yes there are occasional exceptions to that but they are exceptions and not the norm I've noticed with the TTC.
I've already complained to the TTC about this. Maybe if more of us do the same we can help make a difference on this one.
Bon Appetit idiots!!
Bon Appetit idiots!!
Littering would be the top of my list of all the options listed. Body odour comes a close second.
Almost as bad as door blockers are the poeple who don't move into the empty part of the car, so that all the people who get on after them are inadvertently forced to become door blockers.
People who are seated, but still take up WAY too much of the aisle, by sitting sideways on the seats, or by stretching their legs out, or by holding the newspaper wide open into the aisle.
Poeple who sit or stand REALLY close to you, when the train is nowhere near full
Religion pushers
Almost as bad as door blockers are the poeple who don't move into the empty part of the car, so that all the people who get on after them are inadvertently forced to become door blockers.
People who are seated, but still take up WAY too much of the aisle, by sitting sideways on the seats, or by stretching their legs out, or by holding the newspaper wide open into the aisle.
Poeple who sit or stand REALLY close to you, when the train is nowhere near full
Religion pushers
Speaking of accidents waiting to happen, I once saw someone standing, pole hugging and knitting! Those needles were this close to poking a shorter person in the eye.
although, i do find it annoying when they don't simply take their backpacks off and put them on the ground. however, you shoving and elbowing seems insane amounts worse.
This has always been a big problem with me.
I certainly don't mind sharing a seat when a bus or subway is nearly full, if we're the only two people in a compartment, let's spread out and respect each other's personal space, yeah?
1. Door blockers. The worst is when the side where the doors don't open is empty, yet you choose to go for the side that has the doors open. What the hell!
2. Aisle sitters, especially those whom when I get the window seat and I want to get out, all they do is move their legs towards the aisle. Excuse me, but there's not enough room for me to maneuver to the aisle without bumping into you, especially if I'm carrying something and on a streetcar where the spaces between rows of seats are much tighter. So don't complain if I happen to wack you in your face.
3. People who enter a subway train slowly even when the doors begin to chime. I don't even understand why people do that, unless the train is full and they can't move anywhere. But it happens even when trains are half-full. Are they slowly looking for a seat? But if the doors are gonna close on my face, I will shove you into the car.
I have the right to watch double penetration tag teams wherever I damn well please.
My recommendation: let's push them to add hand sanitizers on all TTC vehicles. Then at least if we're stuck beside a sicky or an unhygienic person, we can feel a little better about it. I'm relatively new to Toronto, so maybe I missed it, but I have no idea why they haven't been encouraged to do this yet.
I am one of them.
Whenever I enter / exit the train and there is a door blocker, I make sure to make the experience as uncomfortable for them as possible. Backpack, bag, elbow, shoulder, I use anything I can to give them a nudge on the way through door.
I have the right to watch double penetration tag teams wherever I damn well please.
Okay, that's unnecessary. There's no reason to exacerbate things in that way unless you want to start a fight.
I have the right to watch double penetration tag teams wherever I damn well please.
It may only be me, but what about the hair oil/gel/mousse/spray residue left on the windows where people rest their heads. So gross.
don't worry, 2 generic young guys, nobody will make fun of you for sitting that close to each other.
2. People who sit on the aisle and then pivot their legs to let you in only after being asked.
3. People who bottle neck at the doors. Move to the back, there's so much room!
4. Knapsacks.
2. People who sit on the aisle and then pivot their legs to let you in only after being asked.
3. People who bottle neck at the doors. Move to the back, there's so much room!
4. Knapsacks.
2. People who sit on the aisle and then pivot their legs to let you in only after being asked.
3. People who bottle neck at the doors. Move to the back, there's so much room!
4. Knapsacks.
2. People who sit on the aisle and then pivot their legs to let you in only after being asked.
3. People who bottle neck at the doors. Move to the back, there's so much room!
4. Knapsacks.
Also
STAND RIGHT
WALK LEFT.
What a way to crap on your fellow travelers.
I'm sure you've all encountered the streetcar driver beeping at a car that didn't stop as the streetcar doors were opening..... but there's nothing that tells out-of-town drivers what to do in that situation, so it's really expecting confused and perhaps lost drivers to anticipate streetcar stops. It's not really fair to get mad at them for that.
Also, same deal about the escalators. In most situations, the 3 seconds you acquire from walking up the escalator will not gain you much in the world. I can understand if you see the subway and want to catch it, then it makes sense to walk down them..... but getting annoyed at people who use the escalator because they can't walk up stairs easily is just inhumane. Stop being selfish: their time is just as important to them as yours is to you.
I mean do we all need to know who you slept with last night or what you had for dinner. It is also kinda creepy when you sit with your headset and talk to yourself. A quick conversation is not a problem... but to talk loudly the entire ride is just annoying.
OMG. Nothing sends me to aneuryism more than waiting 20 minutes (in the rain/cold/heat/whatever) for the effing streetcar, only to have it arrive jam-packed at the front, and TOTALLY EMPTY past the back doors. And of course, no one waiting can get on, and the streetcar keeps going, and then you're waiting AGAIN. It's bad enough when TTC service sucks, but when other passengers screw you over like that, I go blind with rage. I have taken to physically shoving past the front-half jackasses to the back on the times when I've been able to get on. How else will the stupid, selfish fuckers learn?
