LOL!

Is he sleeping? Photo of McCowan TTC booth goes viral
Raveena Aulakh Staff reporter
Published On Fri Jan 22 2010

http://i47.tinypic.com/4rom4p.jpg

A TTC ticket collector is shown apparently catching a quick 40 winks between customers.
Jason Wieler Photo

He's inside the ticket booth, reclining on a chair, his arms draped over his stomach.

And that was enough to send this photograph of a Toronto Transit Commission collector – who appears to be snoozing – viral Thursday, sweeping around the world after it was tweeted by a transit rider.

It was enough to prompt TTC authorities to start an inquiry.

The photo was taken by Jason Wieler on Jan. 9 around 10 p.m. at McCowan Station. On Thursday, he posted it on Twitpic with this caption: "Yup, love how my TTC dollars R being spent ... "

Wieler was leaving the station when he saw the ticket agent catnapping in full view. "I stood by for at least five minutes and he was sleeping," said Wieler.

Some riders were laughing while others were talking about him, he said. A few even went through without paying their fare or showing their Metropass. "I thought here we are, with a fare hike, and look how the money is being wasted."

As soon as the photo was posted, the comments began piling up, mostly from annoyed transit users.

"I didn't post to get anyone in trouble, but to highlight TTC problems," said Wieler.

The TTC is taking it seriously, spokesman Brad Ross said.

"Employees have a responsibility with respect to safety of the station and the system," said Ross. "We expect them to be always alert on their jobs. This is unacceptable."

But he said there might have been extenuating circumstances.

"We are asking for an explanation."

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ttc/article/754297--is-he-sleeping-photo-of-mccowan-ttc-booth-goes-viral?bn=1#article

Someone go check next week to see if he still has a job.

Unfortunately, I still think he will. The union's going to find some way of spinning this to portray the operator as a victim.

Edit: tada!

http://www.blogto.com/city/2010/01/ttc_union_chief_blames_riders_for_not_waking_sleeping_staffer/

Aha! Here's the real source of fare evasion on the TTC!

Yeah, let's pretend none of us ever stole a minute or two of sleep at our workplaces:D

Besides, its McCowan station...I think i've only used it once in my 12 years in Toronto.

Unfortunately, I still think he will. The union's going to find some way of spinning this to portray the operator as a victim.

Edit: tada!

http://www.blogto.com/city/2010/01/ttc_union_chief_blames_riders_for_not_waking_sleeping_staffer/

I've never seen an unconscious person rest his hands so neatly on his stomach before.

As Judge Judy would say, "THAT'S BALONEY! IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!"

His neatly folded hands tell the whole story. Obviously the guy is not in any pain.

TTC catnaps ignite rider fury
Jennifer Yang
Staff Reporter
Denise Balkissoon
Published
http://i46.tinypic.com/15n854x.jpg

A photo shows an apparently sleeping TTC collector at McCowan Station Jan. 9, 2010.
Jason Wieler Photo

With the click of a camera and a tweet on the Internet, one sleeping TTC worker has unleashed a torrent of fresh anger over Toronto’s troubled transit system.

What began as a funny photograph posted on Twitter quickly turned into a lightning rod for transit riders frustrated with the TTC.

It all began when rider Jason Wieler was passing through McCowan LRT station and spotted a mustachioed ticket collector sprawled back in his chair, his mouth agape, apparently snoozing while on the job.

Wieler snapped a photo, posted it on Twitpic, and the incriminating photo quickly went viral. Reactions were initially amused but grew rapidly bitter, as irritated transit riders took offence to the TTC worker’s inability to stay awake and collect fares – even as Torontonians continue to smart over the recent fare hike.

“You have a job to be done, you don’t sleep on the job,” said Sandeep Parmar, a 40-year-old TTC rider who passes through McCowan Station daily. “You don’t sleep and let people walk by without paying when they are raising the fares.”

But this isn’t the first time a TTC employee has been caught dozing while on the clock. Since Wieler’s photo began making the rounds, more pictures of sleepy TTC workers have come out of the woodwork. Earlier this month, Spacing magazine also posted photos of a TTC worker asleep in the driver’s seat of an idling TTC utility van.

On Friday, transit and union officials both launched into damage control, and TTC spokesperson Brad Ross said tersely that at least two of the recently-reported incidents are under review.

However, the outcome of the TTC investigation – and penalties issued, if any – are unlikely to come to light, because personnel matters are regarded as confidential between employee and employer.

Local 113 of the Amalgamated Transit Union also issued a short news release Friday, admonishing transit users for not waking up the McCowan collector. :ohno: Many TTC collectors are senior employees who work in collectors booths because they have health issues or injuries.

“Whatever the outcome of the enquiry, it is very discouraging that the picture taker and, apparently, other customers, made no attempt to determine if there was anything wrong with this TTC employee,” union president Bob Kinnear said in the statement, adding that a simple knock on the glass would have determined whether the employee was sleeping or suffering from a medical emergency. “The reports that passengers were laughing at him as they passed by the booth makes this even more disturbing.”

