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TTC operator James Lockhart says he’s been assaulted way too many times to count.

When I spoke to Lockhart — who drives the late relief bus from 5 p.m. to around 3 a.m. on various routes — he was off for the latest attack.

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He said he was assaulted after telling a “constant offender with no transfers” he could no longer ride for free. The 80-year-old gentleman, he said, “freaked out” and punched him in the right shoulder while the bus was in motion.

When the man came at him with a cane, he stopped the bus and called the cops. He says the cops didn’t want to charge him because of his age.

He says he’s been “chastised many times”and given lectures for collecting fares.

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“I’ve been told we’re supposed to educate them (fare evaders),” he said.

“Everybody (every commuter) knows that nothing is going to happen to them … It (fare evasion) is getting worse every year.”

He added that the big brass seem to be more worried about operators not wearing a tie than collecting fares.