A transit rider is speaking out after witnessing a parent with their child unable to get into a Toronto subway station with a token.
According to her, problems started before even entering the subway station for the unsuspecting parent and child.
Twitter user Kaila Hunte shared on Monday how she had to step in as a Good Samaritan and help a parent out after they were left stranded outside transit gates, with their child.
“A parent of a new little baby was trying to get to the elevator at Coxwell station. Naturally, you can only access the elevator after paying your fare. This parent had a token to pay their fare and get to where they needed to be,” she wrote in a Twitter thread.
“Despite having their fare this parent was unable to pay and access the elevator to the Line 2 platform. They couldn’t pay because the farebox was locked. The only way to get into the station today was with a presto card,” she continued.
Hunte said she didn’t realize what was happening until the parent began shouting and was growing frustrated by the second.
“It is rare for Coxwell station to have TTC staff present in the station despite it being a crew change stop for operators. There was no one to unlock the farebox to allow this person to pay their fare,” she continued.
In the end, Hunte said she tapped her PRESTO to let the parent gain access and made sure they grabbed a transfer slip to avoid getting caught by “transit cops” and potentially going home with a $425 fine for fare evasion.
Hunte tweeted she wants the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to know that people’s access matters, as well as their ability to get from A to B with little hiccups.
Now Toronto has reached out to the TTC for a comment but has not yet received a response.
Editor’s Note: This story previously identified the parent as a specific gender and has since been corrected.
