TTC and Net Rage
Posted by Fred Jandt
Mass Transit editor
The cardinal rule in transit likely should be “don’t piss off your riders†or something near to it if the firestorm of controversy the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is currently enduring is any indication. Of course, TTC could be any system that fell victim to the perils of an increasingly mobile Internet.
I like the British TV show Top Gear, an irreverent take on automobile shows. One running gag on the show is the hosts’ inability to understand the Internet. Declaring that something was on “Facetube†that the youngsters find so interesting is funny, but could easily be an indictment of the transit industry. While the transit industry’s ranks are getting younger, it is still top heavy in terms of age.
Does this mean the transit industry isn’t “Net Savvy†or in-touch with modern technology? Far from it. Examples of transit being on the cutting edge of technology are too numerous to list here, but having the technology and being beaten by it are different matters.
It all started with a little nap; a TTC worker caught snoozing on the job when a rider snapped his photo and shot it off to friends online. And — as is the new term for something growing like wildfire on the Internet — it went viral.
Riders upset with TTC performance started looking for transit workers screwing up … and they found them. Riders even swamped a Facebook page for transit workers with complaints.
So now the TTC workers’ union head is calling for riders to “stop harassing†its members and now town hall meetings are being discussed.
This is probably going to get worse before it gets better. In a time when we ask riders to be more vigilant, to commend them for catching operators texting or otherwise using their cell phones, we’re asking them to only do it on some occasions? Frankly, that’s hypocritical.
Transit needs to come around to the fact that public transportation now includes the entire world via the Internet, not just its local ridership. It also needs to be ready to be accountable for slip-ups. No longer is reporting a poor operator a letter writing campaign or taking on city hall, riders can do it while still in the seat via places like MuniFail, which gives instant tweets to the San Francisco mayor about Muni, and Portland’s Citizen Reports app.
Riders are expecting a higher quality of service from transit than ever before. And they are willing to pay for it. But, they are also not going to stand for poor service either. And now with the technology at their fingertips, they can make their rage hit the Net before the transit system can even hear about the problem.
For those interested in instant updates, you can now get your latest Mass Transit fix via Twitter.
Fred
fred.jandt@cygnusb2b.com
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February 12th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
We all have our chronic complainers and even they are sometimes right. We remind our operators that they don’t need us riding the bus to monitor their performance, (although we do that too). Our customers do that very well. With the advent of cameras (and audio recording by the farebox) we are able to confirm/deny reported behavior and in most cases use the information to help an operator perform better in the future. Government likes to say it is transparent. What is more transparent than serving the public daily? You are always being watched. It should make us better – not defensive.
February 12th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
With two red TTC PCC’s (#4404 & #4472)in the back yard, I guess I can say a few words too…
We are were we are because each step of the big brother syndrome was brought on in most cases, by someone trying to “beat the system”, or some less appetizing event of incompetence and or accident. Biblical admonition to “work as for the Lord” was foundational in the work ethic in previous generations. This society had better come to grips ASAP with the reality of overhead costs due to myriad expenses from negligent behavior of many riders AND some employees of public transport. Just a few germs cause deadly infection…
As we go into restrictions of service from cost-cutting in the face of mid-term motor fuel energy emergency, we need to remind ourselves to think about the futile expenditures for vandalism, bad behavior, and general failure to do one’s duty, regardless of how we vote or where we sit on the train or bus.
February 16th, 2010 at 7:41 am
People have been complaining for years, but transit can no longer use the same strategies to respond. The policies should be strong and fair to protect the company, the employees, and the public. Pictures and audio are exciting but they’re still just a complaint and should be treated as such. Policies on public comments are likewise necessary; most companies forbid this, but companies must clarify if comments via internet are to be considered “public statements”. (Note that I haven’t identified my employer and thus have skirted my personal restrictions.) It’s important to break things down to what’s important; no matter how it’s done, a complaint is still a complaint, and they can be handled.