CTA Tattler

The showdown turned stalemate

Here's a scary El moment, brought to you by a Tattler reader. Post your fun stories here and we'll spotlight the best of them.

I once witnessed a pretty scary moment. But first lemme say that I myself have spent some good times in the Hobo Corner. It's a good place to have a drink or whatever.

So anyway, I was on the Orange Line going to Midway. The car I was on wasn't that full. But the key players in this story are: a young white girl, sitting alone; a young scary looking Mexican kid, maybe 20-23 years old sitting directly behind her; a middle aged black guy (not a professional, but not a bum or anything); and a few randoms.

So we're riding, and all of the sudden I hear someone (it turned out to be the Mexican kid) yell "BOOM!!!" And you see people on the train kind of looking around like what the hell was that? It turned out that this Mexican kid had pointed his finger at the back of the girl's head like it was a gun and pretended to pull the trigger.

So he gets up (this is around the Randolph Orange Line stop) and he walks up to the black guy and stands right in front of him -- and you can tell the Mexican guy is totally wasted. Either tripping or drunk or I don't know .... But he was in another world. And he gets in the black guy's face, and he starts saying, “You hungry man? You hungry???”

CTA Insider on role of the "customer assistant"

Here's another contribution from our anonymous "CTA Insider," telling us about the CTA's "customer assistants." (Email me or click comments below to post a question for him/her.)

The "CA" (customer assistant) position was made to cover the "ticket agent" position that was being phased out.

What happened was the ticket agent was a money-handling job. With the new fare machines being implemented, that was turned into a graveyard of employees who were picking that job and they were grandfathered into the position. As it is those employees hadn't been picking the RTO (rail transit operator) position in decades in some instances. They would need to be retrained as RTOs ... and these are not the people you want running your railroad. Age was a factor too.

So the union made a deal to save those jobs and leave them in jobs that they were most comfortable with -- though those jobs may not be the best for them. (Many times I've cringed at the CAs' responses to simple questions).

It is also a training position for new hires when no spots are open in RTO training.

About the dogs: The K9s were under outside contracts that I believe have run out and may be up for bid now or they feel they don't need them anymore. There were many customer complaints about the dogs' treatment and the handlers training was brought into question.

I got hit in the leg by the muzzle on one dog as he lunged at me and the handler thought it was funny (untrained dog + untrained handler = LAWSUITS!!!)

Now we have badly paid security guards with no weapons guarding equipment that no one can steal. (They are not there for the people.)

Let's invade CTA chair's blog!

The competition is mounting! CTA Chair Carole Brown now has her own blog, as Tony from Save Chicago Transit and a commenter here have noted this week.  She invites questions and comments, so we should take her up on it!

Her post about the Progress in Springfield contained this interesting note:

"CTA's fares have increased over 95% since 1983, faster than the rate of inflation. Metra fares have increased just 20%. If CTA had received sufficient funding to hold fares to a 20% increase, today's fare would be just $1.10, and ridership would be 70 million trips higher."

We'll keep an eye on her and report interesting stuff she utters. Meanwhile, we should be asking her some of the questions that the CTA Insider answers.

CTA Insider on "waiting for signals ahead"

Here's the CTA Insider (details here) on what "waiting for signals ahead" really means:

There are track sections that are controlled by signal trips. These trips are metal bars that, after a train makes it past, roll up to keep another train from entering that section of track.

If a train tries to enter this section ahead of schedule the trip hits a switch on the underside of the undercarriage and throws the train into "emergency." That stops the train completely and the motorperson has to reset the train, plus explain to the Control Center how a trip was hit. (The controllers can see on their boards that one was hit.)

When the motorperson gets to the next terminal they are taken out of service, and have to make a drug/alcohol drop. They are interviewed by a manager the next time a manager has an opening, and not allowed to work until after all these criteria are met.