But such statements did little to stem the online tide of criticism, as hundreds of comments flooded news websites, blogs and Twitter accounts.

A sympathetic few defended the soporific TTC workers, pointing out that they were probably hard-working family men, caught in a moment of exhaustion during a late night shift.

By Friday night someone created a faux Twitter account for the TTC snoozer, under the name TTCsleeper he’s already got nearly a hundred followers.

Others shared their own tales of TTC woe and, on thestar.com, riders complained about everything from TTC employees sleeping, reading or watching DVDs to more serious allegations of dangerous driving, verbal rudeness or even assault. Just this past Wednesday, TTC commissioner Adam Giambrone announced a new customer service panel to review how employees interact with the public.

But the majority of online commenters were bitter, sneering that just weeks after a controversial fare hike, unionized employees with good benefits couldn’t bother to stay awake and make change for equally hard-working customers.

“We have a completely dysfunctional public transportation system,” said Star commenter raylee 67, complaining of service delays, old technology and poor organizational structure. “The whole system is so broken that I don't even think it can be fixed ...

“I would love to see TTC losing the monopoly status for public transportation so some private providers can come in and compete with it. At least then, I get to choose.”

And even those who chose to stay neutral in the fray couldn’t resist throwing in their two cents.

“LOL this sleeping TTC employee has our city up in arms,” said Twitter user pumpkin patch. “Who knew one picture could encompass all of our transit system’s problems, for realz.”

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/754753--ttc-catnaps-ignite-rider-fury?bn=1

TTC union defends apparently drowsy collector

http://i50.tinypic.com/dcuerl.jpg
A TTC employee appears to be asleep in his ticket booth earlier this month. Jason Wieler

Kelly Grant

From Saturday's Globe and Mail Published on Friday, Jan. 22, 2010 9:06PM EST Last updated on Friday, Jan. 22, 2010 10:00PM EST

The president of the TTC workers' union says it is “disturbing” that a transit rider snapped a photo of what appears to be a sleeping ticket collector instead of checking to see whether the worker was okay.

“The guy could have had a heart attack. He could've had an aneurysm. He could have been a diabetic,” said Bob Kinnear, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, which represents more than 9,000 TTC employees. “Seventy-five per cent of them are down there [in the collection booth] for medical reasons. It wouldn't be the first time we've had collectors collapse.”

A picture of the collector, reclining in a booth with his eyes closed, head back and mouth open, has become an Internet sensation since it was posted Thursday.

Photoshopped pictures of the collector riding the Toronto Maple Leafs' bench, gracing the poster for Weekend at Bernie's, and dozing with Homer Simpson in sector 7G of the Springfield nuclear power plant are among at least a dozen spoofs already circulating on Twitter, where the original first appeared. At least two more photos of what appear to be TTC collectors napping on the job emerged Friday, and TTC chairman Adam Giambrone said the commission will investigate those too.

“Obviously sleeping on duty is not acceptable,” he said.

TTC spokesman Brad Ross said the transit agency is still working on the investigation it launched Thursday into the first collector's case. The outcome of that probe – including whether the worker is disciplined – will not be made public because it is a personnel matter, Mr. Ross said.

But Mr. Giambrone said that if the collector doesn't have a good reason for sleeping on the job, he could face discipline.

“There's a series of [possible] sanctions,” he said. “It'll depend on the investigation, it'll depend on past history and it includes up to termination.”

The man who shot the original photo, Jason Wieler, said he snapped it with his iPhone at McCowan station just after 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 9. He said he watched for five minutes and the collector didn't move.

“If his mouth wasn't open as much as it was and he was wiggling around, hey, I would've thought he had some life to him,” Mr. Wieler said. “But this guy was out cold.”

Mr. Wieler's photo went viral at an uncomfortable time for the TTC.

The transit agency's board voted Wednesday to appoint a blue-ribbon panel of private-sector experts to help improve customer service after complaints spiked late in 2009, largely due to an impending fare increase and token rationing.

Customer complaints increased by nearly 20 per cent, from about 26,000 in the first 11 months of 2008 to about 31,000 in the same period last year. Even though riders deluged the TTC with complaints about the fare increase and the token shortage in November, the top two complaints for the year remained bus and streetcar delays and “discourtesy” from TTC workers.

Mr. Kinnear dismissed the suggestion that rudeness is endemic among TTC employees, and blamed the commission for rider fury.

“I think that the picture has touched such a nerve because of the overcrowding of the service, the lack of service, the cost of the service and the lack of communications from the TTC to the passengers,” he said.

He urged the public to cut the apparently drowsy collector some slack: “That's a human being behind there.”

