CTA Tattler

The CTA Insider dishes the dirt

Here's the CTA Insider's views on dirty trains and buses.

Oh yeah, the CTA is dirty!

The trains, buses and platforms are now picnic venues. I see it every day all day. From95th Street ... well the whole of the Red line has been referred to as the Dirty Red by employees for years. It comes from one source...people.

There was a small brochure put out a couple years ago giving the numbers of rail stations and the amount of people riding the trains on an average day. After doing the math it looked to me as though the average was 2000 people in an eight hour shift for our personnel to deal with all the stations, and there are usually 2 shifts at the stations an AM and PM.

The CTA cut back in station maintenance and car cleaners for the last 3 years as happens whenever you hear about budget problems these departments get cut first. Well not cut per-say but as people leave for whatever reason they are not replaced for months and the jobs are stretched to make up for this. So in the Loop on the elevated you have two janitors for the entire AM or PM shift. That equals out to 4 stations per man and it is the same in the subway and it is like that system wide.

The car cleaners are to make their way through the train as it is getting ready to go back into service, picking up as they go -- and we are talking about 5 mins sometimes so some things are going to be missed.

They too are down in manpower and it shows so having raving supervisors is not going to make anyone work better if they are doing the work of 2 people or more. That is not to excuse someone  from not doing their job but come on people if you have a problem with a rolling bottle on a train pick it up and dispose of it in its proper place.

Last chance to vote on aisle-facing seats in new train cars

It's your last chance to voice your opinion on aisle-facing seats coming to new train cars in 2009.

Go here to vote. Results to come later in the week.

A real thumb-sucker

I board the Red Line south late Saturday morning, Cubs game day. But it wasn't nutty Cubs fans who caught my attention. It was a thin man in his early 20s.

I saw him as soon as I boarded. He was standing in front of his seat, by the window. And he continued to stand, totally unmoving except rocking with the train's herky-jerky motion, for another five minutes.

Then he abruptly sat down, and stuck his thumb firmly in his mouth, sucking like a baby. It was then that I spied two plastic ID bands around his wrist.

May 31 a big CTA deadline day

May 31 is D-Day for the CTA.

Deadline Day, that is, for two big offers -- it's the last day that the CTA waives its $5 fee for Chicago Card and Chicago Card Plus. And it's the last day riders can comment on the three proposed Circle Line configurations.

The May 31 Chicago Card deadline was previously extended from March 31 to try and snare some Dan Ryan commuters who were wary of backups. But no more extensions. And shame on you if you're a regular CTA rider and you don't yet have a Chicago Card or CC Plus already. And it's costing you an extra quarter for a train ride.

So sharpen those pencils and direct comments to ctahelp@transitchicago.com, and call or visit the CTA for a stored value card at 1-888-968-7282, or 567 West Lake Street, second floor.

Nude woman on the Jackson platform

The title of this post might sound familiar. But this is a new one. After reading our dispatches from "Crazies Week," the CTA Insider shares this memory of no doubt countless crazies.

This happened years ago but it's still burned onto my brain.

I was working an early morning in the Red Line Subway on State Street with a group of workers preparing for the State Street Fair or something. It was a wet and chilly Sunday morning and I had gone to street level to get some air. As I'm coming down the stairs one of the guys I was working with comes running up the stairs and yells out, "Dude, you gotta see this!" Which if you hear that at the CTA, you really don't make a habit of following up on.

But I figured I didn't see any smoke and no one else was running so how bad could it be? I get to the bottom of the stairs -- now this is at Jackson so there's an elevator past the stairs on the platform -- and I said, "Is it past the elevator?" To which he replies, "Yeh, on the bench!"

So at this point my heart starts to beat harder because there's no one around, which is never a good sign. As I make my way around the elevator shaft I get a glimpse of a person on the bench, so I'm kind of relieved that no one is laying on the platform.

Well as I come around the elevator shaft I spy a 50-ish black woman, stark naked sitting cross-legged, smoking a cigarette.

