Snacking leads to suspension as another TTC employee is caught slacking
A TTC bus driver—allegedly caught taking a seven-minute, mid-route coffee break—may believe that his union membership exempts him from punctuality, but it couldn’t protect him from the wonders of YouTube. The driver has been suspended, and his actions are under investigation after this video surfaced Wednesday morning showing a cavalier TTC employee walking off his bus at 3 a.m., leaving the doors open, and entering a Country Style doughnut shop. He proceeds to use the washroom and purchase a beverage while passengers wait helplessly on board.
The passenger who captured the video told the National Post that the driver had been partaking in the same routine every weeknight for the past two weeks, treating himself to unauthorized breaks lasting up to 10 minutes at a time. Other passengers can be seen grumbling their frustrations, but to no avail: near the end of the video, the driver raises his finger to his lips to silence a rider who confronts him. “This is the 21st century, kid, not the ’60s,” the driver allegedly told the cameraman, indicating that he’s a union member. “I can do whatever I want.”
Twenty-first century, indeed: modern technology seems to stymie the TTC at every turn. Last week, Transit Commission chair Adam Giambrone apologized for the poor performance of TTC staff, in part due to massively Twittered photos of TTC workers sleeping on the job.
• TTC suspends driver caught on tape taking coffee break [National Post]
There is nothing the TTC can do to these employees other than suspend them. They will be back on the job in no time doing the exact same thing. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. I vote for privatization of the TTC–survival of the fittest–these employees have been hiding behind their Union shield for too long. This city is full of qualified workers that are jobless and would happily step in.
Ah! This is why I DO NOT like unions! Sure, they may protect workers against possible unfair working conditions or requirements, but for the most part, they give workers a wall of protection to hide behind when they want to goof off.
Those poor people on the bus; all they want is to get home. I’m so sick of the TTC making us, the paying customers, feel last while they, they spoiled workers, come first.
TTC workers are paid good money to do their jobs. I wish they would replace the sleeping-on-the-job workers and the coffee-break-in-the-middle-of-your-commute-home workers with people who will actually do their job. Their are tons of people out there who would like to get paid what TTC workers do, and would work hard to get the job done, not just sit around and hide behind their precious union.
I’m pissed. I’m a student. I buy a Metropass every month to get me to school and back. Do I get a discount because I’m a student? No. At this point I would rather give my $121.00 to someone else who will take me and their job seriously.
it’s too bad guys like this make the TTC look so bad. for every 10 hard working, friendly, helpful employees there is that one slacker, and the rider with a camera phone to capture their shenanigans.
everyone deserves a washroom/coffee break, especially at 3am. when you gotta go, you gotta go. one time is forgivable, it’s just too bad that this guy can’t manage his time properly and has to do it in the middle of the ride every night. and to then be rude to riders who are rightfully upset- that’s just not cool
WHAT???
Taking five minutes for washroom and coffee? The driver should be shot and then fired.
There must be a statute somewhere to prosecute this brazen criminal act.
Good for the citizen who was brave enough to video this.
Good for you fella!
I would equate a washroom break with a criminal act anytime.
TTC employees are overpayed and it is shocking how politicians don’t realize that the whole city would have their back if they stood up to these guys.
It is a joke how much these guys make as a salary – and how their union protects them.
WE NEED TO USE CAMERAS TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. IT IS CITIZEN JOURNALISM!!!!
the real question is How do we do it??
I agree, for every so many good hard working TTC employees there is always one that under performs. What job doesn’t have one of those! I’ve seen on site contractors sneak 1 hour plus naps in their trucks! Luckily they didn’t have someone record them on camera and put them on youtube!
Too much bad press on the TTC. We the patrons can all me a little nicer to the employees and then they will in return be nicer to us.
Keep up the good work guys! The union is great, providing work benefits, a nice pension and yes…job security! I just think people are angry that their own jobs don’t have any, including myself!
Does the writer of the article understand the scheduling and break conditions provided by the company? The driver is given a fixed amount of time to complete a “run”, which extends along his or her entire route. During that time, when the employee needs to use the washroom, he does so as long as he can fit the full run into the time allowed. This gives the driver the flexibilty to take care of emergency situations while still being able to “catch up” along the entire route. Did the writer reseach this article? If he had, he would find that the TTC employee in question paid for a coffee as a way of compensating the business for the use of the washroom facilities, which, as you may know, ARE FOR CUSTOMERS ONLY. The cameraman who filmed the event in question was told this by the driver. It was explained to him. When the person in question continued to harrass the driver, he was informed that the UNION existed to PROTECT him from harrassment of this sort. He did not swear, he did not disrespect, or in any way berate the cameraman. He DEFENDED himself – which he clearly wasn’t given the opportunity to do before this inaccurate and ill-informed article was published.
The Driver, after a temporary suspension to complete an investigation of the event, WAS COMPLETELY EXONERATED of any wrongdoing.
Workers are not dogs – nor are they slaves – and they deserve better than to be treated as such.
Do some fact-checking the next time you attack someone’s character.