Video of Greenwood subway station on Friday night, where the operator blares classical music:

YoonQiCzTGw


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ttc-union-defends-apparently-drowsy-collector/article1441579/


Second photo emerges of another alleged TTC napper
Posted: January 22, 2010, 11:15 PM by Rob Roberts

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By Megan O’Toole, National Post

A TTC union reacted to the media firestorm over a napping collector today by criticizing the rider who took the photo, even as a second photograph of another apparently sleeping TTC collector emerged.

“It is very discouraging that the picture taker and, apparently, other customers, made no attempt to determine if there was anything wrong with this TTC employee,” said Bob Kinnear, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union.

A Twitter user snapped the photo two weeks ago around 10 p.m. at McCowan station. The collector is shown leaning back in his chair, with his hands folded on his stomach, eyes closed and mouth slightly open. The photo, and many copycats, were plastered across the Internet today.

A source said that the man pictured is George Robitaille, a veteran TTC collector who suffers from a medical condition and has been employed by the transit commission for about three decades.

The nature of Mr. Robitaille’s medical issue was unclear, but the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 said about 75% of collectors are put in that position for medical reasons. The TTC could not confirm the number, though spokesman Brad Ross acknowledged many collectors are “transitioning” back to their regular duties after illness or injury.

Jason Wieler, who took the photo and quickly posted it online, said a small group spent several minutes gathered around the collector’s booth, laughing and snapping pictures as the collector slept.

Said Mr. Kinnear: “A simple knock on the glass might have determined if the collector was, in fact, asleep, or whether he was unconscious as a result of some medical problem. The reports that passengers were laughing at him as they passed by the booth makes this even more disturbing.”

Union spokesman Bill Reno noted the media attention on this incident has been disproportionate, blaming a “tabloid world.”

The union says it received more calls on this issue than it did on the 2005 shooting of a Scarborough bus driver.

The media firestorm has been fed by a second photo of a sleeping TTC collector, which was obtained by Global News today. In it, the ticket taker is shown leaning back in his chair as he snoozes at King station around 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 12.

“I’m not out to get anyone fired,” said Scott Dagostino, who took that photograph. He says he forwarded it to Councillor Adam Giambrone, chair of the TTC, because it is emblematic of a larger problem.

“It’s not about one collector’s behaviour. After the fare hike, the token embargo... what kind of message does that send out?” Mr. Dagostino asked.

Mr. Giambrone said he has asked management to investigate the facts in Mr. Robitaille’s case.

“Obviously behaviour like sleeping on the job is not tolerated at the TTC, nor would it be at any place of work,” Mr. Giambrone said.

Mr. Ross said the TTC will arrange to speak with the ticket collector “to ascertain what happened and take any appropriate action based on the information we gather.” The maximum penalty would be termination, he said, but the TTC is “not even close to having any kind of decision on that.”

Meanwhile, the photos are stirring public reactions ranging from amusement, to sympathy, to outrage that a public employee would apparently neglect his responsibilities so soon after the latest TTC fare hike.

At McCowan station this afternoon, passengers slowly trickled in and out as the on-duty ticket collector — awake and alert — declined to comment on his colleague’s newfound notoriety.

Sandra, a young rider who did not give a last name, denounced the sleeping collector’s behaviour as “pretty irresponsible,” while Ron Louie seemed relatively unfazed.

“It’s probably a boring job, so I kind of sympathize with him,” Mr. Louie said.



http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2010/01/22/second-photo-emerges-of-another-ttc-napper.aspx

http://i48.tinypic.com/etz81e.jpg

OMFG! They sleep at KING STATION!?!?!?!?!?!?

King's the busiest station between Charles and Wellington Sts., with 60-something thousand boardings a day. This is one of the LAST places a collector should be sleeping, especially since transfers from surface routes are not in the fare paid area and require a transfer.

Their union has to be busted for the good of the city of Toronto.

There must be a political way to destroy it... I'm sure we'd have support of over 80% of the city.

The union reps must think we are imbeciles. Will they never admit that a worker was doing something completely, utterly, wholly wrong? I have seen a collector on the University line downtown napping in the past. Sometimes I have to rap on the glass to get them to pay attention to me as I pass through, as they are wrapped up reading a book, chatting on the phone, listening to their ipods, etc...

The TTC should get rid of those comfortable chairs. The fare collector should be required to stand after a few hours of sitting.

Of course the best solution is automated fare machines. No union wages, they won't talk back to you and they'll be more reliable.

The TTC should get rid of those comfortable chairs. The fare collector should be required to stand after a few hours of sitting.

Of course the best solution is automated fare machines. No union wages, they won't talk back to you and they'll be more reliable.

Two issues with that; one is that the occupational health and safety laws may require chairs that are appropriate for extended periods of seating, like any desk job.

Two is that automated fares won't eliminate the need for customer assistance at stations. Machines break down, so no, they are not more reliable. The token machines we have today are a prime example: they are out of service every so often.

