Tech, Video
Analyzing the Sun's Top 10 TTC YouTube Videos
The first Sunday of the new year was a slow news day for the Toronto Sun, as they ran an article exposing YouTube videos primarily made up of drunken-antics on the TTC. While the behaviour displayed in these videos may have been an eye-opener for the 905 crowd, for most of us at blogTO it's nothing new.
The other videos varied from cops breaking up a fight, to the surreal adaptation of a colourful TTC rapper, to a pitifully sick rider, and then my personal favourite, the Bohemian Rhapsody sing-along. While some were amusing, the others displayed some disturbing similarities.
The most disturbing commonality in many of these and other bystander videos filmed on the TTC is the inaction of those recording the footage, also known as the bystander effect. In some of the videos, the subjects are labeled as drunk or crazy by the other riders, thus negating their willingness to help. For example, the 'crazy woman on subway' video made my stomach lurch; is it a hyper-sensitive rider struggling with a history of abuse? Or is it an assertive rider who was fondled by a man on the subway and let him know he couldn't get away with it? Why didn't anybody just ask if she was alright and what happened?
Furthermore, the concerns raised from this TTC YouTube trend mirrors the questions that arose regarding the TTC's controversial step to install security cameras to reduce crime and make the TTC safer. But I'm not so convinced and Privacy International isn't either. As PI shows, research taken from the implementation of the UK transit cameras has shown that while the cameras may assist in reducing low-level opportunistic crimes, the level of actual arrests was negligible. When concerns regarding privacy arose, Giambrone stated that the cameras would only be used by the police for review, and wouldn't be watched live. This only brought up more questions about the reasoning behind installing cameras for crime prevention if they would only be used after the fact. While we're still waiting to see what becomes of these new cameras, maybe these and other YouTube videos can act as 'moron' security in the meantime.
On a final note about the 'Best Of' list, am I the only one who found the screaming child video, which was labeled as 'endearing' as the most annoying?
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What concerns me in that particular video is the driver's apathy. Looking out the window and you can tell that he/she keeps driving, ignoring the escalating situation on the bus. These are the people we're supposed to look to when problems arise (or at least what the TTC's advertisements lead you to believe).
It frightens me to think that if I were to ever end up in a situation beyond my control that I'd have to rely on another passenger to call the police. You mentioned the bystander effect Danielle, and not only do I believe that it would not only hold true in the majority of these situations, but be escalated by most people's belief that the TTC Operator would be the one to address the situation (and in this case, and I'm sure many others, doesn't).
Now, to be fair, the driver may have been the one to call the police and not another passenger, but it does seem unlikely since they continued driving during the fight.
On a related note, who the hell manufactures these so called security cameras? We can fit a super high res camera into a cellphone for a (relatively) low cost, but it costs us millions of dollars for cameras with image quality too low to be at all useful?
Maybe I could support cameras if they were part of a system that actually worked, but when they can't even be used to identify someone after a crime is committed, then what is the damn point?
Deterrence? Fine, then put up a box with a red blinking light and save yourself the money.
Are you assuming the youtube videos are from the TTC cameras?
As it turns out, a friend of mine shot the last one of the little boy yelling at the train. Hadn't seen it 'til it turned up in the Sun but apparently it was on BT too. I doubt that was on a cell phone, she has an alright handheld.
I think, rather, they should put more security into backing up drivers and incidents, than security cameras that are only used for arrests after the fact. That's not DETERRING crime, it's only attempting to punish crimes that have already occured. A real strategy to reduce crime would be to stop it at the fact, punish real crimes as they are committed, such as the rowdy drunks harassing the homeless man on New Years. But as that was a misunderstanding, it would take the participation of PEOPLE as witnesses and active members of society to also stand up for injustices. Thus, negating the bystander effect.
Blah, I'm feeling idealistic today.
I wish the TTC Cameras were of that quality. No, I'm talking about stuff like this: http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20060424/trix_suspect_060424?hub=TorontoHome
Where security camera footage wouldn't even be allowed as evidence in court due to its poor quality.
Now, granted, some of the newer cameras are much clearer, but that doesn't fix the many other holes in the system. Like Danielle said, they don't review footage until after the fact and only if they deem it necessary. Getting assaulted, sure. Getting an ipod stolen? Fat chance. Even if you get lucky and they decide to check the camera on the new bus with the new camera and luckier still that the images it captured somehow result in an arrest, it doesn't change the fact the crime was still committed.
Now if there is an act of violence, it is usually provoked by something. This is where security should be put into place. The camera won't be much of a deterrent once the person is provoked.
