Pinkerton's Weblog

Altercation on the TTC

Entering the King St. station after work two days ago, through Commerce Court, I waited behind an other-worldly slow black woman who occupied the TTC cashier's attention. She droned on and on -- I couldn't make out any of it, but the TTC cashier just kept saying "No refunds, ma'am," and "I'm sorry, ma'am, no refunds." While she blocked the way, I couldn't get through the turnstile.

I got fed up quickly and jogged over to the token machine at the other side of the station. I fed in a toonie and a quarter, and heard them rattle through the machine and, suddenly, stop with a chunk noise somewhere in the guts of it. No token came out. I pressed the "return" button, and nothing happened.

I looked closely at the "out of order" light, which was not lit. Goddamnit.

This is a shitty station to go to, by the way, since the token window closes at around 6:30 or 7:00, meaning that if you work at all late, your only hope of entry into the subway is via the token machine. If it's not working for any reason, you're shit out of luck, and have to walk to the other station entrance two blocks north. If you don't know about the other station entrance (as many don't), you have to walk north to another subway stop.

Luckily, I had another toonie and quarter on me, and so made my way back to the token booth.

Jay: "Excuse me..."

TTC Employee #1: "Yeah?"

Jay: "I just lost a toonie and a quarter in the first token machine there. I thought you'd want to know."

TTC Employee #1: "No refunds, sir."

Jay: "No, I know. I've lost money on 'em before. I know you don't give refunds."

TTC Employee #1: "Uh huh."

Jay: "I just -- you know, I just thought you'd like to know about it. Because the Out of Order light's not on."

TTC Employee #1: "..."

Jay: "So other people could lose money on it too, is my point."

TTC Employee #1: "..."

Jay: "It's not marked? That the machine's broken? So people're gonna put in money and lose it. So... you know, you should put up an Out of Order sign or something."

TTC Employee #1: "No refunds, sir, I'm sorry."

Jay: "No, I -- I don't think you're listening to me. I just think you should put up a sign, so --"

TTC Employee #1: [interrupting] "We don't own the machines, sir. We outsource that function to another company. The token machines have nothing at all to do with the TTC."

[pause]

Jay: "Let me get this straight: You've absolved yourself of ALL responsibility from the machines ON YOUR PREMISES? The machines that sell tokens for YOUR service when this window closes?"

TTC Employee #1: [sighing] "Sir, if you have a complaint about the token machines, there's a number you can call."

Jay: [getting exasperated] "Well, that's my POINT. If there's a number I can call, what's stopping you or your buddy there from making that SAME call? You have a phone. I don't. People are going to lose money on that machine all night."

TTC Employee #1: "Sir, for the last time, it is NOT our responsibility what --"

Jay: "--no, you know what? It is, actually. There's a machine that sells tokens for the subway over there. It's broken. This is the subway. You work for it. If people want to use the subway, they have to use that machine. That makes it your responsibility."

TTC Employee #1: "Sir, the company that makes that machine is not affiliated with us, and it is not my job to take care of it."

Jay: "If you don't put up a sign on that machine, or phone in that it's broken, you are effectively STEALING MONEY tonight from everyone who gets burned on it. You know it's broken, and you're doing nothing."

TTC Employee #2: [approaching] "There a problem here?"

TTC Employee #1: "This guy lost two bucks in the token machine."

TTC Employee #2: [to Jay] "Sir, we don't give refunds."

Jay: "I KNOW! You don't! Give refunds!"

TTC Employee #1: [exasperated] "What do you WANT then?"

Jay: "I want you to admit to me that everybody who uses that machine tonight is going to lose two bucks and have to walk to the next subway station. NOT because your hands are tied. Because YOU don't care."

TTC Employee #1: "Sir, do I have to call security?"

Female Customer: [approaching] "Excuse me, but your token machine seems to be broken..."

TTC Employee #1: [to customer] "No refunds, ma'am."

Jay: [to Employee] "You know what? Fine."

At this point I walked back to the token machine and opened up my briefcase. I pulled out an old proposal page and a marker, and wrote Out of Order on the back of the page.

I was looking for a way to affix it to the machine somehow when TTC Employee #2 approached me.

TTC Employee #2: "Sir, you'll have to stop that or I'll call security."

Jay: "I'm putting an Out of Order sign on this. It's broken."

TTC Employee #2: "No. You're not, sir. That's TTC property. I'm going to ask you to either use transit or leave the premises."

Jay: "Your buddy just told me this was owned by a different company. You don't have any responsibility for it. It's NOT TTC property."

TTC Employee #2: "Sir, if you put that sign up I will call security."

Jay: [handing sign over] "Will YOU put the sign up?"

TTC Employee #2: "No, sir. I will not. I'm going to ask you one more time to either use our transit or leave the premises."

A pause.

Jay: "I -- fine."

I jog back up to the token window. The woman who showed up after me is in heated debate with TTC Employee #1.

Female Customer: "...I don't HAVE another $2.25. Your machine just ate it. Look, I just want to go home. Can I just go through?"

TTC Employee #1: "Sorry, ma'am. No refunds."

Jay: [to both, holding up change] "Hi. Could I just get by here?"