Drug testing at TTC

Bring up the TTC to any resident in Toronto, and everyone has a story about a bad experience; it's a big organization that deals with hundreds and thousands of people everyday - it's gonna happen.

Ask a group of HR folks their thoughts on random drug and alcohol testing, and I think you'll be met first with silence before a variety of opinions an experiences.

So what happens when you combine the two?

Well first check out this video from HR Reporter by clicking anywhere in this sentence.

The discussion around it typically comes up in industrial settings like mining or manufacturing; to compare us to the US is like night and day, they apparently test all the time (yes, I know the employment laws are different).

But laws aside for a second, doesn't it make sense ethically for the TTC to do this?

I mean ask anyone who has kids if they are against it, do you really want a 10,000 pound (not verified) steel tube barreling through the suburbs?

I think they should, it would add to their accountability  - especially after that issue around that group who recently got caught issuing false tickets.

But this is my opinion, what do you think? Should public transit workers (anywhere) be subject to random drug/alcohol testing?

Bullying is Human... Unfortunately

Good or bad, I think everyone has bullied and been bullied at some point in their life.

I think if any of us could turn back the hands of time, few of us would want to go back to grade 9.  Over the past few days there has been alot of discussion about Amanda Todd, the girl who committed suicide over being bullied.

While I think it is unfortunate that anyone at any age feels suicide is the only way out, I don't think any level of legislation is going to stop people from bullying each other.

Look at the dictionary.com definition of bullying:

a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people.



Based on this definition, my last blog on the mayor of Toronto could be considered bullying.  And not to defend myself, but how many people in Toronto have not said anything negative about the man?

Bullying, like fighting, is a primitive way of moving yourself up the social ladder - by putting someone down, you feel above them.

It moves us up the social ladder because (perhaps subconsciously) as a group, humans support bullying to a strong extent.

Think I'm off the mark with this statement?

Think of the success of:

- Insult comics
- Movies depicting 'dumb people'
- Celebrity Roasts
- Tabloids critiquing celebrities
- Politicians badmouthing each other debating

I'm not going to suggest that all of the above be banned or removed from the public eye... it wouldn't happen.  So legislating anti-bullying won't work either... sorry NDP.

So how do we support our youth?

It may not be able to be done solely in the classroom, but at some point we need to start teaching resilience (click here for 14 ways!).

It's not going to be easy, but it has been proven effective.

Sometimes 'ignoring' bullies is not enough - you have to stand up against them.  Sometimes, we need to help victims take a stand.

Was I bullied when I was young? Yes, I'm human.

Did I eventually learn to be resilient.  I sure did...

Did my resilience mean I never got bullied again? No, but I know I am better than them!

How do we teach resilience?

One day at a time.  It is not teachers, or parents, or volunteers at after school programs - it is all of us.  In my opinion it is done best through not coddling kids but encouraging 3 things:

1. Positive self-image (earned, not given)
2. Independent decision-making (let your kids make choices for themselves from time-to-time)
3. Self development (through sport, music, or other active hobby)


Maybe I'm wrong, it's happened once before, but I don't see bullying ever not existing - that is why we need to prepare people to stand up for their individuality.