Just to bring non-Torontonians up to speed: Toronto has gone from having what was widely regarded to be a good public transit system to having what is widely regarded as being a bad transit system. Bus service in the outer city is deplorable. Long waits to get on over-crowded buses, or to watch over-crowded buses pass your stop. Streetcar service that can mean it's faster to walk from Yonge to Bathurst than it is to wait for a streetcar. An over-crowded subway system prone to signals breakdowns and other interruptions.
This has happened because for the past few decades, neo-liberals have convinced people that taxes are an unmitigated evil, that the public sector is a complete waste of money, and that nothing can be achieved via democratic collective action. It's gotten to the point where you'll hear from a surprising number of ignoranmuses saying that the TTC should be privatized; thereby revealing their total cluelessness.
So, due to inflation, increased ridership, and what-not, the TTC is raising its fares by a nickel next year and again in the summer, just to maintain its existing poor service level.
What are the various groups dedicated to improving public transit, or transit users' rights, going to do about this? From where I'm sitting, the answer appears to be nothing. I've not heard of any protests. I've not seen any literature being distributed. I've not seen anyone.
Why don't I do something?
I tried to get Canadians to do something about a stolen election, to no effect. The progressive movement's big players likewise did nothing, although they could have done something with their amount of resources. This fare increase is an outrage, but we can't escape from the trap of kabuki protest, and so we do nothing.
This has happened because for the past few decades, neo-liberals have convinced people that taxes are an unmitigated evil, that the public sector is a complete waste of money, and that nothing can be achieved via democratic collective action. It's gotten to the point where you'll hear from a surprising number of ignoranmuses saying that the TTC should be privatized; thereby revealing their total cluelessness.
So, due to inflation, increased ridership, and what-not, the TTC is raising its fares by a nickel next year and again in the summer, just to maintain its existing poor service level.
What are the various groups dedicated to improving public transit, or transit users' rights, going to do about this? From where I'm sitting, the answer appears to be nothing. I've not heard of any protests. I've not seen any literature being distributed. I've not seen anyone.
Why don't I do something?
I tried to get Canadians to do something about a stolen election, to no effect. The progressive movement's big players likewise did nothing, although they could have done something with their amount of resources. This fare increase is an outrage, but we can't escape from the trap of kabuki protest, and so we do nothing.
4 comments:
I guess the official answer, thwap, is the same one given by Canada Post -- to wit, walking is good for your health -- regardless of your condition.
I don't know what Canadians are about any more. Recently I did demand my token back after waiting for three subway trains, all of which were crammed full. I figured three failures to embark was my limit, and that the paid for service was not being provided according to my requirements. It worked too; I got my token back. I don't use the TTC very much, so I am always shocked at how bad it is, and I didn't realize that most people don't demand their token back. I don't understand why most people are so passive. Suppose we all demanded our tokens back after our three train limit was exceeded.
The true slave mentality is so repressed that it doesn't even realize it is one. There will be no revolt. Welcome to the new Canadian mindset.
ffd and Anonymous,
This passivity/slave mentality, is just what I'm talking about.
My contribution is you can't blame the sheeple if their progressive shepherds can't even extricate themselves from the crises. We're incapable of leading them.
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