Same thing with the people who, during rush hour, step onto the train and then STOP - completely blocking the 50 people behind them who patiently waited for the car to empty - to take 10 full seconds to decide where they want to park their special-snowflake asses instead of just walking as far in as they can (with a sense of EFFICIENCY and PURPOSE), as quickly as they can. Then half of those who *should* have been able to get on the train can't, which has the double bonus of screwing THEM over, and causing a traffic backup on the platform for the newly-arriving.
They have to honk because it's the only way that new drivers will LEARN. It's not about being mad, so stop projecting your feelings onto others. Most drivers who stop beside the streetcar are local drivers or cabbies trying to pass it from the right, anyway.
As for the escalators, walk left stand right.
YOU DON'T WALK HALFWAY UP THE LINE AND SCOOT INTO AN OPEN SPACE YOU WAIT AT THE BACK OF THE LINE
Along Spadina, I stand out from the line to block the sidewalk. It's surprising how few line butters step down onto the tracks to pass by - they tend to stop behind me.
Also, people who pretend that they don't see pregnant women, or elderly passengers standing, and continue to sit down.
The TTC is where good manners go to die.
I'm not seeing comment updates on here, but got your message in an e-mail.....
I wasn't complaining about the streetcars honking at all -- I was just saying there needs to be some education out there so drivers can know what to do around streetcars. Wasn't upset or mad at all :) Although I've seen drivers pretty much yell at drivers for this -- I think that could be handled nicer, because the driver might have just not known protocol. If it's cabbies, honk away! It's so dangerous to do that if they know better.....
As for the escalators, I'm referring to the people who expect the people standing on the right to walk up as well as the left.
they are very annoying! i see it all the time at spadina station.
also, people that decide to jump in front of trains during rush hour. you can't wait until late at night to do it?
And first thing in the morning, music blaring so you only hear the heavy bass is very annoying.
Also, people who lean on the pole while your hand is already there (and therefore end up leaning on my hand) are very rude and don't understand personal space.
I can go on...
strollers during rush hour!
---
So parents should wait 2 hours for rush hour to finish before taking their kid home to or from daycare?
Get your head out of your as*.
Racist (cultuarlist?) or not, the Chinese and Indians have no respect for lines...they will simply try to push and shove their way to the front. You just have to compare what goes on at Spadina St. versus say Old Mill to understand. But you know what...just adopt the same mentality..when in Rome, right? I have no problem doing the same.
Maybe I'm just hating on the Orientals, but old Chinese ladies on the Spadina car with awful smelling groceries is also annoying.
2) back packs. i get that students need them, and i often have my hands full too, but at least take them off and hold them so you so are aware of where your backpacks are in space.
3) seat hoggers. it's rude. there's always a way to take up less space, usually involving one's lap.
4) escalator etiquette- stand right walk left. (to commenter clio44- often times people are trying to catch a connecting bus or streetcar, so that extra 30 seconds they gained from walking up the escalator could save another 10-20 minutes of waiting.)
5) not moving to the back of bus/ streetcar.
They are STUPID fucks period!!!!!
Nearly as bad is idiots that treat the system as a restaurant and eat their food next to you. then they just toss the wrapper/box under the seat or leave it on the seat next to them.
STUPID fucks!!!
"students NEED backpacks to take their books to school. i think it's BY FAR more annoying that you SHOVE, ELBOW and HURT people because you are inconvenienced."
Dearie, the issue isn't backpacks per se -- I have been using one for decades.
The issue is WEARING IT inside TTC vehicles. If people took the damn things off and put it on the floor tucked between their legs -- or held in their hand -- it frees up a lot more room for other STANDING passengers.
"This is going to sound racist but what is it with Chinese ladies not letting people get off before trying to get on?"
Well, not really "racist" for anyone taking the streetcar to Gerrard and Broadview. Talk to any streetcar driver (I know several), and they'll regale you with tales of elderly Asian folks who keep transfers for a year (WTF?), and try to pass them off as valid the next year.
But I digress: why do Asians in two seaters sit next to the aisle, and REFUSE to move when someone tries to get past them to the empty seat?
Yes, that's when I can understand the rush up/down the escalators..... but it's still inconsiderate to push or get annoyed with people who choose/have not choice but to stand on the right :)
"Reading all these comments, you'd think it's the riders that make the TTC suck and not the service. Let's not all get side track and forget that the service sucks."
Sometimes, yes. There are some good things about the TTC... when it works. Some staff are good, others...?
My biggest single complaint? TTC drivers who don't acknowledge you when you get on and ask (always politely) for a transfer. The "too cool for school" attitude, where they think they're Clint Eastwood, and sloooowwwlllyyy rip a transfer from the stack, and hand it to you so half-assed that it's about to drop to the floor. THAT ATTITUDE is what is wrong with the TTC, the whole "I'm better than you" BS.
I not looking to be your friend, but I am looking for some sort of human decency.
I will say that I am extremely guilty of being a sleeper, I just can't help it.
Apart from spitting, and personal grooming in any public place (like come on people, that's not just subway, in general keep your bodily fluids and waste in the washroom) my biggest pet peeve that you've left out is peoples LACK OF COMMUNICATION. It's a frekking graveyard on the subway, just say "hey I'm getting off next stop, if you aren't, and want to get out of the way of the door, you should probably move now" or "Excuse me, There are no seats left, could you move your Feet/bag?", Or "excuse me little boy, please be careful, you're hitting me with your bag,""excuse me, we can't all fit in the bus, can you please move back or out of the way so we can all move back?" "Excuse me, your music is incredibly loud or your headphones are incredibly shitty because we can all hear your music and you probably don't realize because you're too busy enjoying the tunes"
Make the subway a more social space, where people feel comfortable talking to eachother and I guarantee all of these things will go away, including your bad smelling people who will not want to ride the subway without smelling good because they have to talk to people.