As this hits me all I can think is, "OK, you can find a cig laying around even if you're naked, BUT WHO THE HELL GAVE HER A LIGHT!?!?!?

And as I start to laugh a train pulls up and off gets a supervisor with the most bemused look I've ever seen. He proceeds to walk over to her sit down and ask her where her clothes are. She replies, "Why, YOU want them?"

This makes me laugh even harder. He then offers her his rain coat, which she looks at like it was on fire. She says, "No thank you I'm fine the way I am!"

So after much cajoling he finally gets her to accept the coat and off they go to the Roosevelt station.

I'll say this: She never acted either crazy or high.

Riding the El with Frank

CoolHand shares this Tattler Tale:

Two weeks ago, there was a longer than usual wait for the Brown Line @ Madison & Wabash around 6 pm. The platform is filling up and people are starting to do the Angry Head Shake and the Frustrated Mutter all over the place.

Finally a Kimball train approaches and it's packed. I sidle my way to the rear of a compartment, standing next to the single seats facing out the window. Two stops later a guy in a bright yellow rain jacket and a "Don't Be Jack" cap gets on and I can hear him talking on his cell phone before he even sets foot on the train.

I mentally prepare myself to handle 45 minutes of hearing stories about "client proposals" and "prospective financial forecasts" and other fascinating topics that some self-important business people feel the need to broadcast at deafening levels. Soon I start to realize that not only does he have a CTA radio that's picking up lots of chatter from dispatchers, but he's saying things like "Does Madigan know how we stand on the issue?" and "I think we should get on record before they vote tonight."

All right, at this point my interest is piqued. I'm not eavesdropping, but I listen for whatever he wants to yell into his phone. The next call he makes starts with "Hey, this is Frank. I'm on the Brown Line and there's a delay Northbound. Someone should be making an announcement about there being a power outage at Armitage."

The conversation ends shortly after that. No more than 3 minutes later (I swear!) the conductor comes over the PA and tells us with MUCH improved manners that there has been a power outage at Armitage and he apologizes profusely (my words not his) for the delay. For the rest of the trip, the conductor is sunny and friendly, chattering over the PA like he's amongst his closest buddies.

I keep an eye on "Frank" out of the corner of my eye. He's preoccupied but polite (offering females open seats next to him) until he gets off at Wellington.

There's no doubt that if it wasn't Frank Kruesi, it was his twin. I realized too late that I should've asked him why the CTA was even mentioning more Fare Hikes while being audited by the IRS for spending $2,000,000 on FURNITURE for their new building! But of course these things don't come to mind until it's too late.

So if you see a man in a yellow raincoat and yellow "Jack" cap, who looks like your 8th grade Chemistry teacher talking loudly on his cell phone, look a little closer. It could be the man responsible for the blockhead decisions that have affected all of our lives. And if it is Frank, let him know what you think about the job he's doing. Since it doesn't seem like our elected officials will do it for us....

NOTE: At least one commenter suggested when this was originally posted as a comment that she didn't believe Frank had ever been on a train. But I do know that he likes to ride and check things out personally. Besides, he probably gets a free monthly pass!

Photo by Zolk.

Page 1 news: The CTA is dirty!

Imagine that! The RedEye hires someone to determine whether the CTA is dirty and -- shocker of all shockers! -- the CTA IS DIRTY! And it's Page 1 news! Stop the presses!

I really just chuckled when I saw the hysterical headlines on both the Trib and the RedEye's front pages. Apparently the RedEye hired the company in hopes of finding if any of us commuters are leaving behind staph or E coli germs.

Well, no. Thank God.

But there's still enough bacteria to make us sick, and to warrant thorough hand washing after riding trains or buses. Well, duh!

The study, though conducted by a scientist, wasn't exactly scientific, since it was limited to two Red Line train cars, two Brown Line train cars and two buses on different routes.

To me, the funniest and most ironic finding was that the flocked seats themselves on El trains were found to be among the dirtiest spots.

So let that be a note of caution to all you folks who bend down and "brush off" the seat before sitting. You're just coming in contact with germs when you don't have to be.

