I’m grouchy this morning- my bike got a flat tire and some ignorant $#%& parked me into my garage- so I’m going to vent a little on the TTC. Sorry, but when I’m having a bad morning (which usually involves me having to ride the subway), our abysmal transit system just ticks me right off.
Today’s rankle? The plan to phase out single-ride tickets this fall. Lame! Apparently, it’s an attempt to curb counterfeiting, which costs the TTC much cash. But I can’t help but think this is the wrong way to go about it.
Here’s why I like tickets: they are made of paper, so I can put them in my wallet. I don’t take transit enough to justify buying a metropass. I’m also a dude, so I don’t carry a change purse I can put tokens in. By taking away tickets, the TTC just gives me another reason not to ride the alleged ‘rocket’.
This whole thing illustrates the rot at the heart of the TTC. Sure, counterfeiting is a big problem. But the solution is not to make the system more inconvenient than it already is. Would it not make more sense to introduce an electronic fare card system like every other decent transit system in the world? Then people could buy there passes, or just pre-pay as necessary. No counterfeiting, plus it’s easy and convenient for riders. As an added bonus, e-cards could eliminate crotchety ticket agents whose only functions appear to be slowly counting out change and giving me the hairy eyeball for no particular reason.
But of course, the TTC won’t institute fare cards. It will stumble along, sucking the life out of this city until it finally collapses under its own ponderous weight. In the meantime, I’ll be on my bike. Once I get a new inner tube, that is.
