Why You Should Never Take Kate Carraway to IKEA
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Newsstand: November 27, 2009
Street Heart
At left, three of the TTC's newest Special Constables. At right, the new operator assault PSA.
Here's something awful about us: when we learned last year that the TTC's latest "Marketing Communications Plan" [PDF] would include an education campaign around "Operator Assault," we got a little giddy; how would the TTC's infamously ditzy marketing department choose to frame this serious issue? "The assault goblins didn't do this ...people did!"?
Yet the actual campaign makes us wistful for the days of non-sequitur levity, instead going in the direction of the train-delays-are-the-fault-of-your-own-sickly-self ads that were quickly pulled after the Star's City Hall bureau pointed out just how stupid and condescending they were.
"Treat a TTC worker as you'd want to be treated." You know how we don't want to be treated? Like (potential) criminals. And even if we were criminals, we'd be offended by the suggestion that our violent tendencies could be curtailed by a stern warning—there are legal penalties for committing assault? Who knew?
What we already do know is that the TTC regards us with leery suspicion; why else would they have blown $20 million to outfit buses and streetcars with cameras? To steal your answers to the Metro crossword? Surely the money could have gone a long way toward hiring more constables or a short way toward implementing an automated fare system; "fare enforcement" was the motive in 43% of the operator assaults reported in the first nine months of last year.
But as friendly, polite, and helpful as most operators are (streetcar drivers are in particular a jolly bunch), the union and the TTC would rather watch us, threaten us, and wall us out [PDF]. Treat them as we would like to be treated? Try making a video or taking a photo of a TTC employee. Try reading off to them the consequences of their hypothetical abusive behaviour. Try erecting your own plexiglass barrier in a vehicle. Perhaps "do unto others" is not the better way.
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One of my biggest pet peeves is collectors sitting in chairs with their feet up during the high-volume times, wearing sunglasses and looking like they really don't give a shit. In any organization where you are treating customers with service like that you would be canned. Think if you walked into a convenience store and an owner had their feet up on the counter; would that fly?
There is a serious image problem with that - as well as not even being remotely nice or friendly in those chairs. That being said though, many TTC employees in other capacities have been quite nice and I don't think give off a negative vibe (mostly) - it's just these chair-sitting individuals who are a quite audacious!
yeah - this campaign might work better if they made a statement that recoginizes that we all should act better. Passengers and staff.
The fact that there's been a couple shootings on TTC buses and track level assaults makes me welcome a good video camera (granted they're not the best but they're there). The "leery suspicion" implied is simply the Teet's way to protect their employees and assist with a conviction if someone is assaulted.
Yes we all have stories of a crabby, shitty TTC employee. Consider it from their perspective and the numbers involved. They see thousands of idiots per hour (rude riders, dead-eyed sheep that pass by their booths, or fare jumpers, drunks and just plain aggressive dicks) while we only see them once or twice a day for a brief moment.
Well, I am glad the cameras make you feel safer. I am sure they will leap to your aid if someone starts shooting or tries to push you onto the tracks.
I have considered it from the TTC employee's perspective and I still don't see what gives them (well, about 80% of them) the balls to act like such dicks.
A lot of people have stressful jobs, can that be used as an excuse for tormenting a TTC worker? No, so why is it justification for a TTC worker?
And besides, those drunks, idiots and dead-eyed sheep you allude to - they don't disappear once they board the transit, we have to ride with them so we have to deal with them more than the "brief moment" you try to pass off. By your reasoning, the next time a drunk assaults me on the TTC (it's happened) I can be a selfish, rude prick to any TTC staff I come across.
I think those PSAs should probably read:
Or, maybe they think a zero-or-greater number of assaults per day is acceptable?Perhaps "do unto others" is not the better way.
Personally I think "do unto others" still applies, even when you're unhappy with how certain others have occasionally done unto you. Grump unto others as they have grumped unto you, sure... but that's as far as I'm willing to go.
I think the top half of the poster is fine, message-wise. The rate of assaults is shocking and worth putting in front of people's faces. I also think it's worth elaborating on the meaning of assault, as many people fail to understand what that crime encompasses. In my experience many people's working definition of "assault" actually corresponds to the real-world meaning of "aggravated assault".
I agree that it's silly to think that promoting the fact that assault is both (duh) wrong and (no?!) punishable is not a helpful approach here. But the underlying point is valid, i.e. that TTC employees are people just like anyone else, and that assault is assault no matter who the victim might be. It seems clear that people feel that TTC employees are in some way a more acceptable target for abuse than other public (or private) workers.
Treat them as we would like to be treated? Try making a video or taking a photo of a TTC employee.
I also think that it is unfair hold an employer's decisions (i.e. deploying more CCTV system-wide) against the individual employees. The fact that your local Canadian Tire has CCTV doesn't mean it shouldn't bother the staff if you photograph or videotape them.
