TTC riders have little sympathy for workers
Last Updated: Monday, April 28, 2008 | 11:15 AM ET
CBC News
Police officers gather outside the St. George subway station at around 5 p.m. ET on Sunday after the subway reopened to TTC riders. (Carolyn Ryan/CBC News)A steady rain made the Monday morning commute a little less pleasant than usual, but at least the streetcars, the subways and buses were running.
"I am so happy they are back to work," one woman waiting for a streetcar in downtown Toronto told CBC News. "I can get to work, because I depend on them [the Toronto Transit Commission]."
The transit system — shut down without notice by a strike at midnight Friday — started slowly returning to normal on Sunday afternoon, just hours after the province passed back-to-work legislation and appointed a mediator to resolve the contract dispute.
For some, the morning ride was not an improvement, with the crowds still packed close on the subways and surface transportation. For others, the events of the weekend were frustrating.
"Nobody has any sympathy for them [TTC workers] right now," said one man hurrying to catch a subway.
One subway ticket taker said while riders were not abusive, there were "more glares than usual" and a refusal to make eye contact with workers.
Another unidentified employee added that for the most part, commuters are "happy to see everything back to normal." There were multiple pleas for Toronto transit riders to put the weekend events behind them and treat drivers and ticket takers with respect.
Premier Dalton McGuinty, Labour Minister Brad Duguid and TTC chief general manager Gary Webster all made a special effort to ask riders not to take out any frustration on TTC workers.
A TTC spokesman said there were no reports of violence against drivers on Sunday night, but on Monday morning there was at least one incident when a driver was spat upon.
TTC management is playing announcements in subway stations thanking riders for their patience and apologizing for any inconvenience over the weekend.
With files from The Canadian Press