I think the union is further damaging their already deteriorated position in all this to the point where it is causing the union members grief instead of peace of mind, but I don't support making front-line staff stand for 8 hours a shift (or hurt their ass by giving them only a metal stool to sit on for 8 hours), that's crossing the line and is just taking joy in causing others pain. Would you like to remove the chairs in subway cabs while you're at it?

Standing would actually improve their circulation in their legs and would be healthier long term. You shouldn't be seated for more than 4 hours or so at a time. I wonder of the occupational H&S laws say anything about this... and if so, does the TTC enforce it? I would propose a supportive chair but one which would be hard to fall asleep in. That or... maybe a slot in the booth for riders to prod the fare collectors with a stick or blunt object. :D

Well it depends on the type of machine and the collector, if we are talking about reliability. I guess I should have said "availability"... downtime for one machine versus the amount of "downtime" a single token collector takes for breaks, reading, eating, listening to music, and sleeping on the job, plus vacation time.

Yet another one:

http://media.thestar.topscms.com/images/c7/2a/833a5cbc4ac58dd3513bb954c85a.jpeg


I'm starting to think this is the new TTC policy: "If you feel the need to sleep, gently recline your chair, face parallel to the glass, and rest your hands on your stomach neatly."

After all, you want to be nice and fresh when your workday is over!

They should play that classical music all the time throughout the entire system

Fgwr3wrenkQ

Calm people down, improve their wellness

Two issues with that; one is that the occupational health and safety laws may require chairs that are appropriate for extended periods of seating, like any desk job.

Two is that automated fares won't eliminate the need for customer assistance at stations. Machines break down, so no, they are not more reliable. The token machines we have today are a prime example: they are out of service every so often.

I think the union is further damaging their already deteriorated position in all this to the point where it is causing the union members grief instead of peace of mind, but I don't support making front-line staff stand for 8 hours a shift (or hurt their ass by giving them only a metal stool to sit on for 8 hours), that's crossing the line and is just taking joy in causing others pain. Would you like to remove the chairs in subway cabs while you're at it?

Lots of people stand all day at work every day and collect money and also give customer service. We call this the retail industry.

If retail companies can become multi-billion dollar operations just by paying people a lot less than TTC workers to be their 'face of the company' as people standing up all day collecting money and delivering customer service, it's not unrealistic to expect the TTC to be able to do so as well.

Alternately if the TTC must have fare collectors, they already have tons of fare collectors sitting in comfy high-back bar-type chairs at busy stations like Finch who sit out in the open and not behind a booth. Perhaps if all collectors were this exposed, they wouldn't be sleeping on the job. Actually they'd be able to deliver better customer service instead of talking behind a muffled microphone behind the glass.

Alternately if the TTC must have fare collectors, they already have tons of fare collectors sitting in comfy high-back bar-type chairs at busy stations like Finch who sit out in the open and not behind a booth.

I understand that most TTC fare collectors are on medical leave from their regular job. Increasing the difficulty of being a fare collector will result in hiring additional staff, and medical leave taking place at home. I.e. if you hit someone with a train due to them committing suicide, you don't drive for a while.

Might not be a bad idea, as people in pain rarely make good frontline staff, but it would result in a direct and obvious (easy to see fat) increase in costs.

Lots of people stand all day at work every day and collect money and also give customer service. We call this the retail industry.

If retail companies can become multi-billion dollar operations just by paying people a lot less than TTC workers to be their 'face of the company' as people standing up all day collecting money and delivering customer service, it's not unrealistic to expect the TTC to be able to do so as well.Not comparable, because there are 2 types of retail; one is a posting at a cash register, which often does have some form of seating. Especially convenience stores, where they're always seated until you're at the counter. The other is more mobile, where you walk around to help clients, particularly true of clothing and electronics stores. Retail positions that are a mixture of the two also exist (department stores). I highlight the mobility portion of the job in that it is different from standing the same relatively confined spot all the time. People that do stay at the cash all the time do typically have seating. So no, your argument doesn't hold at all.

Alternately if the TTC must have fare collectors, they already have tons of fare collectors sitting in comfy high-back bar-type chairs at busy stations like Finch who sit out in the open and not behind a booth. Perhaps if all collectors were this exposed, they wouldn't be sleeping on the job. Actually they'd be able to deliver better customer service instead of talking behind a muffled microphone behind the glass.

Those are the crash gates, and are only used at peak periods to manage surge loads that would be impossible to have the collector booth(s) alone manage. Because they are only used at peak periods, the requirements for staffing them are insignificant. Make them a permanent position throughout regular service hours, however, then their requirements will jump substantially. The collector booths do serve a function other than fare collection, if you didn't know (should be fairly obvious). It is possible now to build some of these functions into portable hand-held devices (like communications, and security monitoring), but think about the fact that you cannot purchase concession fares (students, children, seniors) at crash gates, for example. Paperwork associated with collector booths would need to addressed as well.

