CTA Tattler

I was watching the WGN 9 news this morning at 7:30am. They said there were a lot of CTA personnel at the station with the bright yellow vest directing passengers to alternate routes. When they showed a shot of the station, I saw no yellow vest, no shuttle busses and people on the platform waiting for the train. Again, another lie from the CTA. Atleast they didn't run the Red Line around the loop!

I'm glad I rode my bike in to work today.

There was a yellow vest at Thorndale. I left at 8:10 and my 45 minute commute understandably took about a half-hour longer. Our conductor was very communicative. The only thing scary about this kind of thing is when you're stopped for twenty minutes between stations and the whackjobs on the train start to get restless. I got to hear our car's crazy person go on and on about how "they betta move this mothaf***ing train, godda**it!" It's not exactly pleasant to hear the word motherf***er twenty-five times before your coffee has even kicked in.

I was coming in on the blue line from the west and they were even making announcements out there.

Could only understand about every other word (wha wha, wha delay wha red, brown, purple, wha wha) but you still gotta give the CTA kudos for trying to make announcements. If only the speakers were better!

I left the Wilson station at around 8:45 and got to Lake by 9:40. Thankfully our train was not crowded - let a crowded one go by and there actually *was* another train a few minutes behind.

Our conductor was very communicative as well - letting us know why we were stopped, how long it would be, etc..

Could have been worse. I saw the NB lines totally stopped as we went south. I feel for the people on those trains.

I got on the Brown line at 6:15 at the Damen stop. Our CTA attendant on duty was too busy gossiping with someone to notify us that there was a problem. Seeing that the Metra station is about 3 blocks away and a train scheduled to leave at 6:35 the derailment should have been no problem for the people at the Damen stop who go downtown. I didn't find out that there was a problem until they told us to exit at Southport.

What do these attendants get paid to do anyway?

I thought I was smart by avoiding the Red Line and taking the 147 downtown from Rogers Park. Boy was I wrong! It took almost an hour to get from the Devon/Sheridan/Broadway intersection to Foster. The bus was extremely crowded and people were very cranky. I can't blame the CTA for this delay though. The traffic was just horrible. I think that anyone who drives their car solo during rush hour should be flogged. This isn't Atlanta or Phoenix!

I was told by a Yellow Vest that to get to Belmont from Addison I had to take a bus. There were lots of CTA employees milling about. Too bad I didn't say that I needed to go to Howard via the Purple Line, because the shuttle took me to Fullerton, where I learned that trips north began at Addison on the Red Line. Back on the bus, and back to Addison for the trip north.

I thought CTA did a fairly good job, aside from not asking me more questions about where I needed to go.

It was an extra hour on the Brown from Irving Park to the loop. Our conductor was somewhat informative, although she never gave anyone an idea of how long it would take to get through. After Belmont we made decent time so I figure the time from Irving Park to Belmont at 9am was about 70 minutes.

There was an attendant at the IP station. He looked anxious as I entered and swiped my Plus Card. So anxious in fact, that I paused and looked at him. It was almost as if he wanted to tell me something. "Tell me!" I pleaded with my eyes, but the moment passed and I turnstiled my way into the joy of Longest El Ride Ever.

But then I got to notice the new Geico hip bars at Washington and Wells. Someone paid for advertising on the place I nudge my crotch against every day. That's viral marketing.

I sat at Adams and Wabash for 30 minutes when I could finally make out some kind of annoucnement. (You think new speakers might help?) I went downstairs to find that the purple line wasn't running downtown. Net result: 2.5 hours from Roosevelt to Davis.

I got onto the Red @ Granville around 9:15, CTA Attendant was just standing there, didn't say a word. 15 minutes later, were sitting between Wilson and Sheridan not moving for almost 30 minutes. Absolutely no-audible communication between the conductor and us. It almost took me two hours to get from Granville to Chicago. It would have been nice if someone let us know at Granville BEFORE we got onto the train. By the time I made it to class, I only had ten minutes left so I just hopped on the 147 back up. I was very relived that it only took 20 minutes.

I understand there were obviously issues at hand but you would think in a matter of five hours they would have been able to get things organized, or at least communicated.

I got to Sheridan at about 9:15, and walked through the station blissfully unaware that anything was wrong. There were three or four attendants that I could see, but as usual, they were talking with each other instead of communicating with passengers.

Upon getting up to the station, I immediately noticed that the SB train I'd just missed was running on the Purple line tracks. There was a train within view at the Irving Park bend. Knowing instantly that something was askew, I got on when it pulled up after considering whether the 151 might be better.

After getting on the train, we sat for a few minutes then left the station slowly, lurching on intermittently between the bend at Byron and Diversey. It took at least 45 minutes to get to Fullerton. The conductor seemed to be making dutiful attempts to keep riders informed, but he was betrayed by the train's intercom that muffled most of what he was saying.

Once we were past Fullerton, it was a normal commute south to the loop, where our train arrived around 10:35...

Granville to Harrison in an hour and 25 minutes. That's 9.1 miles in 85 minutes, or a little less than 7 miles an hour-- this is a full six hours after the derailment.