As for other motives such as robberies, etc. Most of these are social problems that should and can be fixed. Now, I'm not saying this will be easy. Robbery will always happen, you can't stop it, you can only tone it down to some extent. Again, security cameras may be a deterrent, but I believe proper security will be more effective.
A camera just sits there, when you have the special constables, the response can be very quick, especially if more officers are deployed. The solution may to have more rental cops during those off peak hours for the female, and younger riders and spend the money that way.
Wouldn't it have made more sense to stop the bus and open the doors to let these idiots out?
"It's a fact of life in Toronto, it's not something you can try to avoid. The best approach is not to provoke people and mind your own business. Look at Zanta, some people hate him, others love him. Not all the 'crazies' are out to hurt you."
You say it can't be avoided, which assumes one would have to deal with it at one point, but you also say to keep to yourself and mind your own business. That is exactly the problem and what happened on the New Years subway ride for example, which got so many people upset. The crazies aren't the problem, inaction is.
I remember when I was just 16 or 17, I was at Spadina station around 11pm and saw a man passed out at the end of the moving-escalator connecting the Bloor/University Spadina trains. He was completely prone, on the ground, unresponsive and elderly. He was obviously not sleeping, he had collapsed. He was just out of sight of anybody to see (around the corner from the streetcar platform) EXCEPT the dozen or so (at least) other passengers ahead of me who had just walked right by him. Since there was no streetcar and the concession was closed, I called 911 and waited for the response team. I was, and still have been, extremely upset at Torontonians for that incident and I haven't noticed a change in attitudes yet and it infuriates me.
- sorry.
The reason most TTC employees (in this case the driver) didn't respond in a way that you would like them to might be because unlike many of you, they see this everyday. It's easy for many of you to sit back and say what you 'WOULD DO' in that situation. I would challenge you to do it for a living, or at least for 1mth on a busy route like the Yonge line or Bloor line and see if your opinions change.
After a while, it's like avoiding panhandlers on the street. For those who aren't used to seeing that, they get a bit scared at first and then they might give here and there. But just like everything else, once you get used to it and realize that there's so many of them and that you can't keep giving to every single one of them, you just learn to not notice them. It's a sad reality, but it's definitely not uncommon for large urban centres such as Toronto.
Make sense to me to have it open until at least 2:30-3am to carry the overflow of drunks after last call and take some strain off the dirty blue line.
...sad reality indeed. I wonder what we'll "accept" next.
Is your solution to just get used to it, and not try to change things? I find that surprising, if indeed you grew up at Jane&Finch, that you just accept that this is the way it should be.
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My comments weren't directed to any specific person who's posted on here and I'm not saying to just ignore it and accept it as such to the point where it gets out of hand.
I just hate it when people whine and complain about relatively minor issues that are common in any large city, when there are far more important issues that need attention. It's been going on for a very long time but people only talk about it now because of someone actually filmed it happening. The amount of resources and $$ that would be needed to go into 'fixing' this would be better used elsewhere, where it's needed most. Especially if we're talking about the TTC or taxpayer's money.
Naturally, this doesn't apply to serious crimes such as robbery, rape, murder, sexual assault, etc.. and I too get upset when something serious like that happens in our city when it could've been prevented or when it can be solved but no one speaks out. But to cry and whine over fights, or that someone's singing or jumping or screaming on a bus... that's stuff that small towns complain about because it disrupts the tranquility of things, but definitely doesn't warrant that city hall do something about it IMO.
I'm just saying, let's be realistic here and look at the bigger picture. What's more important? solving real crimes such as the forementioned, or having our overstressed courts process these minor charges and police force run to every 'fight' that breaks out on the TTC? Let's remember that we're talking about a city of 5 million... not 5000 or even 500,000. Things are relative according to size, density, plus...in my experience, you won't get into a fight on a bus at random. Meaning it usually takes 2 to tango.
It doesn't mean to let their be total disorder and to let it become like a UFC fight on the TTC every weekend, but YES fights do occassionally break out on buses and trains, streets and even malls, and YES there are lots of crazies in the city. Welcome to T.O. Canada's largest city.
"It doesn't mean to let their be total disorder and to let it become like a UFC fight on the TTC every weekend"
If you refuse to enforce laws, this is what you end up with. Laws are a deterrent for people who would otherwise commit these 'crimes'. However, those deterrents are completely useless if not enforced.
Create a lax atmosphere about a law and you'll create a society that will make no attempt to abide by it.
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