How could that message be communicated clearly and directly without resorting to something patronizing and simplistic like, say, "TTC staff are people, too!"? I have no idea. Do you? I don't see too many suggestions, beyond mostly unrelated things like electronic fares (there would still need to be humans to enforce this, and they would be assaulted, too) or more transit cops (not that this would stop some punk from sucker-punching a bus driver without matching a cop to every operator).
In short, I think expecting a cash-strapped transit authority to have a brand identity and marketing department that could go toe-to-toe with whatever consumer goods conglomerate you have in mind is awfully unrealistic. This poster is probably more about making a weak, low-cost gesture in response to the union's (valid, IMHO) concerns about operator safety than about rolling out an earnest and effective plan to reduce those assaults.
"I also think that it is unfair hold an employer's decisions (i.e. deploying more CCTV system-wide) against the individual employees. The fact that your local Canadian Tire has CCTV doesn't mean it shouldn't bother the staff if you photograph or videotape them."
Well, you might be right if you weren't so wrong.
Here is a quote from a CTV article -
"Cameras and protective shields were demanded by union members in 2006. It was a central issue during a wildcat strike that shut down the system for a day in May of that year."
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070216/ttc_security_budget_cut_070216?s_name=&no_ads=
Also, if they demand cameras to watch us then they shouldn't be bothered by being videotaped but they are. From TTC's newsletter in 2004 -
'Paul McLaughlin, vice-president of Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents the bus drivers, said today that the union doesn’t want cameras used in the wrong way.
“We don’t want them used for discipline. If somebody (a bus driver) happened to be smoking and they shouldn’t be, we don’t want them disciplined because they saw it on a camera.
There’s a lot of issues we would discuss, such as privacy.”'
http://transit.toronto.on.ca/archives/data/200411290220.shtml
So let's recap. Cameras catching riders doing stuff - GOOD!
Cameras catching drivers doing things illegal and/or harmful to riders - BAD!
TTC employees want to have their cake and eat it too. Why shouldn't they be videotaped and punished if necessary?
For some reason I thought the widespread appearance of these ads were more of an indication of TSA sales drops.
I do attribute the remarkably high number of simultaneous PSA campaigns to CBS Outdoor's inability to sell the space, but I get the feeling that this is the one the TTC would have run, anyway,
Maybe it's time they looked into a name and shame campaign.
Assault on the operators is a problem along with passengers threatening other passengers.
Anyone who rides the 506 streetcar may have noticed a near perpetually drunk old man (white, probably in his 60s, short). My last run-in with this guy had him leering at a couple of girls talking her keeping her cell phone in her bra ("You like jamming that in your tit eh?") and then threatening to kick this guy's ass for talking on his cell phone (the conversation the guy was having was pretty painful, but if he wants to share it with the world, fine). Another rider and I were watching as the old guy was standing over the dude with the phone ready to act if he was assaulted. I notified the driver, but here is another case where the operator might be at risk.
What DO you do when a passenger is behaving like that? The old guy was obviously willing to get in to a scrap which means the operator was at a high risk of assault if he tried to remove him. Or he could let the old guy continue to abuse the fellow riders. It's a tough choice.
On average, one TTC worker is assaulted everyday. Everyday. Be as critical of the TTC as you like; question its priorities, too. I'm happy to have that discussion.
But I will tell you that ending operator assaults is a priority for the TTC. And it starts with public awareness.
There are people who think it's just fine to spit at or punch a driver or threaten a driver with death when proper fare is demanded. Would you leave $10 on the table for a $30 restaurant bill, then slug the server when confronted? Unlikely. Yet there are those who think it's okay to rip off the TTC (that would be you), and when challenged, commit assault.
Well, it's not okay. Ever. You may not like the posters or the message or the money spent to create them, but, frankly, you're not the audience. If one thug gets this message today, I'm happy.
Brad Ross
Toronto Transit Commission
There's a classic study on shoplifting from 1976 (McNees et al, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, if anyone's wondering) that found that posting general anti-shoplifting signs in stores didn't make a dent in theft prevention. However, putting a sign right next to products that often got stolen saying something along the lines of "we know this product often gets stolen" had a huge impact. So I wonder if TTC operators should simply wear a hat that says IF YOU ASSAULT ME YOU WILL BE CRIMINALLY CHARGED, AND THAT INCLUDES SPITTING.
Hats aside, I think the signs are a good idea, although instead of putting "You could be fined..." I think it'd be better to put "The fine for __ is __." The latter wording will make ordinary riders like Jonathan Goldsbie feel less defensive, and has the additional benefit of implying that the fine is standardized and inevitable rather than a potential outcome that only comes into play if the perpetrator doesn't get away with it.
Finally, to Jonathan - as a female who rides the TTC, I'm okay with the idea that an increase in my safety might come at the cost of your indignance. When I heard about CCTV on the TTC, my first thought wasn't "Hey, my privacy rights!" or "Hey, the TTC is being paranoid about its drivers!" -- it was "Hey, awesome, the next time a strange guy pulls some stunt with me there's greater chances of a video capture!" So I think it might be worth noting that your feelings of indignance, as completely valid as they are, also come with the privilege of feeling predominantly safe and secure riding the TTC.
