Riding the TTC has become quite scary for those monitoring the news and using public transit often due to some unfortunate incidents that have been highlighted in recent times.
On Wednesday, Lucas, a Redditor, posted a picture of a TTC ad that they saw on Wednesday at Dundas and Keele and it surprised many.
The TTC ad reads, "Take A Time Out. Take The TTC. The Relaxing, Affordable Choice." And the photo features a person taking a nap on a TTC bus, looking oh-so-cozy.
The ad shocked people because of recent news stories about people on the TTC being put in dangerous situations and possibly costing Torontonians more money in 2023. For example, on Wednesday, the Toronto Police Service said they are investigating random assaults on the TTC involving teenage girls.
A group of 8 to 10 girls "randomly assaulted several people" between 10:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. on the evening of December 17 on the TTC's line 1 at Queen's Park Station, St. Patrick Station, Osgoode Station, St. Andrew Station, and Union Station.
Another example is earlier in January, a woman found an exposed blade wedged in the wall of a TTC subway.
So, it's safe to say things have not looked good for the TTC.
The TTC ad on a bus. imthedarkknight | Twitter
Lucas told Narcity the reason they posted the picture of the ad on Reddit is because they "thought the timing for the marketing was funny after reading about everything that happened recently, and the price for the fare going up and also seeing that they are advertising the TTC and the same time reading that the waiting time for trains is going up."
All in all, commenters on Reddit agreed with Lucas and said that "this is a terrible ad."
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"I thought we were supposed to stay alert, vigilant and aware of our surroundings while on transit?" one person commented.
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Another said, "God these ads make me so mad when they are increasing the price of fairs and cutting service - in what world is it relaxing to wait 20 mins for a bus only to find it over crowded or too full to board?"
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"Relaxing affordable choice? More like a chaotic necessity," an annoyed TTC rider added.
Is the TTC safe?
Well, "the TTC is one of the safest transit systems in the world. As your safety partners, we want you to know how we're making the TTC even safer and what you can do to help," they mentioned.
They've even shared some things on their website that riders can do to make sure they stay safe during their journey.
Mayor John Tory also recently announced in the city's 2023 budget proposal that they'll invest $53 million into the TTC's budget, which is an investment that aims to improve the safety of riders and frontline employees.
But, it's also important to know what to do when faced with a dangerous situation, such as being pushed onto TTC subway tracks. And you can see some suggestions from people on Reddit here, too.
Stay safe out there, Torontonians.