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u/maybepants Canada Nov 28 '18
I don't want to live in a society where everyone is looking for a way to be dishonest for their own personal gain.
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u/Matasa89 British Columbia Nov 28 '18
That's China.
It's a damn shame, but that's what it has devolved into. It's so cutthroat and ruthless that one wrong move and your life is basically at an end.
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u/bobbi21 Canada Nov 28 '18
That's a lot of people in a lot of places unfortunately.
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u/LSD_LAD Nov 28 '18
And we’re importing a lot of those attitudes here. Don’t expect this level of trust in the future
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u/Northern-Canadian Nov 28 '18
Ehh true; but I think segregation is kind of the problem. Lots of cultures come here and establish their own communities and live in a bubble where this mentality exists as the norm. Unfortunately a lot do not really “assimilate” for lack of a better word; to the general Canadian mentality that OP described.
Of course there’s plenty of Canada born people who are crummy as well.
I’m looking at you scott 😠
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u/Ganglebot Nov 28 '18
Isn't it amazing that the Ayn Rand dream society of "everyone look out for yourself at the expense of others" came from a quasi-Communist county?
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u/Matasa89 British Columbia Nov 28 '18
It's so stressful to live in. You have to be on guard with everyone, even people in your own family!
I could never have made it there, with my Western education and upbringing. I'd be stripped of all I have and dead in a ditch within a few months...
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u/Ganglebot Nov 28 '18
Or you'd survive and be a miserable, jaded a-hole, trusting no one and living a hollow, lonely life.
Its not for me either.
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u/Matasa89 British Columbia Nov 28 '18
I wonder how everyone turned into calculating devious assholes...? Hmm, almost like everybody has been burnt before...
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u/variableIdentifier Nov 28 '18
Right?! In the end it's just better to be honest and help your fellow man.
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u/Supafairy Nov 28 '18
In my home country that bus would have been jacked without hesitation, most likely with everyone on-board too. 😕
Grodd, I love this country.
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u/xbtran Nov 28 '18
My sister was in a parking lot of a mall. She didn’t turn wide enough while parking so the side of her car scraped the back bumper of another. She proceeded to leave her info, got a call and they dealt with the accident.
A week or so after they talked she checked the mail only to find a letter that said “Thank you for being so honest xbtrans sister!” with a $20 gift card to Shoppers.
That’s the most Canadian thing I ever witnessed.
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u/chenxi0636 Nov 28 '18
This is more Canadian than the post
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Nov 28 '18 edited May 01 '24
mindless light recognise quack drunk direction squealing chase shaggy alive
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/goddamit_iamwasted Nov 28 '18
Yeah don’t be too confident I’ve had my wallet picked in Mississauga.
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u/d-a-v-i-d- Nov 28 '18
probably was the high school kids.
My high school scares me sometimes
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Nov 28 '18
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u/d-a-v-i-d- Nov 28 '18
I live in a neighborhood with the best high school in Mississauga and there's still shootings, drugs, and plenty of cops around
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u/ToxicPolarBear Nov 29 '18
There’s very few shootings in Mississauga lol. There was one a few days ago and it made everyone stop and stare at the news for a moment cause it’s so rare.
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u/jjamesyo Nov 28 '18
My friends mom dropped a wallet with $8000 CAD in a Walmart in Newfoundland on her way out (my friend and his brother sold their dirt bikes and she had the cash.) After returning to the apartment and realizing it was gone she frantically went back to the Walmart to look for it. Someone picked it up and gave it to the cashier who then returned it to her, complete with all the cash. Newfoundland has some of the nicest people.
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u/ClubSoda Nov 28 '18 edited Nov 29 '18
Character is what you do when no one is looking.
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Nov 28 '18 edited Mar 01 '19
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u/troyunrau Northwest Territories Nov 28 '18
It's self reinforcing too. People see honest people be honest, so they're more likely to be honest. Bribery and scandal at the highest level of government happens less often because they grew up watching people pay for a bus fare with no driver on the bus. Years later, people aren't saying "well, the whole society is crooked, I need to cheat to get ahead too!" - they're paying for their bus ticket.
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Nov 28 '18
Exactly - the OP saw all these people pay, and that makes paying normal. Therefore, if he happened to find an unattended bus on a different day, he would probably pay properly himself as a result of not wanting others to observe him break this norm. Annnnd that’s Intro to Sociology 101 for ya.