Let me guess, the rude asians you encountered were in chinatown (spadina and east, confirmed above) and the rude indians you encountered were on gerrard st.
Guess what, I encountered a bunch of rude white people in collingwood, so by your logic white people are generally rude, right?
On another note, angry at all those rude TTC riders? Vote for me for mayor! Show those rude people who's boss! Vote for me and I'll hire more police, cut the deficit, and give you a pony.
People just think they're funny or charming by calling out little old Asian ladies.
They're not.
The end.
As for strollers on the streetcars, there's really nothing to complain about until we get modern alternatives.
Personal space is key, especially on public transit. When its rammed its rammed.. can't do shit about that. But when someones ignorance is invading my bubble then I feel obliged to return the favor two fold. Wake up!
**On a side note. I once told a guy to take his feet off the chair because I wanted to sit. He ignored me so I slapped his feet off and then I got a front view of his face and realized he had down syndrome. Boy did I feel like shit. Goes to show that going a little extreme can backfire. Pick your battles people, be calm but firm. Works best when there's a larger crowd.
And worse, people who park their STROLLERS in that spot so they can get on/offthe bus more conveniently...Even though the back doors don't have stairs leading down to them for that reason, to make the back doors accessible to folks with strollers. And it's no fun to get on a bus and then immediately be faced with a 15-centimetre squeeze just to get into some open space. People from Scarborough can probably relate to this.
People who wait until the very last minute to get ready to leave the vehicle. Get up and ready the stop before!
People who try to jam themselves into the vehicle while others are trying to get off. Wouldn't it be logical to wait until people exit before you try to jam yourself in?
People who appear surprised when they have to actually pay the fare to board the bus. You're getting on the bus, have your fare ready in your hand.
Kids wearing backpacks while standing. Especially when they're swinging them around and bashing people in the head.
LOUD people/students/phone talkers.
People who stand in the doors when they're not getting off for 12 stops.
And yes M-PC black teenagers seem to think that cell phones are walkie talkies.
Picking on little Asian ladies and elbowing students, makes you feel really manly. Seems pretty obvious you are hung like a hedgehog and need to find ways to boost your self-esteem.
I'm not caucasian. I'm actually oriental as well and I know for dam sure asians from abroad are a little more clueless than us westerners. But come on. My aunts and uncles, hell even my dad are pretty clueless at times.
But it all comes down to communication. They don't know, we need to tell them or show them how its done here.
The other guys who commented aren't racists. They're just crude with their wording. Again another communication break down.
I assumed they must all be leaving at the next step, why else ignore all the empty space right there next to them? Stop comes, I move to get off, none of them move. It's unbelievable.
I'm also annoyed by slow walkers and people who don't know the "stand right, walk left" rule of escalators, but those are just minor inconveniences and usually just make me reflect as to why I feel like I'm in such a goddamn hurry in the first place...usually I don't have a good answer for that, and the annoyance dissipates.
But DOOR RUSHING is just illogical and idiotic, and slows the whole system down at the busiest stops. Think about it...people have to get OFF, before you can get ON. I hate when people stand right in front of the door and try squeezing in before everyone who is getting off gets off. This is the equivalent of getting on an elevator before letting people off. It just doesn't make sense...its like placing an egg on the frying pan before cracking it.
Rick Mercer would agree:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZsXBo1L9Bk
In fact, perhaps Rick Mercer should be the spokesperson for the TTC on this!
I always do this, without fail. It's great for me because I'm usually able to find empty seats because people are too scared to ask someone to move or let them in.
Here's a tip...you are entitled to sit there. Believe it. If you just go up to these people and say "excuse me may I sit there?" usually they just feel embarrassed for taking up that seat and will move for you without any reply. This behavior depends on people being too afraid to ask them to move. It's your own fault and people like me who don't care about speaking up to someone are the only ones who benefit!
My reason is that I'm trying to catch a connection, and - in conjunction with irregular, unreliable and infrequent TTC service - those idiots just added an extra 30 mins to my commute by NOT STANDING RIGHT. WALK LEFT. STAND RIGHT. AND DON'T STOP AT THE TOP OF THE ESCALATOR. ARGH.
The keyword is 'WET'.
Seriously. The idiot had the gall to glare at me when I asked the twit to WIPE THE WATER OFF so I could sit down.
Please blogTO....
Those who stroll at a snails pace exiting or entering subways. They themselves have plenty of time because they happened to be near the door, but the traffic blocking/slowdown they cause results in people two or three back missing their stop or missing their subway.
Or worse yet those who enter/exit the subway then stop dead in their tracks. "I've got where I need to go so I'm going to stand here while I think about where I'm going to sit"
This also applies to escalators in stations. This is especially infuriating because when someone steps off the escalator and stops at the top/bottom while they debate their next move the escalator keeps moving whether the people on it like it or not. The result is bunching, missing your subway/bus and is frankly really quite dangerous.
To me, this is totally different from putting your belongings on the seat. If the streetcar is near-empty, belongings-on-seat is acceptable.
But putting a hairy, dirty dog on the seat is never okay. I love dogs, but c'mon. It's not like your dog hasn't touched the floor before either. If you absolutely need to put your dog on something other than the floor, how about your lap?
