TTC workers embarrass fare evaders with fancy clothes and shoes but no money (VIDEO)

Mar 23 2023, 3:25 pm

A group of young adults trying to board the subway for free got a healthy dose of shame from a pair of TTC employees recently in a video that has gone viral on multiple social media platforms.

Members of the group reportedly attempted to enter Yorkdale subway station without paying their fare and were caught in the act by a pair of employees who proceeded to chastise the group for having enough money for expensive clothes and shoes, but not enough pocket change to pay for public transit.

“$80 sweater, $80 pants, $100 shoes,” shouts one of the employees, listing off their best guesses on the prices of the group’s attire.

The employee then turns to another member of the group and appears to point at their shoes, remarking, “another $200 to $300,” before painstakingly working through the group, guesstimating the value of their apparel like some bizarre subway version of The Price is Right.

One member of the group can be heard insisting that the expensive items were gifts.

A second employee in a high-visibility vest then instructs the group to remember both of the TTC workers’ faces, and then appears to give them a pass for skipping fares.

“We’ll let you go in for today, but it’s not happening again. If you’re old enough to go out to the mall, you’re old enough to pay your way,” warns the hi-vis-vest-wearing employee.

The employee begins to say, “and if you want to play the part of wearing what you’re wearing…” before she is drowned out by the reaction of the non-paying customers.

One of the group members can be heard calling out their friend, saying, “you make money!”

When asked whether fare inspectors or other transit employees are permitted to admit non-paying passengers in any circumstances, the TTC’s Senior Communications Specialist Stuart Green offered a boilerplate non-answer, telling blogTO, “the TTC is aware of this video and the entire exchange is being reviewed in its entirety.”

The workers in the clip seemed to be enjoying themselves as they mercilessly trolled the group filming the encounter, but despite the fun they were having at the group’s expense, fare evasion is no joke for the TTC, which lost over $70 million to non-paying customers in 2019 alone.

Many commenters responding to the original TikTok clip stand behind the workers’ handling of the situation and agree that the passengers should have to pay their fare just like the rest of us.

“Mans are wearing moncler but can’t pay 2$ to get on the subway,” reads one comment (even the cheapest TTC youth/senior fare will run you $2.30).

Another reads, “she’s not harassing, she’s humblingđź’€$1K outfits but no car + refuse to pay $2.”

It’s comparable to the case where a TTC passenger attempted to board a bus with an armful of McDonald’s food but no money left to pay their fare.

In that case, a passenger took to Twitter to complain that a driver wouldn’t let them on a bus for free after the would-be passenger left the fast food joint with a bag full of eats and no cash left for transit fare.

Jack LandauJack Landau

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