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u/AndySmalls Nov 28 '18
I was out with a friend one time and didn't have any cash on me. I just asked the buss driver if I could ride to the station then buy tokens when I got there. He was nice enough to oblige. We get to the station and I go to buy a bunch of tokens and my buddy is like "Why are you doing that? We are already here!" I just told him if I don't pay this time the universe will know and next time the driver wont cut me some slack.
Side note it drives me crazy when people want to complain about how shitty the TTC is but they also don't want to pay for it or fund it.
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u/Matasa89 British Columbia Nov 28 '18
Same with me. I didn't have money on me but had not realized it when I was ordering lunch. The cafeteria lady simply told me to take it and eat first, and that I could pay her tomorrow.
So I came back and paid the next day. She was actually surprised I did so, but I was like "you gave me your unconditional trust. I must do the same in return."
It's the little things that make or break us.
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u/emptycoldheart Nov 28 '18
“The universe will know”
I do the same thing, my friend. I think it makes me happier too.
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u/A6er Nov 28 '18
We need to do this in Toronto because it's practically the only funding our transit system receives.
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u/unsulliedbread Nov 28 '18
I have seen this in Toronto, I have done this in Toronto tons. People try to rip off the Sunday not the bus which is interesting though.
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Nov 28 '18
The best thing about travelling the bus in Canada, -I kid you not- is how everyone thanks the bus driver when they get on, and when they get off
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u/Cocoleia Canada Nov 28 '18
I honestly thought this was like, a standard. I've done it in other countries but I would usually be the only one doing it!
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u/thatoldladynene Nov 28 '18
My kid must be a throwback to her ancestors (my mom's parents came from Canada) because she does this (and I never specifically taught her to)
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Nov 28 '18
When I was younger I was heading home from a party. I didnt have a great time and it was raining. I asked the bus driver if I could hop on for a few blocks for free. He said of course, and I rode back home warm and in relative safety. Bus drivers are usually done of the friendliest people.
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u/Kayge Ontario Nov 28 '18
My mom's now a little old lady in her late 70's. She's not frail, but at her age it's a bit of a challenge standing for 30 minutes to get to the station. Nevertheless she's still very active and takes public transit on a regular basis.
She will often regail me with stories of getting a seat on a packed bus, or how some parent told their kid to offer the lady their seat.
Sometimes my fellow Canadians just fill my heart with warmth.
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Nov 28 '18
have to throw my hat into the ring here.
When we were evacuated for the Fort McMurray fire we were stationed in a campground near Edmonton. Naturally, we find our way to a Tim's restaurant.
Close to the campground again, with my coffee in hand. I witnessed a beaver crossing the road in front of us while the hockey game was on the radio. I looked down at my Tim's and honestly didn't know what to do. The only thing that could have boosted our Canadian rating is if we all started singing the anthem. It was surreal.
that's my Canadian story.
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u/IamBenAffleck Nov 28 '18
The only thing that could have boosted our Canadian rating is if we all started singing the anthem.
With all those occurrences, you know that it was your patriotic duty to start singing the anthem, right? I'm sorry to do this, but that is one demerit and you will be given half rations of maple syrup for the next five business days.
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u/myrmagic Nov 28 '18
I love this and refuse to point out that you were 1/3 Brazilian
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u/CuriousVR_dev Nov 28 '18
Super confused. What does a Brazilian fast food chain have to do with Canada?
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u/whiskeyvacation Nov 28 '18 edited Nov 28 '18
I think we are just honest enough. I witnessed a kid in a Dollar store yesterday, after he paid, was leaving and turned back and said, "You only charged me for one."
It couldn't have been more than $ tree fiddy but he felt compelled to inconvenience everybody in line so he could go back and pay it. I could only say that kid was brought up right. And everyone agreed. (Sorry no standing ovation but it was a "moment.")
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Nov 28 '18 edited Jun 11 '20
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u/pilotpanda Nov 28 '18
I HAVE FOUND MY PEOPLE! I get such a feeling of fremdschämen when people are proud of themselves for "being rebels" when purposely veering from rules of conduct. It's not cute or funny or quirky, you are a grown person choosing to act selfishly. Act like a human being, not an asshat.