That's what happened on the Brown line that time the Brown/Purple hit each other, only the motorman had gotten clearance to proceed ahead through a trip and then managed to rearrange his front end.

[Got a question for the CTA Insider on what happens behind the scenes at the CTA? Either email me or pose the question in Comments below.]

The traveling circus on El train

Last week a friend and I rode the Red Line home from U.S. Cellular Field after the White Sox beat the Twins to win the two-game series.

I thought we were riding on a traveling circus car. First, two 14-year-old boys sat across from each other, taking turns shooting dice. One had a deft move with the dice where he snapped his fingers after each roll. I soon figured out rolling a 7 meant you gave up the dice.

Meanwhile, further down the aisle, two dudes in their early-20s lay completely prone in their seats, long legs reaching across the aisle to rest on the other seat.

At the Washington stop, two 20-something gals in black shirts boarded, one pushing a bike and wearing a fire-engine red bicycle helmet. Beyond those two, I see a 30-ish guy in a blue oxford shirt feverishly typing away on a laptop.

At Belmont, a 30-ish guy boards and stands across from us. He's wearing a white pleated shirt, gray charcoal pants with a white pinstripe through them, and carrying a medium-sized black purse with a pink ribbon affixed.

Finally, a blind guy comes tapping through with his cane, begging for money.

Just another night on the traveling circus known as the Red Line.

Kinder, gentler celling

A woman sits next to me on the Red Line heading into the Loop and pulls her cell phone out of her purse. Oh, great! I thought. I have to withstand another inane cell phone conversation. And really, who do you have to talk to at 7:30 a.m.

But she fools me. She starts furiously thumbing the keypad on her phone and then presses Send with a slight smile on her face. Within two to three minutes, her phone buzzes. She reads the reply, and then answers in turn. She repeats this for three rounds of text messages.

How civilized.

As opposed to the woman behind us, whining on her phone at the same time to a friend about how hard it is to buy her first home. It's so hard, she keeps saying. Finally, she hangs up, and I notice her eyes have teared up.

Sorry, I just didn't know it was that hard!

Kruesi asks for suburbs' sales tax hike

He speaks! Yes, that was CTA president Frank Kruesi calling on the state legislature to increase the state sales tax for the collar counties to 1% to help pay for increased funding to the CTA. Cook County already pays 1% in sales tax for mass transportation.

Read the Tribune story for some interesting tidbits about how much each area contributes to CTA/RTA funding.

Also, Redeye, the Tribune's sister publication, features a fun column by transit writer Alison Neumer about CTA behavior guidelines, and how the offenses will only worsen if the CTA cuts service in July.

CTA Insider on "where have all the janitors gone?"

Recently a CTA employee contacted me to say he would like to contribute anonymously to this blog about what happens behind the scenes on the CTA. He (though I'm not sure it's a he) only requests that I refer to him as the CTA Insider. Here is his first tidbit:

Where did all the Janitors go?

The janitorial department is down to a skeleton crew on the Brown Line. Workers are being assigned to clean five stations per janitor, meaning on the evening shift there may be just two people on an entire line.

Some lines on a Saturday or Sunday have one person to cover everything. Subway is the same way.

[Got a question for the CTA Insider on what happens behind the scenes at the CTA? Either email me or pose the question in Comments below.]

Prone Vertical sleeper

People like to sleep on the El or bus. That's not unusual. I see sleepers virtually every day on the Red Line. But this day was different.

I saw a woman sleeping while standing.

I could see her eyeballs kinda rolled up in the back of her eye sockets. She stood right by the doorway, her pinky finger barely hanging on to the pole.

Do you sleep on the train or bus? Do you ever oversleep? Do you worry about missing your stop?

Split personalities

I board the Red Line going north at North And Clybourn at about 8:30 p.m. I sit next to a big, tall, fat guy talking on his cell phone.

