TTC passengers who don't mind their manners will have to pay hefty fines starting Monday.
Transit Special Constables will begin enforcing new fines for all things discourteous, including not giving up a spot to elderly or disabled people, and putting feet up on seats.
"It's common courtesy," TTC spokesperson Kevin Carrington told ctvtoronto.ca. "At some time we might be that elderly person, we might be that person with a broken leg."
The goal is to "educate people and let them know these things are not acceptable in transit" not simply because they are inconsiderate, but also because offenses like blocking a doorway can delay trains.
"A lot of people might not even realize what they do affects service," he said.
These kinds of offenses will net riders a $195 ticket, plus a provincial surcharge of $35. The surcharge goes into a fund to support the victims of crime.
Smoking is already banned in public places in Ontario, and those who light up anywhere on TTC property -- even open-air stations like Kennedy or Scarborough Town Centre -- will now have to cough up a total of $230 in combined TTC and provincial fees. That's a jump of $130 over the old fine.
Anyone who jumps a turnstile or sneaks into a station without paying a fare will be charged $195 plus a provincial surcharge of $35.
Riders caught altering a daypass, metropass, or ticket will have to pay a total of $420 in combined TTC and provincial surcharges. That is an increase of $345 over the previous amount.
Carrington said special constables will be easily visible, and riders won't be caught by surprise.
"We're not out there trying to hide behind garbage cans," he said.
Carrington said special constables would be issuing fines at their discretion, and that first time offenders would be let off with warnings.
If constables give warnings to the same people a number of times, those people will be fined.
One example he gave of behaviour that would warrant a fine would be a passenger who is warned at Bloor station not to put their feet up, but is then caught doing it again at Dundas station.
"The key thing I want everyone to know is it's not a cash grab," says Carrington, stressing that the main goal is to keep the TTC operating smoothly and reduce delays, rather than to collect the fees, which go to the City and not the TTC directly.
Constables will take into consideration special circumstances, like people new to the country or those who face language barriers.
Last year the TTC issued $600,000 worth of fines, the majority for smoking.