Not comparable, because there are 2 types of retail; one is a posting at a cash register, which often does have some form of seating. Especially convenience stores, where they're always seated until you're at the counter. The other is more mobile, where you walk around to help clients, particularly true of clothing and electronics stores. Retail positions that are a mixture of the two also exist (department stores). I highlight the mobility portion of the job in that it is different from standing the same relatively confined spot all the time. People that do stay at the cash all the time do typically have seating. So no, your argument doesn't hold at all.

Where do you shop? I worked retail for three years, and I never got to sit. Eight-hour shifts (and I mean eight hours, not eight hours with a paid lunch in the middle) spent on my feet in one place. Boiling hot weather when I was in the garden section, freezing temperatures when I was near the door during the winter. We had stress mats, but they wanted us to stand *in front* of the counter on bare concrete when it was slow. And all of this without health and safety objecting. Sitting was a good way to get in trouble with supervisors, so it could only be done when they weren't looking, and not for long.

No pass back? hahahah. I can let in 100 troops to sneak in while he is sleeping.

Yeah.. I worked at HMV this summer and sitting was a definite no no. 8 hour shifts with an unpaid short lunch in between of standing and putting on this horribly fake smile while having to put up with people's crap.

The TTC should be run like retail actually.

Yeah.. I worked at HMV this summer and sitting was a definite no no. 8 hour shifts with an unpaid short lunch in between of standing and putting on this horribly fake smile while having to put up with people's crap.

The TTC should be run like retail actually.

Are you kidding? Everyone would immediately come up with a note saying they have an unspecified "medical condition".
"Lardassitis" is quite common there, I believe.

Where do you shop? I worked retail for three years, and I never got to sit. Eight-hour shifts (and I mean eight hours, not eight hours with a paid lunch in the middle) spent on my feet in one place. Boiling hot weather when I was in the garden section, freezing temperatures when I was near the door during the winter. We had stress mats, but they wanted us to stand *in front* of the counter on bare concrete when it was slow. And all of this without health and safety objecting. Sitting was a good way to get in trouble with supervisors, so it could only be done when they weren't looking, and not for long.

Assuming health and safety was ever there. Honestly, I don't see that often at all (but I'm rarely in a place that has a garden section). Retail generally has high turn-over rates. Some stay longer than others, you stayed three years for example, but some don't stick around for long. Since the job doesn't require much training, managers don't have a problem with it; in fact, they probably see it as a positive since new employees might get paid less than those that have been around longer. The TTC, meanwhile, has to put people through more training, and many don't pass training (I'm talking about operators, not collector booth people, but collector booth people were operators once upon a time), so TTC does struggle to find staff, and therefore they want to keep staff that they find as long as they can. That's no excuse for what some operators get away with, but it is a reality that has interfered with TTC's expansion plans in the past.

I do agree retail staff should not be forced to stand all day, such as those manning the cash registers. The fact that they're standing or sitting would not affect customer service. Give them chairs, and if they want to stand for a short period then they have the option of doing so as well.

For this case, I'd think automating the fare collection process as much as possible (eg. smart cards) would reduce the need for human interaction as much as possible. I don't think a computerized turnstile can fall asleep so quickly.

I wonder if we will see other passengers hunt down other sleeping staff while the media buzz is still on?

Not comparable, because there are 2 types of retail; one is a posting at a cash register, which often does have some form of seating. Especially convenience stores, where they're always seated until you're at the counter. The other is more mobile, where you walk around to help clients, particularly true of clothing and electronics stores. Retail positions that are a mixture of the two also exist (department stores). I highlight the mobility portion of the job in that it is different from standing the same relatively confined spot all the time. People that do stay at the cash all the time do typically have seating. So no, your argument doesn't hold at all.

I'm not quite sure why you think cashiers sit but if you've paid attention at the following:
1) Supermarket
2) Fast Food place
3) Restaurant
4) Any retail store with a cashier (as it's impossible to bag stuff if you're sitting down)
5) Malls
6) Movie theatre

you will realize that most of these jobs require people to stand all day often in one spot. The only places where people get to sit are banks, government jobs (i.e. DMV, passport office), and some really, really lucky people in retail/food/services. Having worked in a variety of these jobs for 10 years of my life, I sort of know what I'm talking about.

Many factory jobs also require people to stand all day as it's not practical to have chairs. If you've worked these jobs (I have) then you'd understand.

Those are the crash gates, and are only used at peak periods to manage surge loads that would be impossible to have the collector booth(s) alone manage. Because they are only used at peak periods, the requirements for staffing them are insignificant. Make them a permanent position throughout regular service hours, however, then their requirements will jump substantially. The collector booths do serve a function other than fare collection, if you didn't know (should be fairly obvious). It is possible now to build some of these functions into portable hand-held devices (like communications, and security monitoring), but think about the fact that you cannot purchase concession fares (students, children, seniors) at crash gates, for example. Paperwork associated with collector booths would need to addressed as well.

