Dear Urban Diplomat: how should I fight people sneaking onto the streetcar without paying?
Dear Urban Diplomat, I ride the King streetcar every day, and lately I’ve noticed people sneaking on through the rear doors without paying. I know it’s allowed on Queen Street if you have proof of payment, but it’s not allowed on my route. I mentioned it to the driver and he said, “Nothing I can do.” The price of the Metropass just went up again. It’s unfair that honest riders have to subsidize the scammers. I want to do something, but what?
—A Streetcar Named Defrauder, King and Sherbourne
I understand your annoyance and admire your sense of civic responsibility, but I don’t recommend you style yourself as a petty-crimes Batman. Fall into that trap and you’ll go bonkers restraining jaywalkers and chastising zigzagging bike couriers. Plus, standing up to a scofflaw has sucker punch written all over it. Some battles call for confronting the perp. This isn’t one of them. What you can do is submit a formal complaint to the TTC and your city councillor. What you should do is download some whale sounds and practise travelling inward to your happy place.
Send your questions to the Urban Diplomat at urbandiplomat@torontolife.com
