Slithering Blue Line entertainment
Chicago newcomer Brandon shares this slimy story with us:
My wife and I (both new to the area) were on a crowded Blue Line train heading from Damen travelling north toward the Belmont stop when a young guy got on somewhere in between carrying his pet boa constrictor around his neck.
I thought it was a fake until I saw it's tongue do that "tasting-the-air" thing -- flickering up and down.
Everyone around, standing and holding onto a pole, stepped back slightly as one guy pulled out his cell phone and asked if he could snap a shot of it and its owner.
The young guy kinda took a gangsta pose and I then realized that the snake was his bling-bling. Natural, organic bling.
I hope this is not a new trend! I am deathly afraid of snakes. I can deal with the drugged out zombies, litterers, loud cell phone talkers, etc, but if I start seeing snakes I am buying a car!
Posted by: Matt | August 24, 2005 at 10:04 AM
they're not slimy, though. they're dry. :)
Posted by: jocelyn | August 24, 2005 at 12:57 PM
Haha! Matt, if you think snakes are bad try dealing with an iguana's cold stare for half your train ride. I've seen ferrets too. The most amusing so far was a pet that I didn't see, but I sure heard it. A girl got on a bus with a kitten in her purse. I couldn't resist leaning over and saying "Hey, either put your cell on vibrate or feed that bag!"
^_^ Such fun!
Posted by: rexblade | August 24, 2005 at 08:45 PM
Someone should have summoned a cop and had that jackass ticketed. People shouldn't bring their pets on trains, for a variety of reasons. Particularly when pets are as potentially dangerous as snakes.
You can avoid a guy with a snake walking down the street. You can't avoid one on a crowded "L" car. Someone should have told that guy off. Seriously.
Posted by: Norm | August 25, 2005 at 09:59 AM
Eh, I don't mind snakes or kittens or bitty dogs in bags. I wish people were prohibited from bringing their screaming kids on the CTA. My dog is cleaner and quieter and better behaved.
Posted by: Fally | August 28, 2005 at 05:01 AM
Sorry, but I agree with Norm. Except for dogs trained to assist humans or animals who are in a carrier, animals shouldn't be on transit, period. It's not good for people OR the pets.
Some dog owners seem to think that it's everyone else's job to suffer their animals. When their dog jumps on you, you're supposed to laugh and think it's cute. When their dog saunters across the sidewalk on a leash that expands to infinity, they act like I should be the one to move out of the way. When I give them the eye when their dog does it's business on a sidewalk or when they don't pick up after it, they act like I have issues. Screw that!
A few years ago, a dog who's owner had let go of it's leash ran up and chewed my soccer ball. After she tried to get out of paying for the damage her dog caused (She seemed to think it was funny and was shocked that I didn't...), I've decided to warm irresponsible dog owners to get their pets under control. When they don't, we let the police sort it out.
As much as I love animals, I despise the careless, selfish owners who think their "right" to a pet trumps my right to walk down the street without being accosted.
BTW, what is the purpose of those toy dogs?
Posted by: jk1 | August 29, 2005 at 03:21 PM
Love. Unrequited love.
Posted by: Warren | August 29, 2005 at 06:48 PM