It really doesn't take much training to man the ticket counter. Honestly, people ask some questions about how to get to certain places, and different types of tickets are sold. I really don't see how this is a highly skilled job. For instance, in a supermarket, customers will frequently ask where to find any item in the store, and if you go to virtually any Chinese supermarket the cashiers (making minimum wage likely) know the prices to everything off the top of their head (yes a lot of the time it's not even programmed into the machine). If people making minimum wage can do such tasks, I'd expect highly paid TTC workers to do FAR more. Asking them to sit in a comfy high-back chair not behind a glass-case to hide behind is reasonable.

We also already have automated token machines, and these are quite nice. It wouldn't take much to add in a few more classes of fares.

If the issue is that the TTC is using the collection booth solely as a place to put people on medical leave, perhaps these people need a better job to do because I've encountered so many bad collection booth people in my years that my impression is that ANYONE who is hard working enough to hold a retail job could EASILY do that job and be paid a lot less for it and be quite happy with it too. In fact it almost seems like staff on medical leave probably have an incentive to stay in the booth longer than necessary because it's so damn easy a job.

People that do stay at the cash all the time do typically have seating. So no, your argument doesn't hold at all.




I have worked in retail for almost 10 years now, and disagree with this statement. Standing at the cash register is common, and policy for many retailers. Its a sign of professionalism and good customer service. There are special floor mats at all cash registers that make standing for long periods comfortable. They are common place in the retail industry and I see no reason why they cant be used at the TTC.

I understand if the worker is injured, but many are not.

Hell, even my grandpa owned a convenience store when I was younger and never had a chair behind the cash.

How about a stool? Might be less conducive to nodding off than an ultra deluxe La-Zee-Boy rocker recliner. And, I've seen a few wretched souls who need a good haircut, shave, and hosing down before they go to work. Is it asking too much to look, and act presentably in the public eye? For god's sake, leave the damn baseball hats at home. Middle aged men typically start to bald, and wearing a ball cap will not give the illusion of youth.

I work at Chapters, and nobody is allowed to sit. It's pretty much what Filip described.

http://www.blogto.com/upload/2010/01/20100125_ttcsleeper01.jpg

http://www.blogto.com/upload/2010/01/20100125_ttcsleeper05.jpg

http://www.blogto.com/upload/2010/01/20100125_ttcsleeper06.jpg

http://www.blogto.com/upload/2010/01/20100125_ttcsleeper07.jpg

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http://www.blogto.com/upload/2010/01/20100125_ttcsleeper09.jpg

http://www.blogto.com/upload/2010/01/20100125_ttcsleeper10.jpg

From http://www.blogto.com/city/2010/01/ttc_sleeper_gets_the_photoshop_treatment/

hahahah. I feel for this guy... lol

Oh my god I can't stp laughibng!

Their union has to be busted for the good of the city of Toronto.

There must be a political way to destroy it... I'm sure we'd have support of over 80% of the city.

Bob Kinnear is such a delusional psychopath, I honestly believe he could single handedly bring back the entire labour movement 100 years!

Health conditions for everytime one of their employees sleep. I think I used that excuse to skip school.

the bj one is classic...

::wears out ctrl+c buttons::

The Toronto Sun (who knew it was still publishing??) had this blaring confession from the schmuck yesterday:

"I'M SORRY"

Delete.

We’re sorry, says the TTC
‘There’s a higher expectation today and the TTC needs to line up to that expectation’
Published On Wed Jan 27 2010


http://i46.tinypic.com/2qlewdf.jpg

A mishap on the Yonge line in November sent TTC passengers into the streets to line up for shuttle buses.
DAVID COOPER/TORONTO STAR
Tess Kalinowski
Transportation Reporter

Calling its recent crisis a “wake-up call” the TTC has announced a series of measures it says will raise the bar on customer service across the transit system.

The changes range from a rider “bill of rights” and new technology to communicate better with passengers, to customer service training for staff and even a review of their uniforms.

They’re meant to raise the bar on the transit system’s customer service after two months of consistently bad news for the TTC. A significant fare increase, a disastrous subway disruption, token shortages and highly publicized photos of sleeping employees have resulted in what TTC chief general manager Gary Webster called “a feeding frenzy” of criticism.

“There’s a higher expectation today and the TTC needs to line up to that expectation,” said TTC chair Adam Giambrone.

He also issued an apology for the “missteps of the last couple of months.”

Details of a previously announced advisory panel, including private sector customer service experts, won’t be available until next week, said Giambrone.

Meantime, he said, “I expect TTC staff will act quickly to restore the customers’ confidence.”

TTC chief general manager Gary Webster acknowledged that the technological changes cited at a city hall press conference Wednesday might be the easier part of the customer service equation.

