Rocket Talk: Where There’s Smoke, Where’s Ire?

By Torontoist

Have questions about the TTC? Rocket Talk is a regular Torontoist column, featuring TTC Chair Adam Giambrone and Director of Communications Brad Ross’s answers to Torontoist readers’ questions. Submit your questions to [email protected]!

Photo by spotmaticfanatic from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.

Reader Peter Kearns asks:

I see riders constantly smoking on the system. I see them almost daily in bus bays or just outside the bus bays (still on TTC property) or even occasionally on the subway platform. It’s not unusual to see TTC operators availing themselves of a cigarette near the buses at Islington Station, either. What is the appropriate way to report this and ensure it gets addressed?

Reader Valerie Adriaanse asks:

Is it legal to smoke on ROW streetcar stops? I believe the announcement played in stations states that it’s illegal to smoke anywhere on TTC property. Are the streetcar stops that are in the middle of the road not TTC property? I’ve never seen a “no smoking” sign in any stop I’ve waited in, but am frequently disgusted to find myself stuck next to someone who has lit up.

TTC Director of Communications Brad Ross says:

Full disclosure: I smoke.
With that out of the way, let me add that, yes, I am aware that smoking is bad for my health. I’m also very much aware that non-smokers don’t want anything to do with my second-hand smoke. I’m considerate of non-smokers and their lawful right to be free of my vile habit. Cue big, hearty pat on the back.
If you ride the system with any frequency, you’ll have heard the public address announcements informing everyone that smoking is not permitted on TTC property. You’ll also have seen the universal non-smoking signs throughout subway stations, bus bays, and other public areas of the TTC.
Last year, TTC special constables issued 274 tickets for smoking on TTC property. Special constables do blitzes at stations where customer complaints are highest, but enforcement is difficult when you can’t be everywhere all the time.
Employees, by the way, are not permitted to smoke in public areas any more than customers are. If you have a complaint about anyone smoking in a public area, call 416-393-3030.
With respect to bus and streetcar shelters, they are owned and operated by the City of Toronto. Whatever the law says about smoking in a public place also applies to bus and streetcar shelters.
The TTC’s core business, of course, is operating a safe, reliable public transit system. The TTC also wants to ensure the comfort and security of all who use it. Someone smoking where they clearly shouldn’t is not conducive to a comfortable and enjoyable TTC experience. Cigarette smoke stinks, it’s unhealthy, and most butts wind up on the ground, adding to litter and an unsightly station appearance.
While we can write tickets when we catch someone smoking, the TTC also needs to rely on social norms and encourage people to respect the law and have some consideration for others. We don’t want customers getting into confrontations with one another over smoking, so please call the number noted above—416-393-3030—or speak with a station collector if someone is smoking where they shouldn’t be.