Cellphone Journalism? An Apt Description...

...but it makes you wonder where are these champions of freedom of expression when we have acts of violence and murder on our streets on almost a daily basis.

Defensive TTC workers want to push back

Updated: Mon Feb. 08 2010 2:49:58 PM

ctvtoronto.ca

Some TTC employees called for a work-to-rule campaign in response to sustained criticism from the public and their boss, but it's unclear if the protest got much traction.
Customers told CTV Toronto such a move would simply slow things down and didn't support any job action.
The Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 113, didn't sanction the protest by employees, who got a dressing-down from TTC general manager Gary Webster on Saturday.
"We are in the customer service business, but some of the behaviour our customers have encountered recently would suggest otherwise," Webster wrote in a message to his 12,000 staff.

"As employees, you -- and you alone -- are accountable for your actions. The culture of complacency and malaise that has seeped into our organization will end."
There have been photos posted of collector booth operators either sleeping or watching DVDs on the job, and a video emerged last week of a driver leaving his bus sit for seven minutes while he went for a coffee and to use a washroom. That operator has been suspended.
The union plans to hold a news conference on Tuesday to speak about customer and labour relations. But on the weekend, a Facebook group sprung up to give voice to operators' frustrations -- Toronto Transit Operators Against Public Harassment.
One must request to join the group. It contains photos of bad passenger behaviour, showing mounds of litter left behind and people sitting with their feet up on seats, among other things.
There were some public postings on another Facebook group: Employees of the TTC.
One person who identified themselves as an operator wrote on Saturday: "I have my Blackberry by my side and it's ready to start video taping my unruly and non paying passenger on my bus. Then I'll upload to Youtube (sic) and then send them to all the papers and all newsgroups to show the world what we hard working TTC employees have to deal with everyday.
"The cellphone journalism door swings both ways."
When he criticized a member of the public for engaging in "TTC bashing," that person responded: "So you can bash riders just because you're an employee? Very mature. 'Two sides to every coin' right? It's sad that so many people experience the same disrespectful treatment. I understand theres (sic) many shitty riders who try to scam the system, but how about not taking it out on nice decent riders who are just looking for a little help on their way."