“The most challenging part of our job is the people side. Some of the real challenges are the one-on-one interfaces of our employees,” he said.

Among the customer service improvements outlined Wednesday were:

• 50 new fare vending machines to make sure there’s alleviation from the monthly line-ups for passes across the system

• Improved customer assistance and more emergency transfers when there are major subway delays.

• Text messaging from all 800 streetcar stops by July to let riders know when the next couple of cars are expected to arrive

• Video screens at station entrances and collector booths with system status

• New microphones in the collector booths

• A 24/7 customer assistance and complaints line

• More TTC ambassadors at stations to help direct riders

• An overhaul of customer service training and performance evaluations for all 13,000 TTC employees.

The TTC received 31,532 complaints last year. The top two complaints were 5,513 for surface vehicle delays and 3,851 complaints about discourteous employees.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ttc/article/756688--we-re-sorry-says-the-ttc

I wonder how many of those "3,851 complaints about discourteous employees" were actually followed up on. My guess is near zero.

What really p'd me off during one of the many "mishaps" on the Yonge line that sent people onto the streets to wait for shuttlebuses was the complete, utter lack of communication. Despite the fact the line was shut, not a word was said at the entrance, and the collector sat back and took fares from people who would go downstairs and discover the "mishap". No signs up, no notification. Once back up at street level, HUGE throngs waited 20 minutes to discover a bus long since packed to the rafters going by. I wound up walking south from Bloor Station instead of waiting to be disappointed for the next hour. I took a chance and stopped in at the Wellesley Station and, after asking, discovered the mishap had been cleared. You can bet your boots the bus drivers on the Yonge line were not bothering to inform the crowds that it was over.

What really p'd me off during one of the many "mishaps" on the Yonge line that sent people onto the streets to wait for shuttlebuses was the complete, utter lack of communication. Despite the fact the line was shut, not a word was said at the entrance, and the collector sat back and took fares from people who would go downstairs and discover the "mishap". No signs up, no notification. Once back up at street level, HUGE throngs waited 20 minutes to discover a bus long since packed to the rafters going by. I wound up walking south from Bloor Station instead of waiting to be disappointed for the next hour. I took a chance and stopped in at the Wellesley Station and, after asking, discovered the mishap had been cleared. You can bet your boots the bus drivers on the Yonge line were not bothering to inform the crowds that it was over.

TTC will try a program this summer to try and reduce the confusion/frustration at the busiest stations.

What astounded me was that the ticket collectors said absolutely nothing, and took our fares to let us go down to a halted system. How hard would it have been to put up a small sign?

What astounded me was that the ticket collectors said absolutely nothing, and took our fares to let us go down to a halted system. How hard would it have been to put up a small sign?

Gotta love ignorance, indifference and laziness! haha

One person was quoted online as excusing the sleeping attendant by saying:
"Let's be honest... who hasn't taken a nap at work?"

I'd really like to be introduced to any clerk dealing with the public who fell asleep
while collecting money from the public. It is one thing to shut your office door and nod off for five minutes, but quite another to do so when you are, in effect, "guarding" the entrance of the subway.

Where is all the complaining about firefighters sleeping through the night and watching the game or having a barbecue during the day?

You're right. That must explain all of those burned out skyscrapers you see around town, especially on 'steak night' (Friday).

The union reps must think we are imbeciles. Will they never admit that a worker was doing something completely, utterly, wholly wrong? I have seen a collector on the University line downtown napping in the past. Sometimes I have to rap on the glass to get them to pay attention to me as I pass through, as they are wrapped up reading a book, chatting on the phone, listening to their ipods, etc...

We ARE imbeciles... we've allowed the union to accumulate enough power that they can hold the city hostage whenever they feel like it. I blame the public more than TTC. The TTC is a unionized, bureaucratic institution... they're only doing what comes naturally to such an organization: accumulating perks and pay increases and ensconcing their employees so that no one can ever be removed from a position. The public is to blame for allowing them to be so successful at it. What can you do, when most people's response is "so what? why fix it when it isn't broken?" even when it very clearly is broken. There's a culture of apathy and complacency around here that runs deep. The TTC is largely a group of surly, overprivileged douchebags (I would wager that most people who've ridden the TTC for years have had worse experiences with TTC employees than just catching them sleeping or having to wait during a coffee break... just in the last month I've had a bus driver call me an asshole for having the temerity to ask him if he knew when the other bus on the route would be there, and another driver try to take off as quickly as possible and run a red when I was running accross the street to catch the bus, then, when asked if he saw me running for the bus, said "yeah, so what, this isn't a fucking taxi" and then threatened that "next time you're crossing the street and in my way I'll just run you over"), and we're to blame for letting them get away with it for so long that it's been institutionalized. We're too busy talking about Giambrone "cheating" on his fake girlfriend to deal with such trivial matters as "the basic operation of the TTC" and "customer relations". It's times like this that I'm tempted to just say that the TTC can go to hell and that I'll get a car. I legitimately believe in public transit, and would normally never even consider getting a car... but what's the point? The entire system seems to exist just to provide cushy jobs for douchebags. People aren't as willing to put up with harrassment from their overprivileged employees as they might think.

