They only come out at night -- carrying strange stuff
I've noted here numerous times that the best CTA-watching occurs outside of the normal rush hour times. Way too many "normal" people ride during rush hours.
But ride after say, 7 p.m., and you start to see different things. Such as, people carrying different things.
Over the course of three days riding after rush hour, here's some of what I saw:
- A woman in her late 20s carrying a lacrosse
racquetstick (thanks Rick). - Another woman about the same age with her softball glove.
- A fashionably dressed woman in her late 30s carrying one bicycle wheel.
- A guy in his early 20s lugging his guitar in a case.
I know that none of the above is that unusual in and of itself. It's just my observation that they only come out at night.
There is no such thing as a "lacrosse racquet." It's called a "lacrosse stick."
Posted by: Pasta Rick | July 07, 2005 at 10:53 AM
I lug my guitars around at night because there are fewer people to bother with them.
Posted by: Brian | July 07, 2005 at 11:03 AM
Once I carried a folded-up Illuminati pyramid made from MDF that I'd made for a party my friends were holding. Each of the four sides were about 4ft wide and 3.5 feet tall. Separate from the base was the head of the pyramid, which was copper colored and came complete with an inset 3-dimensional eye.
I had to lug it up to the Howard station and transfer to the Skokie Swift so my friend could pick me up for the drive north.
I can only imagine what fellow passengers were thinking...
Posted by: jk1 | July 07, 2005 at 11:45 AM
Carrying only one bicycle wheel isn't unusual?
Posted by: jaques | July 07, 2005 at 06:56 PM
I used to take my double bass (string bass, bass fiddle, bass violin... whatever you want to call it) on the "L" all the time. It was interesting to me to see people's reactions to my lugging around this musical instrument that is larger than I am. Either folks would quietly point and whisper, or come right out and tell me that they played clarinet in grade 5 band (some folks would drone on longer about this than others). I don't mind answering questions but don't ask me: Don't you wish you played the piccolo? The answer in some degree of politeness depending on my mood is: Nope, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Posted by: LAC | July 10, 2005 at 12:54 AM