Call No. 1: "Hi, this is Bob, the manager of the Doubletree Inn in Skokie. We would like to discuss the bed you and your five boy friends broke down when you stayed at our hotel last week. We would like to be informed about how you plan to compensate us for the cost of the bed. You have my number."

Call No. 2: "Hi, this is Jason. We were just wondering if you guys were ever going to call us again or if you're, like, avoiding us. You have my cell number is you decide to call.

New site takes up transit funding cause

Tony Coppoletta, a self-proclaimed "urban and transit enthusiast and IT consultant," has put together a Web site laying out the funding challenges the CTA faces and what we can do about it. I like the site because it's a straight-forward, unbiased look at the problem.

Check it out here. Below is the introduction from his home page.

A call to the president from Fullerton platform

Thanks to Alle for sharing this fun Tattler nugget with us.

This happened to me last week at the Fullerton stop, as I was waiting for the Brown Line going north. It was around7:30 or so, too early for the real crazies to be out. Or so I thought.

The Red Line (what a shock!) came through, depositing its passengers on the platform. They all trickled away as they always do, except for one homeless man, who walked up and down the platform, yelling loudly to no one in particular. "Oh, fine! Must be nice to have a college degree! I ain't got no college degree! I don't even got a family to go back to!"

After five minutes or so of this, during which he told us his reasons why his family wouldn't have him ("Not until you get a job," or "Until you're a functional alchoholic"), his attention was caught by the phones in the middle of the platform. He walked over to one and pretended to dial a number. I honestly hope he was doing this to be funny, knowing that we were all listening, but who can be sure?

"National security? I need the President. No, I will not hold. You put me through young man, or...I mean NOW. I mean YESTERDAY. If you value your job..."

He then waited, presumably while he was connected to the White House. "Hello, Mr. President! Yes...yes...yes, phase one has begun...yes...yes...yes. Alright there, Mr. President. You tell your old man I say hello, and GOD BLESS AMERICA."

The Brown Line then came and I got on, but the last thing I heard, he was asking another CTA patron for money, because "calls to Washington aren't cheap, you know."

A song for Jesus

I sit next to a 35-year-old woman intently reading a binder filled with church music.

As the train picks up speed and noise in the tunnel, she begins singing softly to herself, with eyes closed. She's not real loud or obnoxious. In fact, she has a fine voice.

She's singing "Jesus Thou My Heart's Delight."

Early-morning seat jostling

"Next time just knock me down!" screamed the woman to the man who beat her to an empty seat, at 7 a.m. on the Red Line.

The guy just smiled, with blue plastic rosary beads adorning his neck.

Chewin' on some fake fish

I board the Red Line and sit next to a 25-year-old guy wearing headphones, rap music blasting from them. He was desperately trying to open one of those prepackaged fresh sushi containers. It holds what appears to be shrimp and lobster.

He turns over the container, and sings as he closely examines the ingredients label. Suddenly, he screams across the aisle to his friend: "It's fake! The fish! It's fake!"

With that, he opens the container and eats one. Then he returns to his music, literally dancing in his seat next to me, and wildly gesturing to the music.

A poetic Tattler tale

This Tattler Tale, told as a poem, comes from my brother Dan, a published poet. Nice.

Seen From Afar on the Blue Line
Circa 5:40 PM, Wednesday, April 13, 2005

He moved through the train
like a mouse doused in Tabasco might
travel through a snake—-
the skin of the train-people bulged
and parted for him, with scrunched faces.

He had the floppy style of a
late-middle aged businessman
who had gotten drunk all afternoon
and was now trying to get back
to where he started,
in his blue suit.

He tried one standing point after another,
and settled finally
at the edge of one of the
accordion-style doors,
befuddled and interested in everything,
squinting to see here and there,
with a frown that didn’t indicate sadness
but concentration, so as to stand.

Upon pulling up at Grand,
he took the last opportunity
to poke his head out,
and see what was what out there,
and of course
the doors were closing
as we are so often admonished
that they will do,
and the doors snapped up his big glasses
before he could pull his whole head back in,
and they were gone.

