The days of regular incidents of violence on public transit in Toronto may be behind us, but residents are still flagging what feels like an increase in safety issues in public spaces as of late, including on the TTC.

One new video from the weekend shows not an attack of any sort (thank goodness) but an instance of someone smoking some type of illicit substance on TTC property, and not for the first time in recent memory, either.

The viral clip, shared to Reddit on Saturday, comes just a few months after a similar, widely-shared video showed someone smoking what bystanders presumed to be crack on a packed bus, prompting fears about the direction that T.O. is heading in.

This new footage shows someone partaking in the same activity inside the doors of a TTC station, where smoking of any type is, of course, prohibited.

"This happens every night when I commute back from downtown; sometimes there are 3-5 people smoking from glass pipes here," the concerned citizen wrote along with a short recording of someone casually lighting some sort of drug paraphernalia up in Finch Station.

"I have seen at least a dozen people walk out of that escalator area scared waiting for the bus... the buses only come here every half hour this late and [we are] stuck here when it's winter and too cold to wait."

Man smoking meth pipe at Finch infront of the escalators
byu/Myiudfellout69 inTTC

The individual claims to have reported these repeat incidents to the proper authorities in the past, but worries they may be taking place just outside of security camera view — and that they pose a potential danger and health risk to those forced to walk past while using the station, inhaling the smoke on their way.

While the post does not show the kind of shocking violence we've seen in other TTC clips, the consensus in the comments is that people making their way around the city deserve to feel safe, and this sort of sighting has the complete opposite effect.

Some chimed in with their own unfortunate encounters on public transit, including one who says they witnessed a man "hurling abuses at everyone," also at Finch station. "Glass shattering biweekly, syringes, abusers... sadly, it seems like the new normal here," they lamented.

Another likewise said they recently witnessed a man expose themselves publicly on the premises after smearing feces over public handrails that were left uncleaned for, by their own count, a week.

And yet another noted they saw an individual smoking "meth or crack" at Ossington station just this past week.

"I am sick of feeling threatened every day commuting here," the original poster added in the ensuing conversation. "I am always expecting something to happen to me every day like it is just a matter of time."

This was a regular occurrence on the 505 streetcar in the winter.

— Anthony Corsi (@big_tweeze) July 7, 2023

TTC spokesperson Stuart Green tells blogTO that, unfortunately, the arrival of the colder weather usually correlates with an uptick of these sorts of issues inside stations, and that the commission is doing its best to address it.

"We’ve brought in experts in mental health, addiction and homelessness to assist in this regard," he says. "When we're made aware, we address issues, including cleanup. So we would ask anyone seeing this activity or any related concerns to report it immediately."

Just yesterday, the city shared the news of a new five-year strategy to address the ongoing mental health and substance use crises with further supports.