TTC collector (one making over $125K) caught stealing cash fares

[travelgeek]

I guess a $125,000/year is not enough to simply sit in a booth and watch passengers drop coins/tokens into a fare box

Theft charges laid against TTC collectors

Three men charged with skimming fares at stations

Melissa Leong, National Post
Published: Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Police have charged three Toronto Transit Commission ticket-booth employees with theft after they allegedly pocketed subway fares, and detectives say they expect more arrests.

Officers arrested a collector working at the Queen subway station yesterday morning. Two other employees were charged last week. It appears that one of those arrested had shown up on the province's "sunshine list" for earning more than $125,000 last year -- and that was before any alleged ill-gotten gains.

Police allege that after riders paid their fares with cash, the collectors would take the money and wave them through the gate.

Police began an investigation in June, going undercover and reviewing surveillance footage, after a member of the public complained that a collector allegedly stole a fare.

"This individual asked, for example, for five tokens. One of the TTC [employees] gave him four tokens ... and waved the person through. This person said, 'No, I'm supposed to put my token in the cash box,' " Detective Rob Ermacora said.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/can...tml?id=1838639

[webomen]

This is just sad ... i think everyone is sick hearing from city workers abusing the system, don't you think!? They already seem to get overpaid for what they are doin...but again that is for you to judge. I don't see a $122,000 service for collecting tickets...jeez

[Natalka]

Greed just knows no bounds.
And why the heck is the salary so high to start with? - that's ridiculous! Teachers only make about 40K, for gosh' sake.

[Bloo]

I am sure there are others who do it once in a while..I hope they al get caught

[batman1978_]

This is just sickening. Now we know why the TTC is always in financial troubles.

[SavingKarina]

yeah, if they can stop these people from stealing, maybe we wouldn't see the TTC raise fares yet again.

[LoRaOz]

That is so sad! It makes you wonder....

[1764]

$125k... so that's why they can't afford to upgrade their equipment.

[thecountess]

Disgusting. It always amazes me that it's often the people whose compensation is already disproportionate to their contribution to the organization who steal the most.
A CEO can rake in millions in salary and stock options, but no siree that's not enough, they have to siphon off millions more.... meanwhile a labourer at the same company who does back breaking work for 30 grand a year and barely makes it through each day returns a wallet he found on the sidewalk to it's rightful owner with everything intact.

In the case of TTC this is why fares keep going up. I'm sure we will hear of more arrests, other toll collectors who have been doing it for years.

and and