It figures my first post would be about the bane of my existence. However, instead of just the standard update on which ridiculous delay is yet again making me late for work, I’d like to offer some words of common sense that I don’t see that commonly.
Dear TTC Passengers,
As we all know, the TTC system has its many problems, whether it be malfunctions, delays, those pesky service announcements, or yet another switch, signal or smoke problem “at track level.” That said, there are several things that we can all do to improve our collective experience:
1) MOVE TO THE BACK – Preferably quickly. One of the most annoying things is to have a bus or streetcar pass the stop at which I’m waiting because it’s “full”… at least that’s what the driver would justifiably assume since people are practically standing on top of him, even though the rear half of the vehicle is entirely empty. I’ve even seen available seats in the back as the Doppler effect rings in my ears. So please, it’s not that hard to take a few extra steps and allow other people on – do so! Sit down, relax, there’s room!
2) LET PEOPLE OFF THE TRAIN BEFORE YOU GET ON – Part of the inspiration of this post, I ended up in a stalemate today trying to get off the bus. The entire doorway was blocked by people just standing there, refusing to let me off, but unable to get on because I was in their way. One of them was actually rude enough to tell me to use the front door to get off when I said “Excuse me.” In all the other cities where I’ve taken public transit, there are lines on the floor and the doors are wide enough to have two single-file lines of people going in and the same number going out. Since that may not be possible on our vehicles, just think of it this way. The faster people get off, the faster you can get on, so move out of the way and let the flow of people move more quickly.
3) WALK ON THE RIGHT, PASS TO THE LEFT – Another thing I’ve noticed in other places are lines on the floors telling you where to walk in what direction. I’ve heard people theorize that one of the reasons Toronto has such crazy traffic patterns and problems on public transit is because it’s such a multicultural city and things like slow lanes and passing lanes are different from each person’s native country. That could very well be true, but if there’s a barrier in the middle of the hall, a line marking two lanes in each direction, and arrows on the floor indicating direction and speed, we can’t really blame a language barrier for the problem. So, the cultural standard here is, “Walk on the right, pass on the left.” Until we get lines on the floor, we’ll just have to figure out how to walk ourselves. P.S. No pushing! That’s not acceptable here. We’ve known that since kindergarten.
4) BE NICE TO THE BUS DRIVERS – It’s not their fault that the system is messed up. Yes, there are those few jerk drivers, but for the most part, they’re just doing their jobs and they’re just as frustrated by delays and miscommunications as we are. I’ve had some fascinating conversations with drivers who have shared their horror stories. Also, being rude to them won’t get you there any faster, so you might as well be polite.
So, there you go. Four simple, rational things to make each other’s time on the TTC more enjoyable. Because we all know we’re going to be there for hours!
Cheers,
~Alcina
