TTC Strike lasts a day but contempt sure to last longer

You ever go to pick someone up at the airport, but they got an earlier flight, don't call you, they're at home now, and you're stuck waiting with no idea where they are or how long you should stick around just in case? Multiply that by a couple hundred thousand people and you get the idea of what the city of Toronto felt like this morning when it found itseld held hostage by a wildcat TTC strike.

Subways, buses and streetcars in Toronto were shut down, disrupting hundreds of thousand of people with commitments, appointments, and plans, who on good faith believe their transit commission will be there to do its job. On this smog day, and ironically enough the first day of Bike Week 2006, cars and cabs clogged the roads, adding to the craptacular day Torontonians found in store for them. Many persevered as Toronto Star readers share their stories of kindness (and some venting) and most people made the extra effort to get to work today. Service was restored in the late afternoon/early evening following a "cut the shit" order from the Ontario Labour Board.

Most Torontonians who rely on the TTC to get to work and to get around were blindsided when they found signs like this awaiting them at TTC subways stations.

Photos by dstopping

And that was all the information they got. No telling how many people stood at transit stops waiting for a bus that would never show, in the smoggy 34 degree heat. Hence why the entire city came down with a case of terminal pit stains and smelled... well, like the inside of a bus I suppose.

I know the drivers aren't to blame, as they are caught between a management and union dispute over their safety. And the union gets into a pissing contest with management and they get deadlocked. The only thing riders will remember is being pissed off and inconvenienced in the heat on a Monday morning, and how good the AC in a brand new car would feel right about now. (sarcasm on)It's the union's "people-first" attitude that'll get the TTC out of a ridership slump and cut down on the abuse hurled on TTC drivers. (sarcasm off) It's like the saying foes, TTC stands for "Take The Car".

The Transit Rider suggests that "anyone who is inconvenienced by this - file a claim with the TTC. Seriously. You lost wages beyond your control or missed a doctor's appointment, that's money out of your pocket. Send in a claim and see if they pay it. I missed a Doctor's appointment and will miss a day of work, so you know what that means, there's at the very least a $350 claim going in." Not sure how likely compensation is, but it's a nice idea.

I'm not sure if it was related, but it seemed like alot more cars were cutting off the streetcar on my ride home.

Any tales, good or bad, from your strike day dear readers? And how is transit not an essential service? And how long before this happens again? It could be a long summer at the bus stop.

More coverage:
The Transit Rider: "a blog about the daily travels on the transit systems in and around the greater toronto area."
paved.ca :: your GTA roadmap: Rolling wildcat transit strike weblog mash-up: "Rolling wildcat transit strike weblog mash-up"