And They Want To Give These Idiots Guns

Heavy-handed behaviour by TTC officers leaves single mom convinced there has to be a better way
By MIKE STROBEL

Queen's Park subway station is a circus at the best of times, but most days by 4 p.m. the elephants are loose.

Little Johnny holds tight to his mommy's hand as the multitudes surge through the gates to the northbound train on Tuesday.

At 4 years old, he is a TTC veteran, tagging along with mom Kaeli Goldman, who has no car and has ridden these rails for a dozen years.

Johnny wants to be a rock star. Or a Blue Jay. He has just torn his eyes away from a busker playing mariachi guitar at the foot of the station's escalator.

Kaeli is 31 and seven months pregnant.

She is single and scrapes a living as a freelance magazine writer.

They are heading home for a dinner of Cuban bean stew.

Now, they are swept along with the rush-hour hordes through Queen's Park station, everyone flashing passes and transfers.

Picture the Goldmans.

'STEP TO THE SIDE'

Very pregnant lady. Five-foot-5. Tidily dressed in sweater and jeans. In tow, a boy, cute as a button, in a hoodie.

You never saw such a menacing pair of felons.

"Ma'am, step to the side," says a stern male voice.

A TTC special constable jumps in front of them. Blue uniform. Cleft chin.

Another officer, a radio in his ear, joins them.

Here's the problem:

Johnny's transfer, off the College St. streetcar, is just fine. But his mom is using her December pass. Two days early.

I wish I could report that the two cops look at each other, look at the clearly, obviously, patently pregnant mom and her teensy son, and let it slide.

I am sorry to say, they insist Kaeli surrender her pass.

She tries to tell them she got mixed up, the November pass is at home, but she has a receipt for it, and the December pass too is bought and paid for out of a very tight budget.

I wish I could report that the cops say, 'Okay, ma'am, please be more careful next time,' then pat Johnny on the head and send them on their way.

But, no, Cleft Chin raises a hand to halt her protests and demands she give up her pass.

Johnny peers up at her. "You have to do what the policeman says," he chirps. Then he starts to cry.

Folks stop, stare. Must be drugs, some surely think.

Kaeli tells me later, as Johnny digs into chocolate ice cream: "As far as he knows, you have to listen to the police and they only arrest bad people."

She looks down at her tummy.

"Maybe they thought I was trying to smuggle in a boa constrictor."

Back to the big bust. Kaeli balks at handing over the pass, which cost her $100.

"Do you want us to arrest you in front of your son, ma'am?" says one of the transit cops.

"You mean, you're going to arrest a pregnant woman for using a December pass, while her 4-year-old son watches?" says Kaeli. Handcuffs? The whole deal?

I wish I could report the answer is, "No, ma'am, that would be silly."

Instead: "Yes," says the transit cop.

So she turns over the pass. Then the special constables write up a summons, $110 for not submitting "appropriate fare" under Bylaw 1 of the Toronto Transit Commission.

And they pocket Kaeli's pass.

"Why?" sniffles Johnny.

"I guess they're doing their civic duty," snaps his mom.

Then, oddly, the cops let them board a train for home.

By Bloor St., Johnny has stopped crying.

Two days later Kaeli simmers still and calls me.

"That just wasn't right," she says. "I understand that technically I was in the wrong, but it did not merit what ensued.

WON'T BE BULLIED

"I accept responsibility for my part in it, but I'm not going to be bullied."

TTC vice-chairman Councillor Adam Giambrone's office is looking into this.

TTC spokesman Marilyn Bolton tells me she is limited in what she can say for legal reasons, but Kaeli is free to fight the fine in court.

What about her December pass? She's a single, pregnant mom with a 4-year-old kid and no car.

"The pass is evidence."

I suppose it is.

I think it could also be evidence in a case against the TTC.

The charge? Violation of Bylaw 1, Appropriate Use of Common Sense.

Give the woman back her damn pass.

Mike Strobel's column runs daily, Wednesday to Saturday.