Can we not have a discussion here without jumping the gun on the political correctness card?
Anyone who's ever ridden a subway in Calcutta or Hong Kong will attest to that's just the way it works over there...shove or lose. It makes sense why it tends to be the OLDER asian ladies.
People who try to squeeze through the doors and board the train before other riders have a chance to get off. It's the the bad behavior I see most regularly, and it's obnoxious - they just walk right on, as though they assume you're going to get out of /their/ way.
"Picking on little Asian ladies and elbowing students, makes you feel really manly. Seems pretty obvious you are hung like a hedgehog and need to find ways to boost your self-esteem."
Buddy, either you have issues, or are just plain stupid.
First of all, comments are directed as Asians sitting in the aisle seats on streetcars with EMPTY WINDOW SEATS BESIDE THEM. Geddit? They refuse to move for someone else to get on? Are you defending ignorance?
As for students wearing backpacks, we're talking about teens and twenty-somethings, NOT little kids. Teens are physically able to use common sense and take their backpacks off in vehicles to allow for more room.
Geddit now?
Christ, you are thick!
Did the Moron Festival get out early today, you two? It must have, otherwise you wouldn't be posting so many dumb comments!
I have never seen a non-Asian block the aisle seat. Ever. Not once in 40 f-ing years!
Look around you next time. Pay attention to the non-Asians blocking the seats. Guess what? There aren't any.
It is an observation, dude. If it were white people sucking up two seats, people would point that out. It isn't. At least a dozen people here have commented on Asians doing it exclusively - that's the way it is. What are you, the politically-correct police?
My only complaint is that I haven't be sucked off on the TTC in years.
Where did all the junkies go?
My only complaint is that I haven't be sucked off on the TTC in years.
Where did all the junkies go?
"My only complaint is that I haven't be sucked off on the TTC in years."
Sounds like a great premise for a made-in-Toronto porn movie!
SCENE - INTERIOR TTC COLLECTION BOOTH (evening)
Passenger: "I'm sorry, but I don't have three dollars to ride the TTC. Is there... some... other way I can pay you?"
Worker: "Do you want me to show you why they call us 'special' constables?"
Boom-chikka-wah-wah!
I need to count to at least 30 each time I say "excuse me" to whoever on the subway, otherwise I would storm out at the door blockers. It's not ok to stand by the door if you're traveling more than one stop, you're blocking people from coming in and out. And don't give me this dirty look when I roll my carry-on over your feet if you can't be bother to move.
You're on the TTC with the rest of us and you're complaining like you don't need the service. there are other options, get yourself a car, walk, ride a bike, hail a cab anything to stop your whining...
To be positive, here's a few things I like about the TTC:
1. I love it when subway/streetcar/bus timing lines up. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, whee!
2. Hearing people actually laugh on the TTC.
3. Smiling drivers.
4. Mutual flirtation with female passengers (note the word "mutual," not creepy old guy stuff)
5. Talking to another passenger who is reading a book of interest, then buying the book myself.
6. Running into a friend on the system.
7. Finding a token on the floor. Boo-YEAHHH!
8. Passengers with friendly dogs, or easily amused babies.
9. Drivers who aren't afraid to blow through a yellow light (providing it is safe to do so)
10. Helping an older person, mother with kids, or anyone in need, like the guy who left his wallet on the seat a few weeks ago -- I chased after him, and he was grateful.
To the simpletons here, most recently Suzi Q and Serge, it's sad to see Toronto inhabited by people by you. I don't what's up with the Asian grudge but I guess that's what burned the brain from your heads.
There's really not much more to say than you really are embodiment of pathetic, to the fullest meaning of the word.
Are you Jildren?
Blah-blah-blahhhhhh!
I agree with SuzieQ...the TTC Buddy who talks to the driver the entire time refusing to move.
People who don't move to the back of buses...more people would be able to get on if you moved to the back of the bus!
What a joke.
Door blockers are situational. If the car is filling up, then fine. But if it's empty and yo ass is in the way, you're just an asshole.
And to all those gangsta bois out there. No on cares about your shitty music. Turn that shit down to a respectable level and stop acting like an arrogant prick.
So you're telling me only Asian people sit in the aisle. The guy who admitted to being an aisle sitter above is named Lawrence West, yeah that's a real Asian sounding name.
There's a huge difference between being blind to something and being right. You are blinded by your bigotry. But like i said, if you could stop yourself from being stupid, maybe you wouldn't be.
OMG his name is the same as a subway stop.
Is your The Shakes?
Because that would be weird.
And my name isn't Jimmy McWhistle.
Another commenter mentioned how he has no problem elbowing door blockers out of the way. When I'm getting off the train and people don't wait for me to leave, I don't hesitate to give them a good shove on my way out. Makes me feel better and hopefully they take the hint (though, let's be honest, probably not).
I can't count the amount of times someone has offered me or others help with tokens when the machine is broken, directions, or help with a suitcase or stroller. The other day I was on the subway and a severely mentally challenged man was trying to engage other passengers in conversation. Instead if ignoring him, the businessmen in suits in surrounding seats ended up in a heartwarmingly sweet discussion about amusement park rides and haunted houses in Niagara Falls. A few weeks ago, I heard someone offer to get off before their stop to help an elderly tourist make sense of their handwritten map.
All that to say, things aren't so bad.
