My regular ride is the Bloor-Danforth, so yesterday at about 6pm was my first encounter with the new train. Rode past my stop around the Union loop just to get a better sense of the vehicle. I see that the garbage topic has been discussed already within the last ten pages. When I stepped on I was downcast to see that the train already looked about as disrespected as some of the orange bench seated trains on the B-D line. Metro newpapers everywhere under seats and on top of seats, coffee cups and other beverage containers. Moved into a critical mood by the garbage, I began looking around for other signs of TTC bad behaviour - the seat hogging, the feet and bags on the seats. The open concept of the new trains would allow them to be more easily surveyed by TTC constables. Perhaps they should be making themselves more visible (I've only seen them standing two steps outside the fare booth), getting schoolmarmish towards those who sprawl across the seats or leave their debris behind. Times like this I almost turn into a Ford supporter. Why do we obsess here over the design, materials and overall quality, why to we fret about the 'cheapening' on these incredibly expensive infrastructure projects and public spaces, when the everyday Toronto sense of entitlement and passive aggressiveness enables a sizable chunk of our population to treat nice things like an unfinished rumpus room?