On the cta web site it says that trains are running normal again. Too badd that the web site never really tell you that service is delayed because of a derailment. Really, what is more important, trains are begin delay or the delay has been fixed. They do not post service problems because then they will look bad. Anytime they can hide a problem, they will. The CTA needs to get a clue.

http://www.transitchicago.com/news/whatsnewA.wu?action=displaynewspostingdetail&articleid=100987

On at Granville at about 6:30. Once we boarded the train, we were told that it would be stopping at Addison and from there we'd have shuttle buses. No explanation why, or where the buses were taking us. At Addison, one lonely CTA worker was trying to herd a hundred people onto a couple of buses. Still no word as to where we were going (next stop? three stops down?).

Buses took us to Fullerton, which was nuts. CTA workers contradicting each other--you need to be on these (usually northbound) tracks. No wait, these other tracks. You know it's bad when you hear the CTA workers say. "Hell if I know. I'm just as confused as anyone." Helpful! So many people waiting that the southbound platforms were full, and the crowd to get ON the platform stretched down the stairs, filled the ground floor, and went back up the other stairs. My ride from Granville to Jackson normally takes 45 minutes. Today it was twice that.

The whole situation was badly handled. Four hours after the derailment (7 AM) and they still haven't decided which lines are running on which tracks? Absolutely ridiculous.

got on my bike near Western at 8:00, and off at work 35 or so minutes later, near Chicago. Thank goodness for the (friend who heard the) annoucement on WBEZ before they went to 'special coverage' of the Supreme Court nom! sounds like another fine mess that a little more communication from CTA staff could have ameliorated, at least in part.

Why can't the CTA get on the ball as far as communication goes? WHY WHY WHY??? Piggybacking on the wireless alerts is nice, but why can't the in-station people open their mouths and speak to customers!?!? Carole, are you there?

Although this morning sucked, the CTA employees at Addison and Fullerton were somewhat helpful.

At Addison they were under the mistaken impression that the southbond Red Line would be stopping there, starting shortly after 8 AM. They told us to head up. A few minutes later they came up and apologized and told us they had been misinformed. Took the "express" to Fullerton.

Fullerton was a mess. But the employees up on the platform were informing us that there were express buses down on the street.

All-in-all, I think a lot of the employees on the ground were getting bad info from HQ. I know what you mean about station employees not talking, but today, where I was, they were communicating. They just didn't have the right information.

They needed better info (not to mention response) from the top down.

Want to hear a success story? As usual, I watched TV when I awoke at 6:30 and saw the news about the derailment and delays on Channel 9. I went in to where my beloved was sleeping and informed him of the delays and suggested he get up now so he has extra time. He did, and by the time he got on the L from Loyola to Monroe, the Red Line was running both ways again through the derailment area, and despite a slow trip, he got to work on time. Hooray for me!

Yeah, Scott, you're a real superhero.

Perhaps some of the tight-lipped agents are so used to getting bad information that they no longer want to bother passing it on. Given the choice of working hard, and communicating to the passengers, and then getting yelled at, they've decided that it's just easier to skip the first step, and go right to the getting yelled at.

Training and motivating them to work harder at communicating will be a wasted effort until they can be supported with correct and relevant information. If management motivates them, and they communicate bad information, the next time management tries to motivate them, it'll just sound like more management BS.

While eventually the front-line employees need to get into the game, the first step is to fix the problems at the top. The right information needs to get out to the troups before the troups will -- or can -- care.

Got on the Brown stop at Western about 7:15. Conductor made many announcements that the Purple was not running. Didn't give a reason but I can understand why they don't want to start talking derailment when people are on a crowded train. It could lead to panic. Anywho, all went smoothly for me. I got to the Adams stop at about 8:10, only about 15 minutes later than when the trains are on time. Belmont platform was pretty crowded and I saw a bunch of Yellow Vests (after all, it was where the derailment happened). Fullerton also had quite a few Yellow Vests and that platform was packed.

I took the train because the lying liars on the news said everything was running again. My favorite part of the two hour commute was the leisurely 45 minutes we stood at the Southport station with the doors open. They're doing a few renovations at this station, so the sounds of jackhammers approximately 10 feet away was a refreshing little wake-me-up. Thanks, CTA!

Warren -

I appreciate you trying to give a voice to the poor, disenfranchised CA drones, but I'm not buying it.

While I think that you're right that poor communication stems from serious management deficiencies that should cost some highly paid patronage hacks their jobs, that alone doesn't justify the lack of knowledge, initiative and courtesy that customer facing CTA employees display on a daily basis. Not including bus drivers who I usually cut a lot of slack even when they snarl, CTA employees that interact with the public come across as dull and leadfooted, derailment or no.

I see people who work in low paying jobs every day who take their work seriously and try to do the best job they can. They know that working hard sets the pattern for future success. CTA management does need to do a better job motivating employees and holding them accountable for poor performance, but I don't have much respect for people who don't have any initiative of their own.

I would have thought the comment above about bus drivers snarling was a bit harsh if I hadn't seen one snarl repeatedly the other night on the southbound 22 Clark; his destination sign said "22 Clark -- To Foster," but most people just look for the number and need a reminder that it's only going to Foster. Or not...what's the big disaster about having to get off at Foster and pick up another bus? Anyway, there's no excuse for the driver's repeated rant, "I'm only going to FOSTER! Like the sign SAYS! You have to LOOK! " What immaturity. He drove like a maniac, too. Perhaps I need to report him to the CTA as I did the stripey-engineer-outfit-screecher dude who drives the Red Line and has a bee in his unbalanced bonnet about people using the nearest available door. Moral: Being polite to customers whether they deserve it or not is customer-service Rule #1.