(I'm with the poster who complained about the circles of head-grease on the walls and windows though!)
"Maybe you're just taking the subway around China town or something, because I definitely see people of all races do aisle sitting (I saw a Caucasian boy do it today). I'm even offended by your comments and I'm Caucasian not Asian."
Read all the posts from the top down, honey. There were about half a dozen people mentioning the Asian hogging two seat thing before me :)
As for being offended at the expense of somebody else? That's just plain idiotic!
(by the way, I'm "offended" at your use of the word, "boy" even though I'm not Black).
Surprisingly, one "group" we've all missed are the folks who have lengthy and loud TTC conversations... with themselves. I haven't seen any of them for awhile. They do tend to come out in warmer weather.
I was at a subway station, waiting for the bus (at the beginning of the bus route). I was sitting on the bench with my cane. When I saw the bus coming, I got up, and was second in line for the back door. The bus arrived, the guy in front of me got on the bus and went immediately for the back. I headed towards the seats just inside the back door, and at least four people eeled around me and took the seats. Seriously, I almost sat on one of them accidentally, that's how last-minute he snuck by me.
I'm not a small person. I'm about 6' tall, carry a bright yellow bag, and use a brightly coloured, foiled walking cane.
I don't understand how anyone with working eyes could miss me, and yet...
So, worse than not giving up your seat: stealing the seat right out from under someone who is eldery, pregnant, or disabled.
Seriously, guys. You may be tired, but if I stand on the TTC I risk not being able to walk at all the next day. And I'm not the only one.
If I had to pick another gripe, it'd be people who sneak on the system without paying. You aren't screwing the TTC there; you're stealing from everyone around you. Thanks a lot, jerk.
plus people with no spacial awareness..
ie. people who enter subways/streetcars/buses then STOP and turn into door blockers, then looked so confused when you say "excuse me" to try to get by or worse when you end up walking right into them cause they can really stop THAT quickly... and I'm not talking about when the vehicle is full.
or a worse offender, those that get off the escalator and stop!!! WTF? Yes there are people behind you and yes they are going to hit you if you just stand there cause you think you're the only person on the planet.
Admittedly, offended may have been the wrong word. More like embarrassed that people can still be as racially ignorant as you (and the other posters who make race an issue of rudeness).
And to the person with the "students need backpacks" comments. That is BS. You can also take the backpack off your damn back and put on the floor between your legs so that you don't smack people sitting down on the face or block people from moving around.
If everyone were a little more courteous it would make living in this city a little better. NYC gets the rep for rudeness but everytime I go there I find people much nicer than here.
My wife is pregnant and has decided to start driving to work again because NOBODY will offer their seat anymore, that is complete BS.
"Boy was used to describe a fourteen year old male, how on earth does that have anything to do with race? What other word would you suggest when talking about a male who is not adult age?"
Holy crap, you are young!
Honey, "boy" is a derogatory terms for Blacks.
And kind of just proved my point that you're an ignorant racist if that's the first thing you think of when you hear the word "boy", who was white in my example.
I have IBS and have to ride the subway from downtown to Finch every day. If I stand ... I can't manage it and am in imminent danger of shitting my pants.
I'M SORRY!!
It's not just people blasting their music on the earphones but people talking loud in general. I don't want to hear your f*cking conversation about some douchebag indie singer from the other side of the car.
Also, someone was actually blasting their music on SPEAKER from their iphone. I looked over to see who the prick is and it was a young black girl. I rolled my eyes, "of course, it's ghetto fabulous who would be so inconsiderate" (hey, when in Rome as someone said earlier, I'll be racist too)
RIDERS PUSHING THE EMERGENCY STOP JUST BECAUSE THEY FEEL SICK. Holy F*ck, if you're not feeling well then get off the the next stop, sit down, and relax. Or don't even get on the subway in the first place. The rest of us have to get to work in order to pay our taxes so we can pay for your healthcare.
BUMS actually begging for change in the subway. They're always white and they always stink.
Subway Jumpers: the most inconsiderate selfish people who delay thousands just because they're desperate for attention. Well the joke is on them, nobody cares.
Finally, there are too many mentally unstable people riding the TTC. Please round them up, lock them up, and throw away the key.
Now, I'll take a deep breath and tell myself to stop whining about the TTC. I have no issues 95% of the time, which is not bad since the system shuttles 390 MILLION riders a year.
Public Transit is a mothball-scented HDTV show about mortality, I'd rather not watch.
At least they aren't blocking doors or hitting me with their backpacks. Actually, it's nice to sit across from one since I don't have to be so worried about accidentally making eye contact and then feeling awkward for the rest of the ride...but yea. Seriously though, sorry if it's plain obvious but I have no idea why it'd be annoying.
a) runs for the subway door when it is closing
or
b) rushes into the car before others get a chance to exit.
I don't have any problem with 'a' but I can't stand people from option 'b'.
Really...all of this boils down to an awareness and consideration for others not solely their own.
And what's up with the no hot drinks comment? Maybe we shouldn't be racist against temperature either. Down with cold drinks on transit!
Aisle sitting and door blocking may be rude, but assaulting and hate mongering is illegal. Bullies like you make scum look classy.
ANOTHER TRAIN WILL COME. YOU JUST LOOK STUPID.
1) The soft-core porn on subways, CUT IT OUT. Giving your hubby a kiss because he's getting off before you (pun!) is fine, but when the subway is so crowded that your boyfriend is practically sitting in my lap, that is NOT the time to stick your hand down his pants and your tongue down his throat. The 75 people within in a metre of you are tired, hungry and find you obnoxious.
