Next Mayor of Toronto?

[kEiThZ]

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/760176--ttc-driver-s-coffee-break-caught-on-video

Every pic and story like this is a nail in Giambrone's electoral coffin. He should quit now and hopefully keep his seat. These stories are not going to stop coming out. The public has now got a taste and it won't stop....and come election day it'll all be pinned on Giambrone.

 

[nfitz]

Air Canada did improve after the government cut them loose. It was the merger with Canada that messed them up.

I assume you mean with Canadian Airlines; but given how much better service was on Canadian Airlines, how would that mess them up?

And for all their supposedly bad rep, they are the best airline in North America (ranked so consistently). The only people who whine about them are Canadians who fly once a year and expect first class treatment on an economy fare.

I just wish they'd provide the service that Canadian Airlines ... or even WestJet does. As for award winning ... don't be silly ... don't take those "everyone is a winner" industy awards seriously ... they aren't even the best airline in Canada; both Porter and WestJet beat them on customer service; let alone North America.

 

[nfitz]

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/760176--ttc-driver-s-coffee-break-caught-on-video

Every pic and story like this is a nail in Giambrone's electoral coffin. He should quit now and hopefully keep his seat. These stories are not going to stop coming out. The public has now got a taste and it won't stop....and come election day it'll all be pinned on Giambrone.

I asked it in another thread, and I'll ask it in this one ... just where is the driver on the 311 Bathurst supposed to get a coffee at 3 AM? There's no chance of him finding one at Exhibition loop - nor is there a washroom AFAIK ... and there is nothing at the other terminus at Steeles. It's not like it's got a subway station at the terminus.

 

[Blovertis]

I asked it in another thread, and I'll ask it in this one ... just where is the driver on the 311 Bathurst supposed to get a coffee at 3 AM? There's no chance of him finding one at Exhibition loop - nor is there a washroom AFAIK ... and there is nothing at the other terminus at Steeles. It's not like it's got a subway station at the terminus.

He's driving a bus and supposedly adhering to a schedule. Where does it say a driver has the right to suck back a coffee whenever he pleases?

 

[nfitz]

He's driving a bus and supposedly adhering to a schedule. Where does it say a driver has the right to suck back a coffee whenever he pleases?

Whenever I've been on a night bus, they've had a hard time not being ahead of schedule. Maybe this driver was being excessive (it shouldn't take more than about 90 seconds to grab a coffee at 3 AM ... but how does the shift structure and breaks work on the night buses like this, when there is absolutely nothing at the terminals?

It's a different situation in the daytime, when the driver is stopping for breaks, and has acesss to facilities, etc., at the terminals.

 

[Roy G Biv]

AC is one of the best airlines in the world for on-time performance which is remarkable given the size of our country and their global network.

Link?

 

[junctionist]

Smitherman's just announced that he consider canceling the $60 auto registration fee. That cinches it for me, he's got my vote. Of course he'll have to find the revenue or savings elsewhere to cover the promise, but that's what should have happened instead of introducing this tax in the first place. Everyone in Ontario should pay the same fees for registering their vehicles in Ontario.

He also said he hasn't ruled out road tolls, which is quite refreshing. Road tolls aren't that politically unpalatable; a lot of the people who use the Gardiner or DVP don't live in Toronto. And if these tolls could net several hundred million dollars a year for the city, what would stop us from continuously expanding the subway network to the great benefit of Toronto commuters and residents?

 

[kEiThZ]

I assume you mean with Canadian Airlines; but given how much better service was on Canadian Airlines, how would that mess them up?

Service really suffered when they had to integrate two fleets (Air Canada = Airbus and Canadian = Boeing) and two staffs from two unions both competing on seniority (which determines what routes you work and what equipment you fly on.

I just wish they'd provide the service that Canadian Airlines ... or even WestJet does. As for award winning ... don't be silly ... don't take those "everyone is a winner" industy awards seriously ... they aren't even the best airline in Canada; both Porter and WestJet beat them on customer service; let alone North America.

Umm...if you don't take skytrax awards seriously, you don't know much about tourism and commercial aviation. What can I say.

You obviously haven't flown much in the US either, if you don't think Air Canada is heads and shoulders over the american aviation sector. And for long haul international flights, Air Canada is by far the best North American airline. It's easy for Westjet and Porter to compete. They don't even have operations as big as a single Air Canada hub. They fly a single type and have young non-unionized staff. In their niche markets, they'll always beat out Air Canada. But would they have the same performance if they were the same size as AC? It's like saying VIVA has better service than the TTC. Well, yeah. But does that really mean, they can offer advice on how to operate a network that has HRT, LRT and local buses?

The point was, that privatization really force Air Canada to become efficient. They had to upgrade their fleet. They had to improve service or they would have lost their most lucrative international long-haul market (where they make most of their dough).

I am not arguing that the TTC should be privatized here. But I am for it becoming a more independent service, not run day to day by the Commissioners but professional GMs who are more like CEOs. And some competition should be allowed. Jitneys for example, would be a great alternative to the TTC.

 

[kEiThZ]

Link?

