A short video shows a TTC driver with his left foot on the dashboard, right wrist on the steering wheel and eating from a bag of chips.

But is this a case of distracted driving?

The footage was shot by 17-year-old high school student Gabriel Cordova, who said he was shocked by the driver’s behaviour.

“Eglinton is under so much construction and rickety enough as it is,” said Cordova, adding that he shot the footage on the 34A bus driving eastbound on Eglinton Ave. around Mount Pleasant Rd. at 5:40 p.m. on a recent evening.

TTC spokesperson Brad Ross said while bus drivers are permitted a snack or drink, that the behaviour in the video doesn’t qualify.

“This video does not demonstrate what the TTC considers appropriate.”

Drivers are permitted to eat when it is safe to do so, said Ross.

“Eating in that fashion would not be something we could condone… This is clearly not an appropriate way to be snacking.”

Lunch breaks for TTC operators “depend on the route, the time of day, and if you’re doing a split (shift),” he continued, which is why the TTC permits its employees to snack or drink when the vehicle is stopped. “There are also opportunities to eat lunch.”

More concerning to the TTC was the placement of the driver’s foot. The left foot is used to signal, said Ross, “a foot up on the dash is not a safe position for operators.”

TTC union president Bob Kinnear said his members are encouraged not to be consuming anything while in motion, but that they often work long hours without a break.

“Some of the shifts are up to nine and a half hours, without any break,” Kinnear said, “and I know from experience that you can become fatigued if you haven’t eaten.”

He added that he would have to know how long the bus operator was on the line to determine if the chips were justified.

As for the foot on the dash, Kinnear said the only thing he could assume was that the driver had a leg cramp. “But again, that wouldn’t be something we suggest or encourage,” he added.

Ross said the TTC would be trying to determine the driver’s identity and “deal with him appropriately.”

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Complaints with TTC operators are treated individually, with sanctions ranging from a warning to a potential suspension to outright dismissal.

Although the province’s Distracted Driving laws are aimed at hand-held devices, Ontario drivers can also be charged with Careless Driving, which carries penalties such as six demerit points, fines up to $2,000 and possible jail time.