He made one of his mouse-moves through the train,
finding the blue button for conductor,
but apparently
some riders disabused him of that notion,
because it was no use.
They seemed to indicate
that the best approach
would be to leave the train
at Chicago
and catch the next one back
to Grand and
try to retrieve the spectacles.

And so he did.
And with that,
our spectacle was gone,
and the snake bulled northwest,
gobbling new mice.

Daniel X. O'Neil

A pinch and a snort in Hobo Corner

Thanks to Scott for sharing this intoxicating tale:

Ah, springtime on the CTA.

Yesterday was a new one for me. I was standing in the hobo compartment, looking into the next car. I glanced in the reflection and noticed that the gentleman sitting right next to me appeared to be snorting something off of his hand.

Fascinated, I continued to watch as he pulled out a small packet and a straw and continued to snort. He then dabbed his finger into the packet and rubbed his finger on his gums before carefully folding the packet back up and putting it in his pocket.

Oh, and if you're reading this, crazy cokehead man, I was just looking at the brunette in the next car. I didn't see anything.

A smashing good time

After a couple of days of griping about the damned CTA service cuts, it's time to get back to some crazy commuting tales. Thanks to Alma for sharing this one. Share yours here.

On the Blue Line inbound from Forest Park during morning rush, a dirty, drunk-looking 30-something woman boards the train and sits, splay-legged near the doors. She proceeds to polish off the remains of her 40-ouncer (discreetly tucked inside a brown paper bag).

Then, at the Clinton stop, she stands up and chucks the bag -- bottle inside -- out the train doors. It shatters loudly. She sits back down, and gives an exasperated sign, and crosses and uncrosses her legs (clad in dirty sweatpants). Sure enough, moments later, a CTA employee steps onto the train, looks at the woman, and asks "did you throw out a bottle and break it?"

She answers "I threw out my bag and it broke." The CTA employee steps away and returns with a policewoman and a private security guard with a dog. They ask her to step off the train. She shrugs, gets up, and exits. And the train pulls out of the station.

State report verifies funding inequities

Buried in today's Trib story about the proposed CTA funding cuts is a mention that the Illinois House agrees the state transit funding formula should be changed:

"The board's unanimous vote came as a special House committee in Springfield released a report supporting the CTA's long-held contention that the Chicago region's 22-year-old transit funding formula is outdated and should be reformed.

"The report by the House Committee on Mass Transit found there is little relationship between the distribution of sales tax revenues and the level of service Pace, Metra and the CTA provide in Chicago, suburban Cook County and the collar counties."

Other fun facts gleaned from that story:

• "In suburban Cook County, Metra provides 22 percent of all morning boardings, but it receives 55 percent of the sales tax revenues collected in those communities.
• "CTA covers 60 percent of the morning boardings in those communities, but it receives 30 percent of the sales tax revenues.
• "Metra has a 4 percent share of all service in the city, when measured in morning boardings, but doesn't receive any of the transit sales tax collected in the city.
• "The CTA, meanwhile, provides 95 percent of all Chicago service and receives 100 percent of the transit sales tax revenue."

Read 'em and weep

Here are links to local coverage of the proposed CTA cuts if the state doesn't change the funding formula:

• Chicago Sun-Times: "Our problem is real. . . . I would not be standing up here to see who blinks first," CTA board chair Carole Brown said.
• Chicago Tribune: "Why should people support spending more for inadequate service? The public is being held hostage," said Jackie Leavy, executive director of the Neighborhood Capital Budget Group, a civic watchdog organization.
• Crain's Chicago Business: “We had to pick a poison,” said board member Nicholas Zagotta.
• CTA details on service cuts.
• CTA details on fare changes.

Beyond the CTA Pleasure Principle

Paperbook found standing on end in the window heat vent:

Sigmund Freud's "Beyond the Pleasure Principle."