2) I hate, hate, hate when I'm sitting on the inside seat and have to get up, and the person on the outer seat moves their knee about 1/4 inch to let me through, and acts like it's a huge inconvenience to even do that much. STAND UP, YOU LAZY ASS.
3) The people who sit in the outer seat and place their bag on the inside. This bugs me because they're *banking* on the fact that people are too polite to ask for the seat next to them. In fact, sometimes you can see in it their eyes, i.e. "Go ahead, ask for the seat. I dare you!" Our passiveness maximizes their rudeness.
ANOTHER TRAIN WILL COME. YOU JUST LOOK STUPID.
Well, in theory, but sometimes the "next train" is 10mins, 15 mins, or a couple of hours away. and maybe the bus they have to catch on the other end only comes every 30 mins, and if they miss that train, their entire commute gets fucked, and instead of getting home at 6, they get home at 7 or 7:30. You don't know everyone's personal travel itinerary.
"boy" has more than one meaning, especially when you're referring to a young adult (non-black) male.
Give your head a shake.
Door blockers are by the worst in terms of functionality of the subway, and those doing their make-up display a weird sense of vanity.
As for aisle sitters, check to see if they're tall. The cars aren't exactly built well for anyone over 6'4": needs into the next person/seat and head hitting on the way in/out of the car.
Point taken, although usually in my experience they're Miley Cyrus wannabes who use the inside seat for their Coach purse, and probably just don't want to have to deal with sitting next to "icky" people. (Which begs the question why they're on public transit? Probably because they mortgaged their condo to buy the Coach purse.)
My less polite comments have been ignored too. So now I just shove them when I get off.
Yesterday morning a douchebag even stood there with his 17" laptop open during the Pape-St George shutdown, so the 3 people who could have stood in that spot were left standing on the platform so this guy could make up for slacking off at the office.
I'm at the point where I just PUSH. It sounds rude, but I should have to tell someone to MOVE when they can see as well as I can.
You are an idiot, pure and simple.
And your 20-nothing limited mentality is showing.
"Are you getting off at the next stop? No? Then please let me by. Thank you."
"Is anyone sitting in the window seat? Then please let me in, Thank you."
I get a lot done with the above comments. Especially when they are asked/stated in a clear friendly manner. Yes, I'm calling you on your behaviour, but loudly and nicely. However, I have also turned directly around in my seat to stare at the person having a loud cell phone conversation, made it as cumbersome as possible to get into the window seat for folks sitting 'on the aisle', and told people the line ends over there.
The staring works. they quiet down or end the conversation. I once had a woman snap at me that she was having a "private" conversation, and I explained she was not. And suggested a remedy for her dog's diarrhea.
I don't put on shows for children like you.
And yet, that still wouldn't do any less to dispute the points I brought up (as myself, not your elaborate other-myself).
You got owned in the other thread (Best Indian Food; since edited), just accept it and stop making up extra-ordinary excuses for your ignorance.
Totally amazing how clueless some people are. Curse my deeply rooted Canadian politeness, which keeps me from just walking right through them and knocking them on their ass.
These people are the height of stupidity, because even if they're totally selfish - this act has no benefit to them - there's no where for them to go on the train because it's packed.
They inevitably get pushed back by the flow of people and sometimes even fall over.
Another comment from Blog TO's resident asshole.
Read the f-ing thread, moron, regarding the "boy" comment.
Fuk, you are truly Darwinism in Action!
""would you please take your backpack off so people can get by? Thank you."
"Are you getting off at the next stop? No? Then please let me by. Thank you."
"Is anyone sitting in the window seat? Then please let me in, Thank you." I get a lot done with the above comments."
I agree with you about being civil, and some of the time, people are cooperative. However, the greater issues lies with common sense and common courtesy.
If you are a teenager/adult wearing a backpack on a crowded vehicle, you KNOW it is difficult for other passengers to pass. How can you not know this huge Quasimodo-like hump gets in the way of others? If you are an able-bodied person, and the Queen 501 streetcar driver instructs passengers to exit the REAR DOORS, and you get off the front, what does that say? A lack of respect for others, and no common sense.
I obviously can't presume to speak for others here, but my guess is most of us HAVE asked others to please remove backpacks/not block the door/free up a seat, and it just isn't working anymore.
""would you please take your backpack off so people can get by? Thank you."
"Are you getting off at the next stop? No? Then please let me by. Thank you."
"Is anyone sitting in the window seat? Then please let me in, Thank you." I get a lot done with the above comments."
I agree with you about being civil, and some of the time, people are cooperative. However, the greater issues lies with common sense and common courtesy.
If you are a teenager/adult wearing a backpack on a crowded vehicle, you KNOW it is difficult for other passengers to pass. How can you not know this huge Quasimodo-like hump gets in the way of others? If you are an able-bodied person, and the Queen 501 streetcar driver instructs passengers to exit the REAR DOORS, and you get off the front, what does that say? A lack of respect for others, and no common sense.
I obviously can't presume to speak for others here, but my guess is most of us HAVE asked others to please remove backpacks/not block the door/free up a seat, and it just isn't working anymore.
2. People who create beverage puddles.
3. People playing music on their phones or through other crappy speakers.
4. Guys who are just spoiling to start an eye-contact fight and who spend the entire ride looking for an opportunity to say 'Whatchoo looking at?'. If you're so badass, how come you're riding public transit?
