TTC Operators Turn Blind Eye, More Parking Fines, Cabbies Get Shields?

Everyone is talking about how TTC Operators will now turn a blind eye on those who are evading fares. The union is complaining about the rising number of assaults and "passenger rage." TTC Chair Howard Moscoe says that people still have to pay their fares. The Sun's story is here and has some wacky numbers like the fact that assaults have gone up over 30% in a decade. The Star's piece has more of the back and forth between TTC Chair Howard Moscoe, TTC Manager Rick Ducharme and Bob Kinnear president of the union representing TTC operators.

Notable Toronto-area photographer Edward Burtynsky talks to the Star about his project with Regent Park school kids. He gave the kids cameras and asked them to shoot things they liked and disliked in their neighbourhoods. "I asked them to use the camera and try to interpret their world, and that was new for them ... it allowed them not to have any preconceived notions of what was expected of them, but rather respond to their emotions," he said.

As if you needed another reason not to drive. The City has lost a court case involving private companies doling out their own parking fines. The City argued that companies had to go through them to enforce parking violations, the companies obviously disagreed and took it to court. Councillor Howard Moscoe paints a rather grim picture, "This is the wild west. It means that any person in this city can print up a phony parking ticket, demand money for it, put it on somebody's windshield, sit back and wait for the money to roll in," said Councillor Howard Moscoe to the Star.

A woman's body was found in an apartment near Main and Danforth. The body was badly decomposed and so police were unable to figure out the cause of death.

Less than one week till the smoking ban takes effect and with every week it seems like more and more business owners are getting pissed off.

Councillors will still be allowed to send newsletters until six weeks before the election. City election staff called for Aug. 1st to be the cut off date but council voted for a Sep. 29th cut off. For once Torontoist agrees with Rob Ford who said, "We already have a huge advantage over anyone who wants to run against us. This makes us look greedy and self-serving."

Finally, riding a cab might soon get more expensive but rest assured that your cabbie will be safer. The city passed a motion yesterday to look at installing plastic shields in cabs but also add a surcharge to fares to offset the cost.