Wellesley Subway station, 8:20am
The woman in front of me in line for the Goof-in-the-Booth has her money out and is ready to buy her tokens. Just as it’s her turn, a gust of wind comes along and blows the $10 from her hand and it lands on the grimy floor.
In this weather, you know the floor is wetter and saltier than a post-tsunami South East Asian resort lobby. And just as muddy. The bill stays where it lands, mockingly absorbing the sludge on the floor.
She mutters something that sounds like “bugger” or “sonovabitch” and wipes the $10 on her pants. Yes, her own pants. She slides the money into the slot and asks for tokens.
The Goof-in-the-Booth takes the ten, straightens it, looks like he’s going to place it with the rest of his tray of money when suddenly with a cluck of his tongue, his patience lost, shoves the bill back through the slot. “This ten is dirty,” he brilliantly deduces.
The woman balks and looks at the offensive money.
“I won’t take it,” the Goof elaborates.
“But it’s all I have!” she says, panic rising.
“We don’t take dirty money,” The Goof explains.
I think the TTC better rethink that strategy, I say in my head.
“What am I going to do? It’s all I have on me!” She reiterates.
The Goof glances quickly at the line that has formed behind Dirty Money Lady and decides that the situation warrants not being such a belligerent asshole. He waives her on, obviously annoyed that she got a free fare and that someone would actually pass muddy money into his slot. His attitude unmistakably saying he let her ride this time… this time… for free, but next time, lady, you are so busted.
Thinking back, he could have just set the damn bill aside for the duration of his shift to dry or pass it on to some poor schmuck in change, but no, apparently he had to hassle her for a few moments before being “the Better Way” and letting her through, making her feel like crap for getting a free ride.
This little scenario sums up the duality of the TTC that doesn’t flatter it’s meritocratic image much (sorry Busdriver, I know you don’t make policy…). On one hand, the Teet complains ad nauseam that they’re cash strapped, yet this Goof-in-the-Booth, a fine representative of the company, seemed quite picky about where the cash comes from. Meanwhile, while I’m thinking of it, I have to ask: when will they update the token machines to take $5 bills? Probably never it seems, even though the new $5 are just as susceptible to counterfeiting than the more profitable $20.
Does the TTC actually want our money or is it waiting for another big dollar bail out from the government?
10 thoughts on “TTC Needs Money, But Not Dirty Money”
The fact that the TTC token-dispensing machines won’t take $5 bills tells you just about all you need to know about our “better way”.
I had two twenties. I couldn’t help her. Plus I like to think as a “reporter blogger” I am only here to objectively record and then add my miserable opinion after.
Weirdly enough, this morning at the same station, I got a really dirty $10 bill as change from the Goof In The Booth.
the actions of one disgruntled drone don’t reflect the attitude/policy of the overlords. while i have my criticisms of the ttc, it’s still a damned good way to get around the city. and you could have offered to swap her dirty money for your clean cash, mr. helpful.
that said, i found a january pass on a platform the other day.
What a nightmare. This is why people continue to sit in their cars. Gridlocked.
How about making him wash money? This is so ridiculous but I’m terrified of those guys behind the glass thingy; they seem so omnipresent, mean and prone to making little old ladies cry.
Shafting him would be harsh. How about Sensitivity Training?
How’s bout reporting the Goof to the TTC?
All that’s needed is the time of day and location and they can track him down. Believe me, managment LOVES to give the shaft to its employees, (whethere right oe wrong, in this case a right)
This comes on the day all the Toronto-centric blogs slap themselves on their backs for going all Et Tu Brutus on the TTC website.
I wonder who will be building the new site, and how much they’ll charge.
Uh. Me too.
I think.
I think that there probably isn’t a good way to get pleasent people to do that sort of job.
I’d rather work as John Goodman’s jockstrap than be a subway token spitter.