From Everything2.com: "For Sigmund Freud, instincts are the principal motivating forces in the mental realm, and our instincts can be grouped into two broad generic categories, Eros (the life instinct), which covers all of the self preserving sex stuff, and Thanatos (the death instinct), which covers all the aggressive, self destructive, cruel instincts."

It seems like the CTA also can be thusly categorized. You've got the Eros/life instincts manfested in the Hobo corner. And you have Thanatos/death instincts in the CTA suicides and other cruel, aggressive behaviors.

Where's Daley? Cowering

Many commenters here have wondered why we haven't seen some leadership from Mayor Daley on the issue of CTA service cuts. Yes, just where is Mayor Daley on this one?

Cowering behind the measly $3 million that the city contributes to the CTA budget. Yes folks, $3 million out of a budget of nearly $1 billion. That's one-third of a penny that the city contributes for every dollar of the budget.

The city's contribution has stagnated at $3 million since the 80's. That really has to stop. But it won't as long as Daley is mayor.

CTA board votes 36% service cuts, small fare hike

The CTA board today voted to cut weekday service to Sunday levels -- a 36% reduction -- and raise fares by 25 cents, if the state legislature doesn't cough up $55 million more in subsidies, according to a Crain's Chicago Business report.

Some 54 bus routes will be totally eliminated, along with the Purple Line Evanston Express and other express lines. Average wait times wil rise 68% for all service.

Crain's reports: "The cuts are structured in such a way that they would particularly wallop rush-hour commuters, who would face what officials described as 'severe crowding' and waits in many cases of twice as long as today."

Click below to read the entire Crain's story. Sigh.

Parental paradox

Sight seen on the same Red Line train:

A 40-ish dad taking his two young daughters to school at Northside Catholic Academy. One is in the first grade, the other probably a third grader. He plays with them both, tells jokes, laughs, and brushes their messy hair.

A very cool scene.

When they get off at Bryn Mawr, I see that they were blocking my view of an older woman, maybe 55, intently reading book. Right beside her in the aisle is a stroller holding a 2-year-old boy. She essentially ignores the toddler all the way to Addison, despite his attention-getting ploys -- like whining and putting his legs up on hers.

A very disturbing scene.

$240 weekend drinking binge

Overheard on the Red Line at 7:45 a.m. on the Monday after the Cubs home opener:

An early-20s-something guy talking to the gal next to him: "Yeah, we went to the home opener Friday and I spent about $100 on beer and stuff. Then we went out Saturday with some old buddies and I spent $60. It was a light night.

"On Sunday a dropped about $80, you know, buying drinks and stuff."

Female seatmate: "I have never spent that much on booze in my life!"

Guy: "You're a girl."

Click here if this story rings a bell.

CTA sued for fraud over 10 percent discount

Here's something I missed in the Sun-Times when I was on vacation during the last week of March: Man sues CTA, saying signs defrauded consumers.

A class action lawsuit by Gregory Eidukas alleges that "by not changing the signage at train stations after discontinuing the bonus program for paper cards last spring, the CTA 'duped' people into thinking they would still get a 10 percent additional fare credit when they buy paper cards in $10 increments."

Eidukas further alleges that the CTA withdrew the 10 percent bonus offer because they were contractually obliged to sell 300,000 smart cards, or Chicago/Chicago Plus cards. The suit claims the CTA had sold only 30,000 since introducing them in 2002.

Interesting stuff.

Fits the CTA to a T

My pal Gladys noted in the Comments section the Trib's story today about an ad copy writer selling CTA t-shirts with irreverent messages such as: "CTA - expect delays."

George Ellis, of northsideshirts.com, told Jon Hilkevitch that he started the company after he became frustrated with his long Brown Line commutes.

I particularly like the "Can't Take It" shirt and "Boot happens" -- a shirt that explains how Ellis came to rely on the CTA so much for rides. His car was booted and he lost it after too many tickets in his Wrigleyville neighborhood.

