[MajorComplainer]

So, TTC decided to put those hideous "how to ride an escalator" posters everywhere on the trains and its stations.

Is that really neccessary? TTC has been crying about running out of money, yet, they are spending that kind of money on this crap?

Talking about the costs of
- poster productions
- designs
- marketing
- labours
- lost revenue for using the ad spaces

I can see posters like urging the riders not to litter on the train (wasn't working anyway, not aggressive enough). But how to take an escalator?? Are Torontonians really that retarded that they need to read the instruction in order to take the escalator???

Oh, and yeah, don't charge the door when you hear the doorbell. It will NEVER work, why waste the money???

 

[interchange42]

I hate it when lazy, inconsiderate, pods stand on the left side of escalators and block them for people who want to run up them. If the TTC has reintroduced a campaign to get that working again, they could spend the moon on that and I would be happy.

Thankfully the cost of printing up and placing these posters is negligible at best and would be such a small fraction of their budget, that removing this line item from it would not even cause an accounting irregularity.

42

 

[299 bloor call control.]

So, TTC decided to put those hideous "how to ride an escalator" posters everywhere on the trains and its stations.

Is that really neccessary? TTC has been crying about running out of money, yet, they are spending that kind of money on this crap?

Talking about the costs of
- poster productions
- designs
- marketing
- labours
- lost revenue for using the ad spaces

I can see posters like urging the riders not to litter on the train (wasn't working anyway, not aggressive enough). But how to take an escalator?? Are Torontonians really that retarded that they need to read the instruction in order to take the escalator???

Oh, and yeah, don't charge the door when you hear the doorbell. It will NEVER work, why waste the money???

#1) I am one of the "models" used for the posters you are talking about (the "Don't rush other passengers" guy.. not the old guy, the "hip looking young guy" behind him not rushing him). Like most TTC posters, they are TTC employees. I was paid $1 for it. Not because they wanted to, and not because I demanded it, but because it is required by law. The shoot took only half a day and my only perk was coffee and cookies. No makeup artists, no wardrobe, nothin. I just didn't mind taking a few hours out of my workday (which wasn't paid), to have some fun.

#2) The ads were created by a firm with a contract for producing such advertising for the commission. These are done on a tender basis, and was likely awarded to the lowest cost.

#3) Escalator safety is a serious issue on the TTC. The "Stand right, walk left" debacle aside (which I don't agree with), there are many incidents of injuries, some serious. This is no different than any safety campaign, albeit somewhat corny. You'd be surprised how many people in Toronto don't know how to properly ride an escalator.

#4) Finally, the ad space used is part of the TTC's advertising contract. A certain percentage of ad space is given to the TTC for free for public service announcements, such as this. Again, zero cost.

----

Please, don't complain, major complainer, unless you know the facts.

 

[interchange42]

Wait - this is a safety campaign? Oh bother.

42

 

[MajorComplainer]

#1) I am one of the "models" used for the posters you are talking about (the "Don't rush other passengers" guy.. not the old guy, the "hip looking young guy" behind him not rushing him). Like most TTC posters, they are TTC employees. I was paid $1 for it. Not because they wanted to, and not because I demanded it, but because it is required by law. The shoot took only half a day and my only perk was coffee and cookies. No makeup artists, no wardrobe, nothin. I just didn't mind taking a few hours out of my workday (which wasn't paid), to have some fun.

#2) The ads were created by a firm with a contract for producing such advertising for the commission. These are done on a tender basis, and was likely awarded to the lowest cost.

#3) Escalator safety is a serious issue on the TTC. The "Stand right, walk left" debacle aside (which I don't agree with), there are many incidents of injuries, some serious. This is no different than any safety campaign, albeit somewhat corny. You'd be surprised how many people in Toronto don't know how to properly ride an escalator.

#4) Finally, the ad space used is part of the TTC's advertising contract. A certain percentage of ad space is given to the TTC for free for public service announcements, such as this. Again, zero cost.

----

Please, don't complain, major complainer, unless you know the facts.

One thing I know for sure...there's NOTHING is zero cost.

The "do not litter the train" ad campaign did NOT work. You think people will not charge the door when they hear the door bell?

And I also HATE the people standing on the left side of the escalator. Again, these ads will NOT work. It's human nature. If they don't have a common sense, they simply don't. It's not like people have to LEARN anything new riding an escalator. If people don't know how to ride it, for god's sake, just walk the stairs!

To me, these ad campaign are a total waste.

 

[ShonTron]

Major complainer,

Watch out! You'll be busted down to sergeant so fast it'll make your head spin.

That said, the TTC safety campaigns are a joke, especially that "top 5 reasons for delays" load of BS. Though complaining about it for the money item doesn't make sense due to what 299 said.

I'd complain more about the police spending money putting up giant wooden palisades around their parking lots, new signage at police stations, the new Greyhound paint scheme and replacing the strobe lights on top with new blue lights.

 

[adma]

Though I notice that despite the "official" suppression of walk left/stand right, they're still not *that* emphatic about it...

 

[Hydrogen]

The "do not litter the train" ad campaign did NOT work. You think people will not charge the door when they hear the door bell?

I hate to break it you:



Nothing's perfect.

 

[junctionist]

Exactly, it may reduce incidents by 20% which is certainly worse than 100%, but considering it costs less than $100 bucks to create and free to distribute, it's a logical move. It also makes the "you didn't even try" card unplayable. And to all those who say that our public organizations should make even symbolic moves to reduce costs, paying a model a dollar for hours of work is obvious. Scrutinize all you will because vigilance is important and a right but besides capital spending, there isn't much waste to be found. (Besides the discarded newspapers that aren't collected too often anymore.)

 

[MajorComplainer]

Though I notice that despite the "official" suppression of walk left/stand right, they're still not *that* emphatic about it...

The worst is that some people KNOW they are standing other people's way and they still DON'T move. They just look at you and basically wait for you to say "excuse me" before they move their fat ass.

Sometimes I feel like pulling an Alley McBeal and push those idiots down...

 

[Hydrogen]

Citing the issue of safety, escalator manufacturers recommend that people do not climb the stairs at all while the escalator is moving.


Pushing people down would be a major safety issue.


And worthy of major complaints.

 

[adma]

The worst is that some people KNOW they are standing other people's way and they still DON'T move. They just look at you and basically wait for you to say "excuse me" before they move their fat ass.

Then, *say* "excuse me".

Of course, it helps if you don't *over*assume they're deliberately standing in your way. That borders on conspirational-theory paranoia...

 

[MajorComplainer]

Citing the issue of safety, escalator manufacturers recommend that people do not climb the stairs at all while the escalator is moving.

Go ask someone who has a train to catch.

Then, *say* "excuse me".

Of course, it helps if you don't *over*assume they're deliberately standing in your way. That borders on conspirational-theory paranoia...

I was talking about those dickheads who turn, see you are behind them...but still pretend they don't know you want to pass them.

 

[junctionist]

They're helping out the TTC, those civic heroes.

Maybe if you're just standing there quietly they think you don't care. You're not supposed to walking up anyway. If the poster didn't stop you...

 

[RJR123]

There should be no such thing as down escalators, for energy conservation purposes. Up I can understand if you're elderly or ill, but down just caters to the laziest common denominator in our population.