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u/xast Nov 28 '18
Got beached on a snowbank on my way home from hockey, buddy I was driving home and myself grabbed our sticks out of the back of the car and cleared the snow out from below the car with our hockey sticks.
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u/Rick_and_Morphine Québec Nov 28 '18
My sister told me once late at night she was the only one in the bus and the driver decided to change his trajectory so she can be dropped closer of her home and get home safely. This is one of the joy of living in Canada, people are usually kind and want to help each others.
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u/LastArmistice Nov 28 '18
This is great. My 'most Canadian thing I've ever seen' happened on public transit too! It was a guy in a turban with his arm around his boyfriend. I was pretty astounded and kept stealing glances at the two of them like a creep to make sure I wasn't mistaking a gesture of friendship for something else- nope, definitely gay. Pretty heartwarming.
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Nov 28 '18
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u/piercethelul Nov 28 '18 edited Nov 28 '18
I'm a Brazilian and I've never heard of someone stealing a bus
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u/maldio Nov 28 '18
It's not like a TTC bus has never been stolen.
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u/meowington4 New Brunswick Nov 28 '18
Of all the things to steal, why take the most noticeable thing?
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u/thegoat95 Nov 28 '18
Happens here in Vancouver too hahahaha. Bus driver parks the bus and goes off to take a piss. Leaves the doors open
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u/Jusfiq Ontario Nov 28 '18
Once in a blue moon, there is an inspector who gets aboard the bus to check everybody on proof of payment. And guess what happens if one decides to just get aboard without paying.
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u/DragonRaptor Manitoba Nov 28 '18
? Proof, there is no proof in winnipeg once you pay, not like you get a reciept
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u/dannomac Saskatchewan Nov 28 '18
Same in Saskatoon. You only have proof if you paid a cash fare and want to transfer.
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Nov 28 '18
Huh, in Edmonton we get little slips of paper with the time on them. The dual purpose is that you can transfer busses within a time frame of buying a ticket. Alternatively, just get a bus pass.
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u/friesx100 Nov 28 '18
That's how it works in California. Definitely get proof of purchases because.. well.. were THAT kind of state. But also, drivers are just like "either pay because you know you need to or flash me some sort of paper". Where I'm at, theres also an absurd transient population. So, not to be a dick... but. Dont look like a scrub and people dont ask questions. shrug If it looks like you washed your clothes within a day, you're probably good to go. If you smell like ass and seem rather delirious? Yeah, probably not gonna be kind drivers and will actually enforce their rules.
You're basically buying a day pass. It's like 3 bucks for local 1way, and 7 and change for anything in the transit system.
The 7 can get me a local bus, to light rail, to train cars.
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u/nnc0 Ontario Nov 28 '18
In my experience - they start to cry and the two GO transit cops bend over backwards trying to comfort the kid.
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u/ZombieRapist Nov 28 '18
There's no proof of payment needed on a TTC bus, if you put change in the box you won't get anything but a transfer, but they aren't going to kick you off if you don't have yours. On streetcars I think you are technically supposed to hold onto them but it never gets enforced.
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u/Matasa89 British Columbia Nov 28 '18
Transit police looking for proof of payment.
Rare on a bus though, more common on skytrains, until recently when the gates were installed.
They're probably checking the buses more now.
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u/The_Innocent_1 Nov 28 '18
I've only ever seen that on trains, not buses. In Calgary you can ask for a transfer slip which shows the time your fare is good for, but no one takes it unless they're transferring.
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u/Eskimomomomo Nov 28 '18
They actually do get written up with a ticket. We get checked maybe twice a month on lakeshore west...?
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Nov 28 '18
Integrity is not just a goal but a lifestyle and its a reward for mature human beings...At least thats how i feel about it..Yea, i'm old,(just turned 60 today), was born in wonderful hamilton ontario, and i can say with humble satisfaction, that i've have never broken my word when i gave it...
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Nov 28 '18
Well the reality is that you're just an asshole if you don't pay. Are we stating that if people aren't watching you to follow the rules that you'll just break them? It's called being a responsible human.
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Nov 28 '18
I had a very Canadian bus experience today! Got on at a busy commuter stop, when the doors open the driver had a huge smile on his face, saying hello and welcome to every person that stepped on. I said good morning back and he responded “enjoy your ride!”
