PUP Got the TTC to Apologize for Being So Rude on Twitter

"Hi Pup, you're right," admitted a Toronto Transit Commission rep
PUP Got the TTC to Apologize for Being So Rude on Twitter
Photo: Jess Baumung
By Alex Hudson
Published Jun 05, 2020
The Toronto Transit Commission is planning to resume handing out tickets for fare evasion by the summer, and if you think that sounds like a questionable idea during a pandemic, you're not the only one. In fact, a Twitter argument about fare evasion got so heated that the TTC apologized for being rude to Torontonians — and it's thanks in part to PUP.

Some background: the argument began when Toronto journalist Norm Wilner tweeted that the TTC giving out transit tickets is a "bad idea." In response, Twitter user @sam_chater speculated that the transit company was "looking to cash in on those insane fines to make up for revenue," and also tagged the official account @TTChelps.

In the ensuing back-and-forth, the TTC customer service representative gave a snippy reply complaining about Chater's "derogatory rhetoric."

Soon after, PUP got involved, tweeting, "What an embarrassing and immature way to speak to Torontonians. Goodness gracious."

Evidently being called out by a beloved local pop-punk band (along with dozens of other local residents) was more than the TTC could bear, since the customer service rep apologized and promised to "be doing better going forward."

See the tweets below.

Now that PUP has got the TTC to start backpedaling, maybe now could be the perfect time to pressure the company to reduce its exorbitant fare evasion fines. Under the current rules, neglecting to pay the $3.25 fare can result in an astronomical fine of up to $425 — something that's particularly harsh in light of the difficult economic times many transit riders find themselves in during a pandemic.