spoiled chinese girl

Feb 8 – Weights, Swimming, 10 Full-body push ups
Feb 9 – Body Combat
Feb 10 – 10 + 5 Full body push ups
Feb 11 – 10 + 7 + 4 full body push ups
Feb 12 – Body Attack
Feb 13 – Yoga
Feb 14 – Yoga

I’ve just realized in writing this series of posts about the TTC, that I’ve most likely written about it all before.  Meh. My blog, I’ll write, and repeat myself, as much as I want.

So one more thing I can think of that would cause riders to suddenly start, en masse, to be on the look out to snap, record, and publicize every single fault by TTC employees.

They hold “us” (the general public who takes the TTC) hostage, on a regular basis.

On average, every other year there is threats of a possible strike.  Because every other year the union contract is supposed to be renewed.  And more often than not, the union workers end up on strike.  Making the majority of Toronto to grind to a halt while they hash out pay rises, job security and vacations.

Apparently in 2007 the TTC reported they had 459,769,000 paid rides over the course of the year.  That would be on average 1,260,000 rides per day, and I would say should equal somewhere between 420,000 and 600,000 some odd people that use the TTC on any given day.

So every time the TTC goes on strike, they are holding hostage just around half a million people, who can not go to work, can not go to school, can not go to the doctor. (Well, the wheels-trans I believe still runs even during strike time.  But for people who are still self-mobile, they’re screwed.)

It’s actions like this, that make me dislike unions.

And I’m all for making the TTC an emergency service.  Just so they’re no longer allowed to strike & shut down the city when contracts come up for renewal, like they have been, for as long as I’ve known them.

Because they always have this habit of striking right around the time all the universities and colleges are going into exams.  And if there’s one thing a university student can’t afford, it is a $20-50 one way taxi trip twice a day just because the TTC has gone on strike!

So Monday I wrote about what pissed off riders/customers of the TTC have been up to, with photos and videos off their multi-function cell phones either trying to shed light on a situation, or simply to vent and hope that they are heard.

Here’s one scenario that I’m sure has caused much of this grief.  The cost of riding the TTC.

The year I was born (1982) an adult TTC cash fare was around $0.75
10 years ago (2000), an adult TTC cash fare was $2.00
5 years ago (2005), an adult TTC cash fare was $2.50
Now (2010) an adult TTC cash fare is $3.00

And I can’t, for the life of me, think of ANYTHING else that in the past 10 years has increased by 50% that is a standard consumable purchase… well… maybe fast food. But fast food is bad for you anyways.

Right now the minimum wage in Ontario is $9.50 per hour before taxes.  The transit fares have to be paid after taxes.  So on average, the minimum wage worker needs to work 45-50 minutes out of every shift, just to pay for their ride to, and from work.

That’s a lot of work just to get to and from work… n’est-ce pas?

There’s been a lot, a LOT of talk about the TTC recently.  So… here’s two more cents!

Riders are pissed off. Employees are pissed off. Management is pissed off.  That’s nothing new.

But what *IS* new?  Riders (the customers) have finally found a way to be heard of their displeasure while “riding the rocket.”  The internet.  The glorious internet which is filled with nothing but public opinion, and can make or break any company/corporation through it’s public opinions.

And some dude thought it would be funny to post a photo of a TTC worker asleep at his booth one late night.

And the controversy that caused, is probably what lead the public to completely take advantage of the situation.  Management saw the photo, and said  a standard “We will look into this and necessary action will be taken.”  The union saw the photo, and pretty much called all the riders who quietly inched past this sleeping man theives and sinners for not making sure the employee was not in the middle of a medical emergency.

And it was probably this knee-jerk reaction of accusing the innocent, that caused the proverbial shit-storm. More photos of sleeping employees, videos of employees taking unauthorized breaks, being verbally abusive, whatever.  And the riders are going straight to the courts of public opinion to ask the world “What do you think of our transit system?”

While I do think the general public is at this point taking it too far with trying to catch TTC employees doing what they shouldn’t be doing, this is all stemming from riders who for years felt like no one paid any attention to their complaints, suddenly realizing there was now a way for someone, EVERYONE to hear what they have to say.

So basically… weights will be at the new gym with Camera guy.  Any classes like Body Combat, Body Attack and Yoga are going to be with my Goodlife membership.  Anything that is just push-ups or anything like that… will be at home.

Feb 1 – Weights at the new gym
Feb 2 – Body Combat
Feb 3 – Weights at the new gym
Feb 4 – 25 + 20 Modified push ups, 25 sec + 20 sec planks
Feb 5 – Body Attack
Feb 6 – Yoga
Feb 7 – Yoga