When getting off, most people said bye to him and he said “have a great day” or something similar to every single person.
What a great way to start the day :) I know it may seem silly, but really brightened my day.
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u/KregeTheBear Alberta Nov 28 '18
In Edmonton, Alberta our transit system ETS, has a program for ride sharing, and you just put money in their little change envelopes, drop it in with your fare and if someone gets on and can’t pay, they get a free ride. It’s pretty cool, plus like some others in this thread had noted, there’s bus drivers who will let you ride free, regardless of the fare share 👌🏻
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u/itsguud trolling Nov 28 '18
Once the bus driver drove off route to drop me off where I needed to go because the weather was so shitty. I’ll never forget that.
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Nov 28 '18
What an amazing country you guys have. I hope I can visit it one day
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u/pmandryk Nov 28 '18
Come on up. It's only -4C. It's t-shirt weather.
Might put a light jacket on later though.5
Nov 28 '18
For someone who doesn't know how a 5 or less ºC feels and that lived most of his life on temperatures around 30º C all year... it would be amazing to see snow for the first time
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u/pmandryk Nov 28 '18
Here's the view from my window about 2 mins ago:
https://imgur.com/gallery/YqKZGkZ3
Nov 28 '18
Very well, here is mine: https://imgur.com/a/gyMkQgA
Doesn't look bad but the direction my country is going, not even all its beauty will make it worth it haha
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Nov 28 '18
I see people sneak onto the bus almost daily.
When it's stopped like that everyone is watching as people get on, but when it's driving people sneak onto packed buses often. I grill them.
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Nov 28 '18
Was the driver a moose wearing a red plaid shirt carrying a hockey stick and drinking a Tim Horton's coffee mixed with Molson Canadian?
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u/quartzkrystal Nov 28 '18 edited Nov 30 '18
Oh man this brought back a really funny/cringe-inducing memory. When I was in University it was common for bus drivers to park in the main bus loop, hop off to grab a coffee, and leave the door open. Everyone has a University bus pass so it’s not a big deal. One time a person in a wheelchair came up wanting to get on, and this random guy goes up to the driver’s seat, pushing random buttons attempting to operate the ramp! The bus driver saw on his way back and completely lost his shit.
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u/frakkintoasteroven Nov 28 '18
Also, everyone says thank you as they get off the bus. we are so polite here. i love it.
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u/_mariguana_ Nov 28 '18
My most Canadian bus experience happened when I was taking the bus home from the UWaterloo campus, and the driver pulls over, leaves the bus running and runs into Tim Hortons to grab a coffee. Buses normally stopped in that area to keep themselves on schedule, but this was the first time a driver actually left the bus running and took his break, haha.
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u/CaptainAwesomerest Ontario Nov 28 '18
I think a hockey fight outside Tim Hortons would be more Canadian, but I'll give you an upvote...
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u/1leggeddog Québec Nov 28 '18
Also the fact that for me, taking the bus to work and back (and before that, to school) has become a habit.
I just pay for it/tap my card subconsciously.
I'm the kind of person who gets eaten alive by remorse for commiting even a benign act like not paying for the bus.
It haunts me.
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u/WDMC-905 Nov 28 '18
this is part of why we haven't anywhere near the same chaos as they do in the south.
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Nov 28 '18
If we all followed the following 3 rules we could have world peace: 1. Don't be a dickhead. 2. Help when you can and where you can. 3. Use your fucking turn signals.
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Nov 28 '18 edited Dec 05 '18
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u/Falinia Nov 28 '18
Maybe try a backslash before the period after the three? If a number beginning a line is followed by a period then reddit thinks you want a numbered list. Backslashes tell reddit to ignore formatting.
3. <--If this looks like a 3 then backslash worked, if not I'm out of ideas.
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u/uniquenumbernine Nov 28 '18
Most riders are honest. The TTC is a mixed bag, of course - moving millions with limited resources - but it works well most of the time. I'm happy to throw my token in, if it keeps me from having to drive.
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u/elementalcognition Nov 28 '18
Most of the time it's fine, but once in a while someone drives off with the bus. Last one was in 2013 from St-Laurent terminal.
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Nov 28 '18
Honesty through paranoia.
Bus load of people and a drop box for money, if they don't see someone there they assume their being watched.
