CTA Tattler

Unfortunately, that cop had the same misunderstanding some Chicago cops have of what law enforcement means, or public service. No clue.

Thanks for trying...you've done what I've only thought of doing.

Meanwhile, as enforcement continues not to happen, there will be scenes like the woman on the Red Line intently reading her book, then near her stop becoming aware that at some point her foot kicked over a full cup of Pepsi with a plastic lid on it that had been left behind, and that it has been coating the floor around her shoes, and the soles of her shoes, for the better part of her journey.

And the noshers and face-fillers continue to pig out and drop crap all over the place.

When I was living in DC (where they don't allow eating and drinking) they had a few days where they really cracked down on it, ticketing everyone in sight, including a few junior high students. There if you get a ticket, for anything, as a minor they must arrest you, and if you're arrested you need to be handcuffed. You wouldn't believe the PR disater that is involved with handcuffing a 12 year old, who's on their way home from school, for eating fries.

I am totally torn about this rule. On one hand, I completely understand and agree. I hate it when people eat and then leave their trash on the train (sunflower seed shells, chicken bones, or even just bags and containers). There are even some rare days that someone gets on the train with takeout food and isn't even eating it, but the smell is very strong and it bothers me (other days it just makes me hungry).

However, I very often drink coffee on the way to work on the train. Of course, I would never leave my left over coffee cup on the train (it's a travel mug anyway). I've even asked people to pick up gum wrappers I've seen them drop on the floor.

So I think it's more a case of not just eating and drinking, but being respectful about it. And unfortunately we can't regulate respectfulness (unless we become Big Brother).

I'm actually surprised the cop even said anything to the girl in the first place. From my limited (thank god) interaction with the police in this city, they seem to be very unconcerned with anything going down outside of a major crime (burglary, shootings, etc.).

I agree with mel - your can't force respectfulness on anyone. Unfortunately within any big city some people believe that they can live their life as if no one else exists. I personally hated the sunflower seeds and chicken bones (this one particularly grosses me out) the most on the el floors.

On my one and only visit to DC, I was eating a granola bar on the Metro platform and a kind citizen approached me and warned me that no food is allowed and they are pretty strict. I was thankful that he said something. I saw the no food or drink signs but gave no heed as coming from Chicago the CTA also says no food or drink but it isn't enforced.

Is there the same disregard for the no eating/drinking rule in the NY subway?

Before we tackle the no eating/drinking policy, lets do something about no smoking on CTA property. I have seen train conductors looking a person smoking on a platform and not say a single word to them. I have also seen a bus driver tell a customer not to throw a cigarette in the street in front of the bus. I'd rather see the no smoking ban more strictly enforced cause that's more of a health hazard. And for those of you who smoke on CTA property, or outside the station, just remember there are people (like my best friend) who are allergic to smoke and can have a reaction just by sitting next to a person who has finished smoking a drag (I'm borrowing that word from my milwaukee co-worker).

But I do have to say....the chicken bones are pretty gross.

I'm guessing he already had his quota filled for the month, and was late meeting his cop buddies at the nearest diner for polish sausage.

Wow. You're quite brave to tell a Chicago cop how to do their job. That's taking some serious chances.

i remember a time when this site used to have interesting stories about things that happen on a bus or train.

now its just a big whine fest.

bookmark removed.

ah my mind wonders.....if only a big burly cop had been there that day the gorditas were being eaten.

Law is on to something. This page used to be excellent. Lately it seems like it has become a forum for CTA improvement. That is fine to an extent, but it just gets old.

I take the Ravenswood. I very rarely see chicken bones. That is a subway issue in my experience. What do you want the CTA to do about it? From the volume of trash on the subway, it is clear that a substantial number of users cannot handle cleaning up after themselves. Do you want the CTA to crack down on travel mugs on the Skokie Swift or Ravenswood because the subway is filthy? Do you just want to complain?

How about some more good stories and interesting insights? Look at Pat Stack's blog here http://stacked.patrickstack.com/archives/2005/10/28/fun-with-public-transit/ for a reminder of what I am talking about.

P.S. Since I turned him on to this page (I think), I would like to turn this page back on to itself.

I'm actually surprised the cop even said anything to the girl in the first place. From my limited (thank god) interaction with the police in this city, they seem to be very unconcerned with anything going down outside of a major crime (burglary, shootings, etc.).

What do you expect? There is far to much serious crime in this city for the cops to worry about something that should be handled by CTA personnel.
Personally, I think we can complain all we want about this issue but fact is it's not going to stop until EVERYONE who rides the CTA has good manners... Unfortunately, hell will freeze over first!!

I'm glad that all the people on the purple and brown lines can have a nice clean ride uninterrupted by trash, smells, panhandlers, and any other disturbances that the rest of the L riders have to put up with. Maybe the cta should expand the lines and have the brown line continue along the path of the green or red lines (its cost-saving, really!). Then we'd see what Messrs law and david would be saying.

But we can eat on all the Metra trains.
My guess is, that if someone gets busted for eating on an L train, a smart lawyer would challenge the law under the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause.

I'm sorry if it's going to impact the polite riders who don't leave their trash behind, but I want the CTA to really crack down on people eating/drinking/smoking/littering on CTA property. And yes, I do ride the Ravenswood. It's not as dirty as the Red line, but there's still trash on the trains and I'm sick of it.

Oh, lighten up. Popcorn? If this cop wasn't doing his job well enough for you, why not whip out the cell phone and call 911, get a few squad cars down there for ya? Really make a scene and delay a few dozen people? You aren't just a whiner; you're a hypocrite.

But we can eat on all the Metra trains.
They have trash cans which are, gasp, semi-regularly maintained. The most common trash left behind on Metra is newspaper, which is commonly reused by people on the next run of a particular trainset anyway. If there's any sort of wet mess, it's usually someone spilling their concession-stand coffee.

Hey Jacques,
If people would clean up after themselves, it would not be an issue. If the Brown line ran to the areas you mentioned, it would only matter if people STOPPED taking responsibility. The Orange is pretty clean too...

You've got too much time on your hands or need to get a good book.

That was a brave thing you did ... I am surprised he didn't arrest you for whatever he could cook up that day. Which of course is precisely why he would not act on your polite request: there was nothing for him to gain (i.e. boosting his arrest record for that day). Ride the Red Line any day of the week around three o'clock when all of the high school kids are released from school and you will see more eating, drinking and raucous behavior than you can imagine. No way a cop will ever say a word about that kind of behavior. Now, if it's a quietly desparate poor person drinking out of a brown paper sack -- just watch Chicago's finest spring into action!