Lindsay's Lessons

Transit has been a hot topic in Toronto in recent years. From the excessively long time to finish our crosstown train line along Eglinton Ave to the poor state of our subways. A friend of mine who drives the streetcars/trams in Toronto often describes the streetcars as “Mobile homeless shelters and injection sites.” He had to watch helplessly once as an elderly woman was mugged on his route. Syringes, garbage and half eaten food are often left on transit. The transit in Toronto is poorly maintained, likely because it is poorly funded. However that also does not account for the state of the population riding it which has also been similarly marginalized  in recent years. Toronto’s transit is one of the least funded transit systems in North America and it shows. 

Then I get to Warsaw, Poland. Clean. Quiet. Everyone minding their own business. A distinct lack of crazy people and drug addicts on the trams. Safe. No garbage or half eaten food left on the seats. Certainly no syringes left lying around. Poland has a similar population to Canada and was one of the poorest countries in Europe just 35 years ago… so why the large difference in transit quality? Warsaw’s transit also gets significant funding from its municipal budget and also from the European Union. The metro is a newer system, opening in 1995 however  GDP per capita in Poland was only approximately $3600 back then – it is about ten times that number in 2026. 

Poland does have a significant social safety net when compared to North America and indeed in the winters an actual mobile homeless shelter of sorts drives around assisting those in need. 

Another factor is public safety is taken quite seriously in Warsaw. When conversing with local residents I found out that doing drugs in public or urinating on public transit while intoxicated or on drugs (their faces were aghast when I specifically mentioned these scenarios as if I was describing aliens landing in the centre of the city and snatching people up) would be dealt with swiftly by transit security or local police. The offender would find themselves a shelter in the drunk tank for the rest of the day or be taken to the local hospital if they were severely impaired or seemed to be otherwise unwell. Disruptive behaviour on Polish transit has severe consequences and can result in criminal charges and jail time. In Poland the police have the right to detain anyone suspected of offences for 48 hours without charges. In Toronto, finally as of May 2026 (as of this writing) transit special constables have been authorized to arrest people for drug use or disruptive behaviour on transit. 

Solicitor General Michael Kerzner told reporters “Far too many Ontarians are encountering individuals whose behaviour is affected by these substances in their day-to-day lives, on their way to work.”  ¹ Of course, the Canadian Civil Liberties association maintains that more policing will not assist with public drug use. But how does one explain cities like Warsaw with their clean, safe transit and lack of public mischief when riding it? There are significant consequences for drug use and possession in Poland for one so perhaps this deters people from such behaviour in the first place. Is there less motivation to be driven to despair in Poland or does swift policing and an importance placed on public order make the difference?

The other large difference besides the safety factor is the cleanliness. Every time during my stay in Warsaw that I stepped into a Metro station I saw someone pushing a broom or a mop. The trams were spotless as was the subway late into the evening. Over 90% of riders in Warsaw have regarded the metro system as clean ². Again, the cleanliness is also maintained through some policing efforts and as well as a society that self-polices and frowns upon littering or defacing public property. There are significant fines for littering on the public transit. “…under the Order Regulations of Warsaw Public Transport, passengers are required to keep the stations and trains clean. If your littering behavior causes a disturbance, delays, or damages transit property, you could be held liable for additional cleaning or service disruption fees.”³ Such fines can range from 20PLN  (approximately $7.50 CAD) to 5000PLN (approximately $1900 CAD) for littering on transit. ³ 

So dear reader, I will leave you with these images of transit. I also took the subway on a Saturday evening at 11pm which is also pictured here. No disturbances. No intoxicated people. No harassment. Then I also got off the subway and walked safely to my hotel without anyone bothering me quite late at night. What would you rather ride? Warsaw’s Transit or the TTC?

1 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-transit-constables-arrest-drug-use-9.7186586

2 https://cleanwhale.pl/en/blog/spotless-tracks-what-makes-the-warsaw-metro-shine
3 https://warszawa19115.pl/-/oplaty-dodatkowe