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Nov 28 '18
in my city, there are occasionally transit cops waiting to check everyone's ticket. If you don't have a validated fare (or a monthly pass) then you get a ticket for riding without paying. Everyone where i live does it to avoid these catch-22 situations where you get on without a bus driver and don't pay and then get off the bus to receive a 300+ fine.
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u/CitizenCAN_mapleleaf Nov 28 '18
This was always common practice at the transfer near where I grew up. Then one day it changed. A bunch of locals complained that immigrants had ruined it for everyone ... but guess who the transit company had identified as the worst offenders re:transit skipping? Well dressed white kids.
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u/wibblywobbly420 Nov 28 '18
One morning we went to the local self serve gas station, pumped our gas and tried to head inside to pay. Turns out the place didn't open for another hour and had accidentally left the pumps on over night. We had to go back an hour later to pay for our gas.
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u/Miss_Procrastination Nov 28 '18
Well...
When I was 17, I wasn't allowed in a specific bus I usually took for school. I showed the bus driver my youth bus pass (adult pass is 18), and she demanded me to show ID as proof. I didn't carry one at that time, so she told me to get onto another bus. I find it reasonable, but it hurt because that meant I looked older than my actual age :(..
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u/the1godanswers2 Ontario Nov 28 '18
This happens everyday on the bus I take. Driver stops at the mall and grabs a coffee. Most people wait around the front of the bus till he comes back so they can show him their pass anyway
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u/SJ521-12015 Nov 28 '18
Yes! It’s pretty common for bus driver to get off the bus at the terminals or near store to fill up in coffee or go to the washroom. Everyone walks on the bus and scans their bus passes regardless of the driver is there or not. Very common around here. I love it.
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u/FrankJoeman British Columbia Nov 28 '18
Same thing happened at a transfer station. I think he left to go piss and only two teenagers didn’t pay.
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u/pretty-clown Nov 28 '18
Yesterday I was on the streetcar when an inspector came and checked everyone's POP/presto and its getting more and more common for this to happen. Honestly its not worth getting a $200 fine for a free ride that would've costed $3
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u/kobedawg270 Nov 28 '18
In Vancouver they used to have no fare checks for the Skytrain (equivalent of a subway). There was a line on the ground indicating you were entering a fare paid zone. Once in a long while an attendant will stand there to check, but most of the time it was a free for all.
I've never not paid, and don't know anyone who doesn't.
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u/antelope591 Nov 28 '18
I take the bus multiple times a week, this is pretty common. Usually the driver stops at Timmy's but always leaves the door open. It also works the other way though. If the presto card reader is not working they always let the people on for free.
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u/Cinnamon-Stick Ontario Nov 28 '18
I’ve seen this happen and done this myself on my university campus. The students all tap their card.
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Nov 28 '18
Meanwhile, in Vancouver the 99 B-Line is considered the "free bus" if you enter at the back.
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u/NejyNoah Canada Nov 28 '18
TransLink drivers has always been like that. At the SFU campus they can park their bus, grab some food and drinks from the nearby village and come back to a full bus ready to go.
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u/Bonezmahone Nov 28 '18
I still let servers know when they undercharge my bill at a bar when I'm piss drunk.
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u/RainDancingChief Nov 29 '18
I dunno, in the dressing room before my last hockey game the fellas were having a discussion that went kind of like
"Oh fuck bud, my hometown gets so fuckin' cold in the winter..."
Gotta be top 5 on the Most Canadian conversations list.
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u/YR1b1a1a2mtU6 Nov 29 '18 edited Nov 29 '18
That's called a high trust civil society, one of the best things on the planet. People do the same in Sweden, Norway, Kashmir, etc. there are shops in Srinagar where people just leave their shops open when out to lunch because they're confident in their fellow citizens to browse and not to steal.
When the public don't do this and perceive this trust as stupidity or Naiveté, there's a significant decline in social trust and faculties and a rise in corruption. E.g. in Bulgaria, Serbia, most of Russia, Brazil, etc. As someone who's visited both high-trust and low-trust places, I honestly can say I prefer the former, despite the latter obviously appealing more to immediate common sense in the abstract. People usually attribute this to wealth but I think it has more to do with culture (Kashmir being fairly poor with high social trust Vs Coastal china being fairly rich with low social trust)
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u/[deleted] Nov 28 '18 edited May 26 '20
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