Lastly, pointing out that something is illegal isn't for the informative purpose of saying "btw u guys, this is teh law!", it's a reminder of the consequences and a threat that the TTC will make good on them. The average hothead who reads that sign isn't going to think "Hah! I scoff in the face of your signage! I am insulted by your lack of faith in my commitment to assaulting your employees!". It's far more likely that he/she won't think anything of it, but when a volatile situation appears, there will be just one more little voice in the back of his or her head saying "yeahhhh...this is probably not worth it" when the fist is clenched. That's how signage works - subtly. But if you have enough of it in combination with other preventative strategies, you can really get somewhere. As with the shoplifters in 1976.
So I don't think those signs are as stupid as you make them out to be. I don't like the font though.
"...some of these operators are cruisin' for a bruisin'. I have felt like smashing the face of some of these idiots many times..."
We all have anecdotes of times when we have been treated poorly, by transit operators or anyone else. But cherishing grudges and violent fantasies about "cock", "asshole", "whiny, lazy, stupid cry-baby TTC employees" who you feel deserve to be assaulted because they hurt your feelings creates an arms race of bad behaviour rather than addressing any of the underlying issues.
I don't care how close you or anyone else is to having "just had enough". Drop the victim blaming. The fact that someone is surly is no justification for getting their face smashed in, and I am amazed how comfortable you are discussing how you have developed violent revenge fantasies because some guy in a stressful job treats you curtly every once and a while.
Weird, my comment was in reply to Alogon, not Montauk. Oh, well.
Let me tell oyu Brad, you are right when talking about the drunks and scum of the earth that bully people. BUT, a HUGE problem is that some of these operators are cruisin' for a bruisin'. I have felt like smashing the face of some of these idiots many times and, no, I wasn't provoking anything.
One example, a friend and I exited College station and attempted to board a streetcar by the rear doors since it had a POP sticker. I had a Metropass and my friend had his transfer. Well, this driver IMMEDIATELY starts swearing at us (this is rush hour and it is a full car) threatening us and just being a cock. We tried to explain politely that we were only boarding on the rear because of the POP sign when a second TTC dick, looked like a janitor, starts in on us. We were called plenty of unflattering names. Not once were we given a calm opportunity to explain, show our proof of payment and have it be over. 5 minutes of abuse. I told them that the POP sign is confusing and the janitor dick tries to tell us there isn't even a POP sign. I was looking right at it, HE was looking right at it. How can he say it isn't there? He announces to everyone that my friend and I (these assholes, as he put it) are the reason their fares go up. Shit, we paid our fares and I had a Metropass for god's sakes. We ride the transit all the time. I am a 22 year rider and this is how you jerks show appreciation? Well, I made sure to correct this broom-pusher and let everyone know the real reason our fares go up - whiny, lazy, stupid cry-baby TTC employees who have the customer service skills of a cobra.
This is not an isolated incident. I have been treated badly before and after. I once saw an operator on the 501 screaming at a little old lady because she didn't speak english well enough for the stupid slob. He kicked her off the streetcar. All she was doing was struggling to ask for help finding her way to her destination. She got off looking confused and hurt.
So I ask, how many assaults were precipitated by a surly TTC employee and the other person just had enough?
That's unfortunate. There are many stories like yours Alogon but then again there are tons of stories of amazing ttc drivers who are curteos and helpful. Personally I've had a mix of both. I guess its safe to agree that work needs to be done on both ends - passenger and driver.
You are tight Toronto. Thank you.
I should be fair and point out that on two occasions I was assisted by extremely good operators. I made sure to call in to the TTC and praise these guys. It wasn't much what they did and it cost them nothing but the spirit of helpfulness and humanity was clearly evident. I really hope they got the kudos from management they deserved.
Unfortunately, the ratio for me has been majorly skewed in the direction of bad TTC personnel.
That should have been - "You are RIGHT, Toronto"
Sorry Brad, but a thug isn't likely to take courtesy cues from a poster. Now if it were balaclava clad assault rifle toting cop accompanied by a giant German Shepherd doling out the rules of engagement? Well...now we're talking.
Here's my take on preventing TTC operator assaults http://tinyurl.com/b2goof
The URL to the article has changed: http://green.hyperdot.net/preventing-ttc-operator-assaults-a-holistic-approach
You are right Toronto. Thank you.
I should be fair and point out that on two occasions I was assisted by extremely good operators. I made sure to call in to the TTC and praise these guys. It wasn't much what they did and it cost them nothing but the spirit of helpfulness and humanity was clearly evident. I really hope they got the kudos from management they deserved.
Unfortunately, the ratio for me has been majorly skewed in the direction of bad TTC personnel.