Here’s what
some readers think of the seats in TTC vehicles. Jim Murphy of
Toronto writes, “I have been riding the bus, streetcar, subway and
RT on and off for 34 years. My experience with back pain led me to
sit exclusively in the front/back facing seats due to the jostling
nature of the rush hour commute on both the bus and subway trains.
He adds, “Most
men's shoulders are wider than the width of the current seats. If
you had men exclusively sitting sideways you could have a strange
domino effect with the last person ending up on their side.”
Erik Nippak of
Toronto points out the dimensions of TTC seats are appropriate in
summer but “as soon as it gets colder and commuters are wearing
overcoats, ALL the seating on the TTC is unbearable. The seats are
simply too narrow for over half the year.”
Grethe Lund of
Toronto writes, “As far as the fabric on the seats goes, I find that
it usually is so stained that you're worried about it rubbing off on
your clothes, as you aren't sure how new/old those stains are.
“Facing forward
or back is my personal preference; in that way you don't have to
‘face’ the people across the aisle ... or if the bus/subway is
crowded, you're not as likely to have your toes stepped on.”
Daniel Saraga
of Toronto disagreed with my take on trains equipped only with
sideways-facing seats. “New York City's subway system is
first-class. Their sideways-only-seat cars are very easy to navigate
through -- even when crowded. Lots of stainless steel and no fabric
on the seats at all. Those NYC subway cars can practically be hosed
down from the inside. It's that easy. A spilled triple-latte sops up
in seconds using the morning copy of USA Today, and the seat is
ready to use again.
“We couldn't do
the same with a Tim Horton's Iced Cappuccino on a fabric T-1 seat.
It would be out of commission for the rest of the morning.
“Maybe a tear-
and puncture-resistant vinyl can be used for padded seats in the
future, however, I don't see that happening anytime soon. The days
are numbered for the few remaining padded seats only found on the
Bloor-Danforth line.
He adds, “Your
comment about ‘the first seats taken are often the ones facing
forward or back’ is a bit (off). The ‘outside’ seat of the
forward/back-facing seats may be preferred. The inside seat -- the
cramped, locked-in, least-accessible corner -- is usually the last
one to go.”
What I was
suggesting in last week’s column is that when riders enter an empty
train, they often gravitate to the most 'surrounded' seat possible
-- one next to a wall, preferably facing forward or back. In the
middle of a line, when things are busier, riders may opt for the
seats that are easier to access.
By early June,
riders will be able to tour and critique the TTC’s proposed layout
for new subway cars.