TTC may be first agency to install plastic barriers
Is Toronto a dangerous place to be a transit driver?
With operators reporting attacks (including spitting or verbal and physical assault) almost daily, the TTC may become the first transit agency in North America to install full-length plastic shields on all surface vehicles.
Based on a formal agreement between the TTC and its main transit union, the barriers are to be optional. If that becomes official policy, the operator would decide whether or not to shut the see-through door. Because of the range of bus and streetcar models, it may take a while to equip the entire fleet.
It remains to be seen how many employees will use the shield — more than a few will reject any separation between themselves and their customers. But if closed barriers become common, what does this say about Toronto?
The “relationship” between employees and riders is hard to categorize — it’s affected as much by talk of transit strikes as by our most recent interaction with a driver or subway booth collector. Disagreements or surly treatment can last longer in the memory and inspire more emotion than those times an employee goes out of his or her way to serve patrons — or simply performs their job and gets you to your destination.
Readers send me descriptions of how employees and riders are getting along. These messages reveal much about the writer’s personal disposition as well as about the incidents.
Recently, several people have related egregious examples of conduct by TTC staff. Proving these incidents is difficult, but there are simply some employees that should not be dealing with the public. I also hear from drivers who wish fervently that politicians and the media could ride in their seats for just one day — to experience angry patrons when the bus is late or there is a dispute over fares.
Despite more than a million uneventful transit trips on the TTC every day, most of us would agree the frequency of driver assaults seems alarmingly high. More cameras and security officers might be a deterrent, and reduced crowding (by adding more service) could ease tension levels. It’s just that installing shields seems the easiest way to address the problem.
However, what effect will their widespread use have on communication between drivers and customers? Ask the average rider about their interactions with station collectors — separated by thick glass and a microphone that may or may not be working.
There is no simple response to cases of conflict aboard TTC vehicles and in stations. Yet, if things are bad enough to justify these shields then we are equally obliged to seek more creative solutions. And, as individuals, we can at least ensure our own conduct doesn’t make things worse.
