Saturday, September 22, 2007

The better way?

I just wanted to pass on this experience...

While exiting St. Clair subway station on the north side yesterday at around 8:00 p.m., I was greeted by this image. Perhaps such a sight would have gone unnoticed most days, but images and news of the TTC have littered my brain lately. From the upcoming fair hike, recent subway delays during peak morning rush hour, to the decrease of pleasant street car drivers - I can only swallow so much. What boggles me is that this wasn't the only set of garbage bins in the area, but it was by far the worst of the lot.

The TTC touts that it's "the better way" for commuters to travel within the City. Yet like many commuters, I am more and more frustrated by a service I cannot improve. Sure, I can call and make complaints, but many unpleasant experiences happen while I'm en route to work or even just traveling from point one place to another. By the time I reach my destination, I'm often too busy to give a complaint, or I'm feeling too jaded and cynical to believe someone will hear my voice.

In a past ad campaign, the TTC urged riders to clean up after themselves on the subway (showing images of a man looking like a pig after leaving a mess)... yet can the TTC not clean up after its own mess? Surely they can find "a better way" to address this problem.