It's the question that's asked every three years: why isn't the TTC an essential service?
And while many riders are issuing that query again, the powers-that-be simply won't address it. Certain professions - like police, EMS and firefighters - aren't allowed to go out on strike in Ontario. But the TTC, whose absence can paralyze the city in just a few hours, has never been on that list. And so far, Queen's Park, which has the ability to change the designation, hasn't been even remotely tempted to try it.
"There are one-and-a-half million transit users every day who count on this system," is all Premier Dalton McGuinty will say. "This is not a luxury. It's not an option for them. It's an absolute necessity. So I would impress upon both sides the importance of finding some way through this."
But he refused to talk about back to work legislation, a move that will almost certainly take place if the strike drags on past just a few days.
For its part, the city isn't asking for the designation to be altered, either. "We're not going to deal with hypothetical situations right now," TTC Chair Adam Giambrone hedges. "It's my job as chair to work with our staff, work with the commission towards a negotiated settlement."
But riders, who can't be blamed for believing they face this same scenario every three years, believe it's no longer a case of if but when. And they're hoping the essential tag comes soon.
"We use a bus all the time," complains Nicole Posseterie. "So without it we wouldn't even be able to come to school."
What would happen if back to work legislation is ordered? To find out,
click here.