Red Line primer for clueless Cubs, Sox fan

Alas, Red Line riders, the baseball season is upon us again. And you know what that means. Here’s a little primer for all you CTA-novice suburbanites who invade the city on game day.

1. Be prepared to buy your transit cards. You’ll need $3.50 for the round trip fare. (Add 50 cents if you need transfers.) Come prepared with exact change, because there are no change machines. And you don’t want to give the CTA a nickel more than you have to.
2. There are eight cars on a Red Line train. And you’re allowed to sit in any car!
3. Given Rule #2, that means don’t all of you stand in the same place, right at the bottom of the stairs. Spread out!
4. Given Rule #3, be polite and let other riders get past you on the platform if you are going to stand together in a big impenetrable clump.
5. After the game, try to keep a lid on the excited (loud) post-game drunken banter. We poor schubs who had to work don’t care about that poorly executed hit and run that resulted in the third out recorded during a rundown.
6. In fact, just keep a lid on it in general OK, all you drunken Cub fans?
7. For you Sox fans: Yes, there are a lot of African-Americans on your train, but relax. They’re just working stiff like the rest of us, trying to get home.

Crazy Mary dislikes sandals

Here's another reader contribution to wonderful world of Tattler Tales. Thanks, Jules!

This happened 3 years ago. It was rush hour in the Loop and I got on a Brown Line at State & Lake.

It was the middle of summer and a particularly hot and sticky day so, naturally, I was wearing sandals. No sooner did I step into the car when Crazy Mary got in my face and yelled "Whore! Wearing socks without sandals! You're a whore!" I ignored her and found the last 12 inches of unoccupied floor space a few feet away from her.

The next thing I hear is a beeping sound and then the voice of the train operator through the speaker next to the call button: "Can I help you?" Without missing a beat, Crazy Mary declares, in her raspy and aged voice, "There's a man and woman f*#*ing on the train!"

Snickers and titters ran through the crowd until the conductor said: "Ummmm...........thank you???" At that point people busted out laughing and, luckily, Crazy Mary got off of the train at the Merchandise Mart.

Almost 200 people boo proposed cuts at CTA hearing

Commenters here were sneering at the CTA for scheduling their public hearing on proposed cuts at 4 p.m. yesterday, when they figured most people wouldn't come.

Apparently they were wrong, judging from the picture accompanying a Tribune story about the hearing today. The room looked packed. And people looked angry.

And why shouldn't they be? No decisions were made yesterday, but commuters were pretty adamant that they wanted no service cuts or fare increases.

The Sun-Times reports that 180 people gave the CTA board a piece of their mind.

The board will make its recommendations on Wednesday, April 13.

Instant celebs for freed ex-con

Today we have a guest post from Erika, whom I want to thank for sharing her crazy commuting tale. Submit yours here.

My first year of college brought on the wonderful world of the CTA. One day after class I was on the northbound Red Line with some friends when a man stumbles onto the train and sits down next to us.

Right away we all know he's drunk, but then comes his story: He just got out of jail after 19 years of being locked up and all of a sudden he thinks that i'm Britney Spears, my other girl friend is Christina Aguilera, and my guy friend is Oscar de la Hoya and he continues to call us by these names until he finally stumbles back off the train about 5 to 6 stops later.

But not without knocking on the window and screaming goodbye to the new found celebrities that we are to this man.

Reminder: CTA hearing tonight on proposed cuts

Just a quick reminder that the CTA board will meet at 4 p.m. today at their gleaming new headquarters building, 567 W. Lake St., to consider which draconian cuts they will support if the state doesn't pony up more cash. (Take the Green Line to Clinton.)

Interestingly, today was the first time I read about our esteemed mayor even acknowledging the problem. He suggested (near end of story) at a city council meeting that we should raise the state sales tax to help out the CTA.