I'm usually pro-union, but as long as this union exists in its current form it'll cripple the city's growth.

He's dead now! I hope you're all happy. I hope that he atleast died in his sleep.

He's dead now! I hope you're all happy. I hope that he at least died in his sleep.I think everyone could have handled that situation better - and I'm sorry to hear reports that he was upset by the way he was "picked on" for what happened since it was apparently tied to his medical condition - and that this may have made things worse for his health.

No one should be treated like that - but I think it is fair to say that the response indicated the level of anger and frustration that the public has with this huge 'quintuple whammy' of fare increases, poor service, complaints about employees & management + congestion + the bad economy.

That said, I have to tell you that coming here and leaving that kind of angry comment as above is not much better than the others who rushed to judgement at the time.

If there was ever a sobering lesson about patience and not rushing to judgement, this story would be it.

Here's a link for those who would like to read more:

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20101128/napping-ttc-collector-dies-stroke-101128/

RIP George.

Cheers, m

He's dead now! I hope you're all happy. I hope that he atleast died in his sleep.

I doubt people care, and I say that with venom. This story showed me, just how selfish, and cruel the new generation can be. Scumbags. The guy who took the picture is probably too stoned to even think about his actions.

I doubt people care, and I say that with venom. This story showed me, just how selfish, and cruel the new generation can be. Scumbags. The guy who took the picture is probably too stoned to even think about his actions.

If you're too sick to work properly, take disability leave.

I feel bad for this man, but there were other methods he could have used to not anger the entire city by sleeping on the job. I could have terminal cancer, and in most jobs, if I do decide to continue working, sleeping on it will still get me screwed.

As sad as it is that someone dies, that doesn't mean they should have been sleeping on the job. If you are sick, then take time off, especially in unionised environments like the TTC. The man did not die because his photo was taken, and he didn't die because his wicked bosses stopped him from sleeping on the job, so enough of the guilt trips.
Plus, if anyone wants to say something, just say it. Don't make up a new profile for that purpose.

^^Dude, people did not have to take a picture, and splash it over the news, and treat it as a symptom of TTC laziness. If I saw that, I would have contacted the TTC, and have the matter dealt with privately. But again, I am not a selfish young twat who finds joy in others torment.

^^Unfortunately most people have little faith - for good reason - that the matter will be sufficiently dealt with "privately". Public humiliation is sometimes the only way the public can extract a bit of accountability from government and crown corporations.

No offense but his being sick (RIP) should have meant that he was assigned some other position if he was unable to do that job. Was the younger ticket guy sick as well? At no time is sleeping on the job acceptable.

It was his responsibility to seek treatment for his medical problems. It's unfortunate that the whole situation played out like that.

^^Unfortunately most people have little faith - for good reason - that the matter will be sufficiently dealt with "privately". Public humiliation is sometimes the only way the public can extract a bit of accountability from government and crown corporations.

The solution is not to take a pic, post it everywhere, make the guy's life miserable, and make him the poster boy of TTC laziness. Public humiliation solves nothing. He even won a commendation for saving a passenger's life in the past? Your comment is typical of people who need to make excuses to justify inexcusable actions.
There were much better ways to deal with the situation, than posting a pic to the media.

Taking a picture was actually the responsible thing to do, but it should have been given to his supervisor, not the media. His supervisor is the one who actually has the responsibility to do something about him sleeping on the job.

No offense but his being sick (RIP) should have meant that he was assigned some other position if he was unable to do that job. Was the younger ticket guy sick as well? At no time is sleeping on the job acceptable.

That is all well and good but if we were all as dilligent as what you write, there would be a whole lot less issues taking place currently. Hence the reason there are advertisements for people to get their yearly prostate cancer checks and yearly breast cancer check ups.

Maybe he was in the process of doing that, but we are not aware of the circumstances. So with everything that happened, this may have helped to hasten his death. All I can say is that I surely would not want that on my conscience. Sympathies to the family.

No offense but his being sick (RIP) should have meant that he was assigned some other position if he was unable to do that job. Was the younger ticket guy sick as well? At no time is sleeping on the job acceptable.dunno - TTC sticks a lot of workers on collector duty if they cannot drive buses or streetcars or trains.

Not sure if that is the best solution - it probably means that there are a lot of collectors counting time until they can go back to their old jobs or bitter that they cannot.

Perhaps George was on collector duty on account of his illness? Perhaps that explains why Kinnear was so quick to say, "why didnt anyone check to see if he was ok?"

At the time that kind of a comment seemed pretty stupid & self-serving, but knowing what we know now.....

Cheers, m