Armed robbery of Tim Hortons food has people fretting about the state of things in Toronto
A video showing the lengths some residents of Toronto have to go to for a meal has prompted a flurry of discussion on socials today about how difficult it is to get by in a city where basic necessities have become so unaffordable.
The viral TikTok clip, which was shared in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, shows an individual stealing baked goods at knifepoint from a downtown Tim Hortons, identified by some in the comments as a location on Richmond Street East.
As the coffee shop's alarm sounds in the background, the perpetrator is seen hastily grabbing a few food items from behind the display, employees standing off to one side all the while, stunned.
The culprit then jumps back over the counter, two donuts in hand, and tosses the knife they were wielding — which appears to be the large serrated blade staff use to cut sandwiches — to the ground before exiting the restaurant.
With the caption "it's getting crazy downtown Toronto," the post has racked up nearly 100,000 views in just seven hours, along with being shared across other platforms.
And while viewers agree that the video is shocking and disheartening, many are seeing it as just another indication of the unfortunate state of the city and the failure of our various levels of government amid the ongoing housing, cost of living, opioid and other crises.
don’t worry sweetie ur fave corporation gonna be ok pic.twitter.com/h5QUiLPlaN
— Evy Kwong (@EVYSTADIUM) January 13, 2023
Comments like "that is sad, just wanted food and something to eat," and "at least it was just some food, not destruction" show some empathy, while others are far more harsh. Still others speculate that drug use, houselessness and/or mental health issues may have been factors in the crime.
A few have also chimed in to call Toronto by its new nickname, Gotham City, which it continues to uphold as such wild crimes and distressing incidents seem to happen (and get caught on camera) daily.