2. People who create beverage puddles.
3. People playing music on their phones or through other crappy speakers.
4. Guys who are just spoiling to start an eye-contact fight and who spend the entire ride looking for an opportunity to say 'Whatchoo looking at?'. If you're so badass, how come you're riding public transit?
When I get on my 512 in the morning, on a sincerely blissful twelve-minute commute, I put my headphones in my hand, turn my iPod on, and lower the volume until it is not audible. EASY.
I however, do NOT remove my bag (which slings over one shoulder and is designed to be worn that way). It's fairly awkward to hold physically, but I think I'll have to start doing that.
I try to give up my seat whenever needed, with the absolute exception of when I'm carrying tonnes of stuff. If I'm seated, with my materials vertically aligned to my body, I know I'm less of an inconvenience to everyone around me.
Generally, the comments (not the multi-post comments) are complaints pertaining to a lack-of decent behaviour.
Believe it or not, there are definitely still routes out there where the vehicles (travel in packs for safety, or run infrequently - and/or - unreliably) so someone jumping into a closing train may have a legitimate reason.
If every individual who posted here brought a bit of reason/sanity with them, then that would be nearly 200 regular passengers who display civility and assertiveness, which might start to further rub-off on others.
When I get out of my seat for an infirm person, the universal smiles and warm-fuzziness of everyone around me makes the 'inconvenience' worth it.
The car is mostly empty, but Sack of Wine lacks internal stability and is, according to the Laws of Physics, drawn into my orbit like Io to Jupiter. He leans on me, caressing me with his sickly sweet scent of whiskey sweat and diabetes. I retch, softly in my mouth.
I take the opportunity of the next several blocks to study my antagonizer. He is young, probably no more than 25. His skin is the pale of the night denizen. I wonder what has coerced him into the sunlight on this day and then the streetcar lurches and I hear the clink of the bottles in Sack's sack. Booze. The lifeblood of the would be Bacchus.
The streetcar stops and Sack of Wine pours himself onto the sidewalk and then into the nearest shelter. As the car stutters forward and away, I see Sack reach for a bottle of beer, popping its cap against a metal rail. He is oblivious to the stares of incredulity and opprobrium. Sack of Wine is his own man.
Stay thirsty my friends.
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
The people at the front cannot make the people at the back of the streetcar move down. Most people do not feel comfortable just pushing a series of complete strangers. Moreover, the people at the front do not usually know there is space at the back because their view is obstructed by the people at the back of the streetcar.
If you ask me, the behaviour you demonstrate is pretty appalling.
That is precisely the point of pushing people. Get your head out of your ass.
I can't stand mothers with those giant (and sometimes "double wide") baby strollers that need to block the asile right at the front of the bus/streetcar.
There needs to be a rule about how wide they can be to be let on the bus. It could be a live safety issue if an evacuation is required.
Most days I have THREE bags with me.. my huge purse, gym bag, and lunch/school bag and NONE of them EVER go on a seat beside me. If I can keep three bags to myself without bothering anyone I think these people can keep their backpacks or fake CROACH or LV purses to themselves.
Also.. people who can't move their legs when you want to get in or out of an inside seat.. Especially on the GO Train. just swing your legs out so that the person doesn't step on your feet or hit you. Don't just look up at me like an idiot when I say excuse me or just pull your feet in.. your knees are still in the way you moron.
OOooo public transit!!
Should they just walk through people like they are ghost?
If I am at the front of the streetcar and there are 30 people behind me clogging up the aisle, just how pray tell am I supposed to move to the back if it is empty?
Dude, if you can't figure this problem out on your own, you need to get off the streetcar and get on a short bus.
There are fewer law-breakers lighting up on the TTC, but it still happens. I just do not understand this selfishmess. Sihns saying no smoking are clearly posted all over the place.
Someone earlier mentioned Eglinton and Dundas west stations as being the worst. Islington isn't any better! Any station with multiple outdoor bus bays are targets for people who, for whatever reason, think they're outside and light up, even thouygh they are still on TTC property.
Please stop it.
There are fewer law-breakers lighting up on the TTC, but it still happens. I just do not understand this selfishmess. Sihns saying no smoking are clearly posted all over the place.
Someone earlier mentioned Eglinton and Dundas west stations as being the worst. Islington isn't any better! Any station with multiple outdoor bus bays are targets for people who, for whatever reason, think they're outside and light up, even thouygh they are still on TTC property.
Please stop it.
There are fewer law-breakers lighting up on the TTC, but it still happens. I just do not understand this selfishmess. Sihns saying no smoking are clearly posted all over the place.
Someone earlier mentioned Eglinton and Dundas west stations as being the worst. Islington isn't any better! Any station with multiple outdoor bus bays are targets for people who, for whatever reason, think they're outside and light up, even thouygh they are still on TTC property.
Please stop it.
There are fewer law-breakers lighting up on the TTC, but it still happens. I just do not understand this selfishmess. Sihns saying no smoking are clearly posted all over the place.
Someone earlier mentioned Eglinton and Dundas west stations as being the worst. Islington isn't any better! Any station with multiple outdoor bus bays are targets for people who, for whatever reason, think they're outside and light up, even thouygh they are still on TTC property.
Please stop it.
I believe we should politely ask for those 'bag' seats, and let the line jumpers and door blockers know their behaviour is poor.
