TTC, ya you know me.

Today was supposed to be relatively quiet in the office, and between registering patients I was going to research the recent TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) funding crisis and write an informed, opinionated piece on this worthy subject. Once I sat down at work, however, fate took a hand and the phone began ringing off the hook with people who wanted to know where their contact lenses were, why I was booking so far ahead, and if I thought it was fair that OHIP no longer covered eye exams. The afternoon culminated in a surprise almost appointment with diva chanteuse Sarah Brightman. Unfortunately, her handlers "couldn't find her" (damn you phantom! Leave that woman alone!) and I was left to imagine what witty things I would have said to the woman who married the man who brought us Cats. I have "I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper" on my iPod, so a cleaver Hot Gossip reference could have at least started the conversation.

In a perfect world, this would have been the theme song for the Paul Verhoeven film Starship Troopers. Am I right people? Eh? Eh?!...
Whoo hoo! Bugs!
At the end of my slightly surreal day I had no energy nor time left to research my piece. Then I remembered - hey! This is the internet! No one researches, or in my case reads, what I write anyway. This is a blog. I could say Britney Spears owns sixteen cats and named them all after snack cakes and no one would care. It's the wild west and anything goes baby! So here's what I think about the TTC funding crisis, based mostly on thirty second CP24 updates, and heavily influenced by last nights Family Guy episode where Peter gets hired by the news to do a nightly segment called "You Know What Really Grinds my Gears". Enjoy.

You know what really grinds my gears?! The TTC. Hey, don't get me wrong, I use the TTC. I use it every day and whether it's getting up to let old people have my seat, or MINDING THE GAP that could (presumably) swallow me whole, I am a pretty considerate transit rider. I take the subway, the bus and the streetcar. I read the free newspaper and then when I'm done I carry it out and recycle that bad boy like a good citizen. Don't tell me I don't know transit.

So the TTC is freaking out yet again about funding. Not enough money. Never mind that the TTC is more popular than ever, there's still not enough money to keep the rockets rolling. Mayor Miller's land transfer tax was shut down and now the only other option (apparently) is to cancel bus lines, route extensions, and shut down an entire arm of the subway. The new Sheppard line to be exact. The part of the subway they just paid billions of dollars to dig out and build less than ten years ago. Brilliant.

If they close the Sheppard line, how are the good people of Toronto supposed to get to IKEA? Won't somebody think of the children?!
But here's the part that really ... um... cranks my stereo. All this commotion and fear mongering is really a political ploy to get provincial leaders now running for the fall election to promise Toronto more funding. Libraries and community centres are closing on off days for the same reason. Now I'm not saying we don't need the money. I'm saying where the hell did the money go, and what are our options? Mayor Miller's strong arm tactics to get his tax plan accepted does little to explain why we're in this mess to begin with. I know the funding crisis is not entirely his fault, and I know Toronto has been in the red for years, but I feel a little too manipulated by political forces who are quick to point the finger at each other while leaving the public in the dark. And without library books.

But back to the TTC. The icing on this whole messy cake is the stance taken by TTC officials that the reason we are going to get even more over crowded bus rides home (otherwise known as "the groping hour"), and fewer convenient stops is because we, the paying public, bought too many monthly passes when we should be buying single fares. That's right. We're to blame for the funding problems because of our blasted basic math skills. Do you know that a single ride on the TTC costs $2.75? Round trip is over five bucks. A monthly pass is still just under $100. It's not a huge savings, but for regular commuters the deal is obvious. The TTC has increased fares multiple times since I moved to Toronto five years ago. We keep paying and rider ship keeps increasing. Instead of the customer is always right, the TTC seems to think the customer is the only reason why they can't make a decent profit.

So, to summarise, the faulty logic of the TTC is to cut routes, schedules and service. Thus, commuters get longer wait times, crowded trains, and less convenience for a price that is more expensive than other cities of similar size. This leads to fewer commuters on the TTC, and more cars congesting our roads and air. OR, and here's the wacky idea from a kid with no economics background at all, the TTC could keep all services, expand routes that are in desperate need, and charge more for a monthly pass. The TTC just finished a survey of users and found most people wanted a fare increase over decreased service. We're asking to pay more so that we can keep using the TTC. Take advantage of our good will!

In summary of the summary: TTC should charge more and get more money from provincial powers without cutting service, and Mayor Miller should back off with his land transfer tax and start giving the people of Toronto other options. Or just instigate the damn tax if you really want. I rent an apartment so I won't even have to pay the tax. I'm too poor to own a house in this city, what with the cost of daily transit.

Also in summation - Starship Troopers is an awesome movie and should be seen by everyone.
And that's what really grinds my gears.