“We want you to be candid,” said TTC chair Karen Stintz.

“We can take it,” said TTC chief general manager Gary Webster.

And the crowd that filled City Hall council chambers Thursday evening took them at their word at the first quarterly TTC town hall meeting that put transit executives face to face with riders.

A few conceded things have improved since public anger boiled over two years ago in a series of public embarrassments, including sleeping employees, rude transit workers and a mismanaged fare hike.

But many offered up the same complaints that led the TTC to appoint a blue ribbon customer service panel, hire a new customer relations chief and begin overhauling its culture.

With only 60 seconds each at the mikes, riders nevertheless spit out a litany of complaints: Their streetcars are short-turned, TTC employees are surly, the fare system is antiquated and there simply isn’t enough service.

Patricia Moore wanted to know why she waited 45 minutes at the Dundas station and took four hours to get home on Tuesday. Another woman in a wheelchair said she felt robbed when she paid her fare only to find the elevator at the subway station wasn’t working.

“It’s good to fill out the comment card but hearing from us face to face is a different kind of communication,” yelled one woman.

There was plenty of understanding but small comfort from TTC executives. Webster conceded the system is reducing service in January because of budget constraints imposed by the city.

“Service is the most important thing. We get that. But the reality is we don’t have the money to maintain our service,” he said.

“All the comments we’ve heard tonight and some of the anger is quite frankly part of the process,” said chief customer service officer Chris Upfold.

What riders had to say

”I want to know why the subway doesn’t start until 9 a.m. on Sunday. It’s very dirty. I think of people who have come from overseas and this is the first thing they see in Toronto. . . . Also, the old trains — the way they screech.”

—Siobhan Delamere, who lives near Jane and Bloor and works at a downtown legal firm

“I’m out in the Finch West area. The buses there are nonexistent. They’re always full. Maybe they need to look at that (high immigrant, low-income) community and service it a little more. Why would you be cutting it when you haven’t even got it right yet.”

—Brian Nash who uses the bus for work and the gym and doesn’t own a car

“The TTC is 20 to 30 years behind. There should have been a subway along Finch, along Eglinton, a west-end subway along Jane or Kipling. Our subway network is a joke. Horseback would probably be better.”

—Personal trainer Alex Marciano who often takes the GO from Rouge Hill near his Scarborough home

“We still operate under 19th century technology and I think there’s a better way to do it. I don’t understand why we still have tokens and tickets. Sometimes I have to wait in line just to put my little piece of paper in the box. I wish we had the political will to do better.”

—Yves Fournier, retired military veteran who lives near the High Park subway, who uses the TTC regularly but not often enough to warrant buying a monthly pass

“I’m here for customer service which is substandard. I’m really here because of the student card system. When there’s a dispute over fares the drivers like to boot you off the bus. It’s not right. They’re supposed to give students fare receipts but they just kick them off the bus.”

—Seneca College student Ryan Endoh

“I just gave up my vehicle because I found I wasn’t using it as often. I’ve been using the TTC a lot and I also joined AutoShare. The TTC is pretty good but I wouldn’t give it an A+ by any stretch. The route I take most often gets short-turned 60 per cent of the time. You’ve already waited for the vehicle and then you’re getting kicked off.”

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—Martes Attard, administrative assistant who takes the 504 streetcar to her job near King and John Sts.

“Every time I take the bus I see kids throwing garbage. It’s not that they want to throw garbage but there’s no garbage can on the bus. It’s such a small investment.”

—Samuel Getachew, Ryerson political science student who says he’s a happy customer