But Gov. Rod has adamently refused to consider a sales tax increase. Instead, he suggests a tax on software.

The annoying and the annoyed

Sight seen:

Two teenage boys annoying the entire train car by playing some handheld game emitting very annoying noises.

Meanwhile, a 40-something woman tries to deal with the stress by twisting her hair round and round her finger.

Saul Bellow: An original CTA Tattler?

  I picked up the Chicago Tribune this morning and saw that Saul Bellow had died at the ripe old age of 89. But I also saw a cool photo of Saul riding a New York train in the 1970s. That made me think: Maybe Saul was one of the first CTA Tattlers? (Thanks to Corey Lynn, who found it on the NYTimes web site. I just posted the pic here.)Bellow said this during a speech in 1983 at the Drake Hotel:

"If you've collected bottles in alleys for money, and gotten into Riverview on free passes, and skitched rides on the backs of streetcars, and worked at Goldblatt's and caddied at Sunset Ridge Country Club, you remain, in a sense, a kid from the streets of Chicago. And it takes more than a handshake from the King of Sweden to drive that out of you."

I used to skitch a ride on the back of streetcars. Though I never called it skitching. That's a cool word.

Lessons in frets and minor chords

Sight seen on the Morse El platform:

A 30-ish woman lecturing her male companion on proper finger placement for certain guitar chords. She seemed quite knowledgeable.

True grafitti

Last week I saw this grafitti scrawled across the train ad by the CTA claiming it was an "endangered species":

"Demand an independent audit."

Fabulous idea!

Beach balls for Krishna

Sight seen at Granville on the Red Line:

Two 20-ish women, dressed in long Krishna garb, exiting the train with a large yellow beach ball.

The ball featured a lovely smiley face.

They tossed it back and forth down the platform.

Young Lenin lives

A young 20-ish man sporting a sparse moustache and a jarhead haircut boards at Loyola on the Red Line. He clocks in at around 320 pounds, and looks kind of like Oliver Hardy or Fatty Arbuckle.

He's wearing a long, black trench coat. Too, too cliche. He also sports a Soviet Army officer's cap, a Soviet red star medal, and a hammer-and-sickle pin on his lapel.

Of course, he had to complete the ridiculous look by reading Leon Trotsky "The Revolution Betrayed."

Some details on Easter Brown Line suicide

I've gotten a few emails and comments from people seeking details or more info on the Easter Sunday suicide on the Brown Line. Jenna was on that train. Here's what she experienced. Thanks for sharing Jenna.

"Concerning the Irving Park Brown line suicide: I was returning home from church a little after 12pm and just before the Irving Park stop the train (I was on board) came to a sudden stop. Everyone in the car jerked forward and then everything went silent. The lights went off, the fans stopped running and the conductor got on the intercom and said "Do not open any doors." We sat there for about 7 or 8 minutes watching the fire trucks and ambulances drive up. We were told to go to the first car and exit the train. Firemen were everywhere on the platform and street and the driver of the train was hysterical yet no one really new what had happened. I waited for all the emergency personell to get on the tracks/platform and then I left. An area under the tracks was taped off so I assume that's where the body fell. Some weird creepy guy from my car asked me to take his picture in front of the train/stretcher/firemen but I said no. I was confused, scared and then saddened. In almost three years of riding the brown line this was the first "experience" I've had that really shook me up. Hope a first hand account helps a little...

CTA's "credibility hurt" -- well, DUH!

The Tribune today quotes CTA President Frank Kruesi as say the CTA's credibility was hurt because they underestimated the cost of the Brown Line renovation, and now must close stations.

DUH!

Fingering out the noise

What do you think of people who cover their ears as the train enters the subway station? I always thought they were big babies. I mean, come on! Is it that loud? How can you ride if you can't stand the noise?

Do you do it? Why?

The capper was the woman I saw on the Fullerton platform, fingers in her ears, as the train approached. Honey, we're outdoor, for cripes sake!