i laughed and said, 'hey it's like i work for the TTC now'. the chinese tourist laughed and repeated to her husband, 'oh ha ha he say he like as if werking for TEETEECEE'. (i don't mind imitating accents of any nation. when done with the right intention i think it is a perfectly acceptable practice.)
lovely.
they all were grateful and i hopped on the southbound train to dundas where i was going to transfer to the streetcar to take me a few blocks east to jarvis where i had a meeting with my lawyer.
i realized as the streetcar approached that i had absent-mindedly forgotten to get a transfer at the station. so i waited for everyone else to get aboard and when i got on the car i said to the driver, with good manners i should add, "hi. look. i'm really sorry. i forgot to get a transfer. i don't suppose you could take my word for it?".
now i had another token so i knew i was covered and what i expected was either a quick once over and a friendly nod of the head, or, more likely the customary, "3 bucks like everyone else", but what i got was a despondant, nay a despairing, "i-don't-give-a-shit-any-more. si'down."
boy was he expressing some serious job dissatisfaction! i wasn't expecting that so i stumbled and said something like, 'ah geez' and then dropped the token in the box (thereby paying double the fare!) and i sat down.
the gesture seemed to do something to him. i don't what. i think it somehow cheered him up. i think i might have in a small way improved his job satisfaction. he kept looking ta me in the mirror and sort of smiling. sort of. maybe it allowed him to give a shit again? i don't know.
in any case, today i feel like i've given a little bit back to the TTC. i still may be going to jail in 6 weeks but at least i'll have today.