But as a senior, I have been physically assaulted because I 'disrespected' a young punk for politely mentioning his lack of social skills. It makes you think twice before saying anything. Follow up by police resulted in nothing.
I still state my mind, but I'm very careful now , and many times I say and do nothing even when the situation requires it.
1. Sometimes it's hard to tell if a woman is pregnant or simply overweight. Giving up your seat would be like saying "congrats" to someone and finding out they're not pregnant.
2. Walk left, stand right. That's the single most frustrating. If I can hear a train pulling into the station but the people in front of me don't care to make it, the least they could do is get out of my way so I can. I'd do it for them.
If I say "my buddy's name is Charlie" then I guess I'm alluding towards Vietnamese guerrillas by your logic?
If I say "flip the cards" then I guess I'm alluding towards Filipinos by your logic?
Sorry Clouseau, I read the comments, you're still wrong.
By the way, you're using "Darwinism" in the wrong context too (someone usually dies in the correct context). Just sayin.
The cellphone users, smokers, farters, eaters, kissers, bag-on-seat people; yeah I suppose I'd rather they didn't but don't care too much.
If I say "my buddy's name is Charlie" then I guess I'm alluding towards Vietnamese guerrillas by your logic?
If I say "flip the cards" then I guess I'm alluding towards Filipinos by your logic?
Sorry Clouseau, I read the comments, you're still wrong.
By the way, you're using "Darwinism" in the wrong context too (someone usually dies in the correct context). Just sayin.
But now you will see cop cars drive through the bays and ticket people from time to time.
and lets not forget the white kids trying to be black talking real loud wit their up high
Snot rockets have got to be wayyyy up there!
What normal human being hocks a nasal loogie inside a vehicle?
The most repulsive thing I ever heard was from a female friend who said some guy was "pressing" on her in a crowded streetcar. When she got to school, the back of her jacket was stained with his baby batter!
Further, the escalator is not a ride. Move your feet, you lazy bastards!
#2) backpacks during rush hour
Poor escalator etiquette, cutting in line, horking in public, etc... aren't just TTC rider problems, these violations of manners can be found to occur all over the city :(
Maybe people should also speak up more often instead of everyone not saying anything to the guy singing out loud to his music?
Although at a certain point you just give up with people like Serge, he's the kind of fellow who you can't convince 2+2=4.
But he was one out of about 12 that I saw do it who were of varying races. And I've been in several neighborhoods over the last week, everywhere from Kipling station to Spadina and Dundas.
If you stayed on with me long enough, you'd have seen I put the needles away when the car gets crowded. Even if I was being inconsiderate, turns out it's pretty hard to knit when your needles are being blocked by someone standing right beside you. If there was room to knit, there was room for people to stand, go around, hold on elsewhere.
1. Subway guards who close doors, especially at transfer points in rush hour, before anyone can get on then yell at me when I have to roughly force the half-closed doors back OPEN so people on the platform can get ON. Sorry, but respect is earned!
2. Employees who harass amateur photographers/transit enthusiasts. Do we really look that much like terrorists?
3. Streetcar drivers who wait for you to get to the open front doors, then close them the moment you're about to step on the vehicle.
4. General discourtesy.
5. Subway drivers who keep their cab doors wide open and give you a dirty look when you sit opposite them, and on the never T1 trains, drivers who lock people out of the front of the train for no reason whatsoever
6. Customer service reps who NEVER reply to your inquiries.
Also, isn't it about time we installed cameras on the left side of the streetcar fleet just behind the rear doors to catch people who carelessly drive right past the doors? People are blaming streetcars as a mode of transportation for incidents like this when it's really the fault of the motorists. It's time we recorded their plate numbers and slapped them with a hefty fine.
Escalators are heavily regulated. Walk left stand right signs were "illegal". If you want to walk use the stairs; most common reason for escalator stoppage is the pounding on the stairs tripping the micro switches (safety feature). I can't believe people aren't more concerned with patrons refusing to pay,holding up service, raising fares. Why would anyone think the service was free? If every fare was collected maybe it could run ontime, be clean, have more security, expansion,.....
-Loud Music
-People who take up the transit fan seat when they do not need it and also drivers who block the area
-People who need to be 2 inches away from the door ready to leave/enter the second it opens.
-Annoying/Screaming kids
-Kids who need to stand up in a circle blocking 2 doors and the path to the drivers area/front door of the train and yes there were plenty of seats.
-People who need to get louder and not STFU when the guard/driver is talking about a delay or detour over the intercom.
TTC Drivers/Special Constables or any staff who do not know the Policy on Photos/Videos, i always keep a printed copy of a notice that was sent out to staff and the policy. If i need to show a Constable or driver the policy i will be more then glad to.
People dumping stuff around the subway, yesterday i went to sit in the Transit fan seat of a T1 preparing to leave Kennedy.
The clearly annoyed driver told me to hold on a sec and i noticed a huge amount of cheese popcorn dumped on the floor.
GET OUT OF MY WAY WITH YOUR MASSIVE PIMP MY RIDE STROLLER
http://www.ihatesaturday.com/2011/02/get-that-stroller-out-of-my-way.html
The number one TTC pet peeve for me are AISLE SITTERS. It has gotten much worse over the past year I've noticed. I would like to know the thought process behind an aisle sitter- they are the most obnoxious people in town. I never ask to take the window seat- I now just point and move on in to the seat. The aisle sitters look surprised when I do this and they move their legs quickly. I would never ASK to sit in a seat that I paid for.