‘Don’t do it; it was a drunken moment:’ subway joyrider
Posted February 26, 2018 5:26 pm.
Last Updated September 22, 2018 4:10 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The man who filmed himself hitching a reckless ride on the back of a TTC subway has a message for potential copycats: “Don’t do it.”
“I don’t want people seeing the video and thinking it’s OK to do what I did,” he told CityNews in a phone interview Tuesday. “It was a drunken moment.”
The 20-year-old York University student told CityNews he shot the video about a year ago and got the idea after seeing someone pull a similar stunt on the New York City subway system.
A brief video clip shows him clinging to the back of a speeding subway while shouting “on the back of a train!” into his camera.
“I saw a video of some guys doing the same thing with a train in New York City. I was 11 out of 10 drunk and I remember thinking ‘hey, I want to do this, this is a like a bucket-list item type of thing.’ ”
After shooting the video he posted it to an Instagram group.
It has since gained the attention of thousands online, as well as angry TTC authorities and a perturbed Mayor John Tory.
Tory said he’s seen the video and he didn’t mince words when asked about it.
“You can’t legislate against stupidity,” the mayor said during a TTC media event in Scarborough on Tuesday.
“I hope that nobody will think that it’s funny,” he added. “It is dangerous and it imperils people’s lives and I just hope it isn’t repeated.”
TTC spokesman Stuart Green was equally unimpressed. Green called it an “incredibly dumb thing” to do and said the TTC would be pursuing charges.
“We do have an investigation underway,” Green told CityNews on Monday. “We are taking it incredibly seriously.”
“This has to be one of the strangest and dumbest things we’ve seen on our property in a long time.”
The joyrider says he’s been in touch with the TTC and is meeting with transit officials on Thursday where he will present them with an apology letter.
“I totally understand their concerns and they have every right to be upset,” he said.
“I don’t want people to use this as an example and get hurt because of it, that’s the last thing I’d want.”
It’s not clear if the TTC will follow through on its vow to charge the man, but according to the TTC website, he could face a $235 fine for Travel on exterior of vehicle along with other possible charges, including Unauthorized use of transit system equipment, which carries an even steeper $425 fine.
Aside from the obvious risks to life and limb, TTC misbehaviour often leads to a significant amount of avoidable service delays.
Here’s a look at some of the numbers from 2017.
