Caging of transit and movie theatre ticketing employees

[mbg]

Does anyone know why these people are caged up behind plastic windows where you have to talk through a microphone to them?

I have seen this in Detroit before, where even convenience store employees sit behind bulletproof glass, but why do people like GO Transit and VIA train ticket people sit behind glass? And movie theatres are even more strange. The popcorn people don't, but the ticket people do.

[Hugh Jass]

Hazard a guess

[gman]

Does anyone know why these people are caged up behind plastic windows where you have to talk through a microphone to them?

I have seen this in Detroit before, where even convenience store employees sit behind bulletproof glass, but why do people like GO Transit and VIA train ticket people sit behind glass? And movie theatres are even more strange. The popcorn people don't, but the ticket people do.

Which cinema do you go to? Those I go to certainly do not have the cage.
For GO and VIA, I suspect in certain time, the service area has no staff attaining and they have to secure it.

[ronin1701]

Which cinema do you go to? Those I go to certainly do not have the cage.
For GO and VIA, I suspect in certain time, the service area has no staff attaining and they have to secure it.

Off the top of my head, some Cineplexes such as the one at Yonge & Sheppard do have enclosed booths. But the majority don't.

I think the difference is that at say Scotiabank or Yonge & Eglinton or Fairview the ticket counters are inside the cinema's premises.

On the other hand, if you go to Cineplex Yonge & Sheppard or to AMC Yonge & Dundas, the ticket counters are all out on the public concourse. In both cases, you have to go upstairs to actually get to the cinemas.

[transitguy1]

Does anyone know why these people are caged up behind plastic windows where you have to talk through a microphone to them?

I have seen this in Detroit before, where even convenience store employees sit behind bulletproof glass, but why do people like GO Transit and VIA train ticket people sit behind glass? And movie theatres are even more strange. The popcorn people don't, but the ticket people do.

They're dealing with money (ticket sales). Hence the secure sitting for them

[matdwyer]

Most of the caged ones are outdoor - i.e they can heat / cool the booth

[mbg]

They're dealing with money (ticket sales). Hence the secure sitting for them

But how many people pay for tickets with cash? And there are lots of places that deal with cash put don't cage their employees.

I wonder if it has to do with ticket theft or something... but that shouldn't be a concern if everything is electronic.

[mbg]

Most of the caged ones are outdoor - i.e they can heat / cool the booth

GO and VIA? I don't think they are.

[Purgatory]

They're dealing with money (ticket sales). Hence the secure sitting for them

Why are they any different than those who work as cashiers ?

[sandikosh]

If I was manning a ttc booth, I would want to be put in a cage to protect me from animals.

[ronin1701]

If I was manning a ttc booth, I would want to be put in a cage to protect me from animals.

I thought it was so they'd have a safe place to nap?

[ronin1701]

Why are they any different than those who work as cashiers ?

It's a matter of practicality.

If the cashier's cage had a hole in the front big enough to fit a watermelon or a DVD player, that would kinda defeat the purpose of having the cage/booth in the first place.

[BornRuff]

With the TTC, I think much of it is because the collector can often be the only staff member in a station, and they might be there late at night or when thousands of people are moving through their station every hour. It just makes things much safer to have them behind glass.

[illusion81]

Yup, we wouldn't want them getting robbed while they're taking a nap...

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/photos/2010/01/22/to-sleepingttc(2).jpg



With the TTC, I think much of it is because the collector can often be the only staff member in a station, and they might be there late at night or when thousands of people are moving through their station every hour. It just makes things much safer to have them behind glass.

[king_george]

Ticket sellers for theaters are usually rabid and have transmittable STDs. They're in a cage for a reason. :lol:

All GO and VIA ticket sellers are also in cages. But that's just to let people point and laugh at them.

[Jucius Maximus]

With the TTC, I think much of it is because the collector can often be the only staff member in a station, and they might be there late at night or when thousands of people are moving through their station every hour. It just makes things much safer to have them behind glass.

+1, if I was some TTC ticketing guy, I would want to be behind bullet proof glass because 0.01% of the people going through the station are crazies who will assault you for no reason at all.

[Simaahoy]

Does anyone know why these people are caged up behind plastic windows where you have to talk through a microphone to them?

I have seen this in Detroit before, where even convenience store employees sit behind bulletproof glass, but why do people like GO Transit and VIA train ticket people sit behind glass? And movie theatres are even more strange. The popcorn people don't, but the ticket people do.

Maybe because of past robbery attacks and for safety precautions

[stealth]

I think it's a holdover from the days when "stick-ups" were more common.

In today's environment it seems silly.

When I was In Atlanta 10 yes ago, they didn't even have manned ticket booths for their subway...all automated, cameras, turnstiles, and random security and police patrols. But Atlanta is less of a world class city than TO is ;)
Or less indentured to its unions I suppose.