I've read it in the past. If I come across the link I will post it. But within the aviation industry they are widely known to have fairly decent performance. And that's no small feat for an airline operating in a country as large as Canada. It's easy for airlines like Emirates and Singapore or Cathay to maintain on-time performance because they have one hub to worry about and ultra-long haul routes where there's room to pick up lost time. AC has to operate multiple hubs with flight times long enough to be a planners nightmare, but short enough to not allow for any real chance to make up lost time.

For that matter, I should say Westjet is pretty decent too. On occassion the FAA releases on-time performance of airlines operating to the US. AC and Westjet both score decently. They have slippped in recent years though. Here's the latest for the US:

http://www.aircanada.com/en/about/otp/index.html

 

[kEiThZ]

I asked it in another thread, and I'll ask it in this one ... just where is the driver on the 311 Bathurst supposed to get a coffee at 3 AM? There's no chance of him finding one at Exhibition loop - nor is there a washroom AFAIK ... and there is nothing at the other terminus at Steeles. It's not like it's got a subway station at the terminus.

Take a thermos. I could care less. It's your job, you figure it out. Petition you work place to keep a coffe pot at the terminus break room. And if there's no facilities, that should be the TTC's problem, not the customers. Simple as that. Otherwise, the TTC should be telling passengers where and when breaks are allowed. Given that a lot of routes at 3AM have terrible headways, what if his 7 minute break meant a passenger having to wait 30 minutes for their next bus in the cold? And what it somebody decided to just snatch the bus. Is it acceptable to basically abandon the vehicle for that long? If you watch the video, it's fairly clear that he was taking his sweet ass time. If this to be their policy, let them spell it out and adjust the schedules accordingly. Customers should know when and where to anticipate being on an abandoned transit vehicle in the middle of the night.

If fighter pilots can cross the Atlantic in a single seat jet with no washroom and no coffee or airline pilots can do a routine busy 2 hr regional flight without a break, I have a tough time believing that a supposedly professional transit operator with far fewer things to worry about cannot operate the amount of time it takes to get back to the terminus without a break. Use the bathroom before you get on the bus and take a thermos with you. Is it really that hard?
If I feel like getting a coffee at 3AM and I am on the bus, would the bus driver wait 7 minutes for me?

He's driving a bus and supposedly adhering to a schedule. Where does it say a driver has the right to suck back a coffee whenever he pleases?

He doesn't. Even the TTC has said so.

But it's such a common practice that most of the public didn't even know it wasn't allowed. I can't believe that management wasn't that oblivious to it. It's just that, now that the public's anger is rising, they are desperate to look like they are doing something about it. Too bad they don't understand that this thing is not going to die down. I foresee, one of these stories virtually every week, here on in.

 

[kEiThZ]

He also said he hasn't ruled out road tolls, which is quite refreshing. Road tolls aren't that politically unpalatable; a lot of the people who use the Gardiner or DVP don't live in Toronto. And if these tolls could net several hundred million dollars a year for the city, what would stop us from continuously expanding the subway network to the great benefit of Toronto commuters and residents?

I think people would rather pay road tolls than plate taxes. At least road tolls hit outsiders too. It's kinda unfair to penalize residents, who by and large already use transit far more than their suburban counterparts, and then have no penalty on the suburbanites who drive in.

 

[afg2001]

If they initiate a toll system I doubt that this will cut taxes.

As for who I'm going to vote for... I'm not sure at this time. What I am sure of is that Rossi is a no vote because he wants to sell Toronto Hydro and that will probably drive prices up.

 

[nfitz]

Umm...if you don't take skytrax awards seriously, you don't know much about tourism and commercial aviation. What can I say.

If you think Air Canada is anywhere close to being the best airline in North America then you clearly don't know anything about tourism and commercial aviation.

You obviously haven't flown much in the US either, if you don't think Air Canada is heads and shoulders over the american aviation sector.

I never said it was head and shoulders above the american aviation sector. Some US airlines are equally awful; but not all. I've been quite impressed with Southwest for example. I'm not sure why you are making statements about my travel habits ...

And for long haul international flights, Air Canada is by far the best North American airline.

That's what they got the award for isn't ... best North American airline flying out of Pearson 1 ... on Tuesday afternoons ... in October? Come on, Westjet is better for long haul international. And quite frankly, the long-haul flights I've had on Northwest have been better handled ... though it's been a couple of years, so I can't be sure they are still better.

 

[nfitz]

Petition you work place to keep a coffe pot at the terminus break room. And if there's no facilities, that should be the TTC's problem, not the customers.

Precisely ... perhaps you could point out where the terminus break room is for the 310 Bathurst at 3 AM? I'm not aware of one. My point is that there is a systemic problem here, and crucifying the operators is not the entire solution.

 

[Darwinkgo]

If they initiate a toll system I doubt that this will cut taxes.

As for who I'm going to vote for... I'm not sure at this time. What I am sure of is that Rossi is a no vote because he wants to sell Toronto Hydro and that will probably drive prices up.

Why would it drive prices up? You would still be paying the regulated rate set by the province unless you opted into a fixed term contract.