Bits 'n pieces: The unpoor supervisor

Here's a midweek round-up of CTA news and Tattler notes:

The UNPOOR supervisor: This week I was walking past the Park Hyatt Hotel when I spied a red Chevy Corvette with Illinois plates UNPOOR4 parked in a tow zone. Prominently displayed on the dashboard was a yellow CTA vest and a sign that read: "CTA Supervisor ON DUTY."

Major weekend station closings at south end of Red Line: The CTA announced Monday that the entire southern end of the Red Line would be shut down from midnight Friday till midday Monday, May 29. "Bus shuttle service will stop at all impacted stations – 95th, 87th, 79th, 69th and 63rd Street stations, where normal Red Line service will operate in both directions between 63rd and Howard Street stations. "

Teens now allowed to take bikes on CTA: The CTA is doing a trial run through the end of the year of allowing teens ages 14-18 to ride the CTA with their bikes. "“Lowering the age where teenagers with bikes are required to be accompanied by an adult will provide additional opportunities for area teenagers to take the CTA and help to further reinforce the convenience and benefits of public transportation,” said CTA President Frank Kruesi. “CTA customers are able to avoid the hassles of driving, parking and paying high gas prices.”

The Trib's CTA subway idols: RedEye's Kyra Kyles wrote a fun Going Public column Tuesday nominating three subway performers as Chicago's CTA subway Idols. CTA Tattler wrote about performers last year, asking for your input. That post garnered many comments.

The irate mutterer

The southbound Red Line is stopped at Wilson. There's a slight delay -- maybe 30 to 45 seconds.

A guy behind me starts his agitated mutterings: "Close the door! What the fuck! Get this fucking train moving!"

We pull out a few seconds later. Then the train stops abruptly just south of Wilson:

"Unbelievable! Come on! What the fuck! Un-fucking believable! It's a quarter till fuckin 8! Fuck it! Let's go! Get the fuck moving conductor!

Of course, you otherwise can hear a pin drop in the car. No one moves, or makes a sound.

Thankfully, the train DOES finally move. And we come upon the bucolic scene of the Graceland Cemetery, and a dog fetching a ball in the grassy patch between the cemetery and El tracks, providing quite the contrast to his simmering anger.

Motorman plays to the Sox-Cubs rivalry

We've all encountered rude and surly CTA employees. But we've also been entertained by motorman and drivers who have put a smile on our faces or made our commute a little easier.

Friday's trip to U.S. Cellular Field was no exception. We were on our way to the first game in the Sox-Cubs Crosstown Classic -- a long trip from the Far North Side made all the more fun by a chatty motorman on the Red Line.

He was making a running commentary on the game and the fan rivalry:

"All aboard now, we're headed to the game."

"Hey, watch it now -- don't drop the beer!" -- at Bryn Mawr

"OK Cubs fans, don't beat anybody up!" -- at Belmont

"No fighting now -- all aboard!" -- at Fullerton

"Looks like somebody's going to the ball game" -- at Lake

"All right now, no fighting! This is not the Jerry Springer Show." -- at Washington

"Hey, we were here first -- don't get squished." -- at Jackson, to the riders on the platform trying to board an overcrowded train.

"No tailgating here -- the next party is at your house!" -- at Harrison.

"Be nice, don't get physical. You need a good hospital plan to ride this train." -- at Cermak-Chinatown.

"Sox-35th. Home of the Crosstown Classic. You can put it on the board, YESSSSSS!"

The Insider's thought on rude supervisor

The CTA Insider has some insights on the CTA supervisor who harassed a rider. Here are his thoughts:

This is what happens when we get new supervisors with little or no training. We are about to lose a lot of the good ones to retirement and these are some of the worst employees to have in a crisis, let alone a simple verbal altercation.

This supervisor should have been reported immediately. There is no reason he should have reacted that way and by no means should have called him a name or followed him to continue the conversation.

This supervisor like most idiots didn't realize how close he was to getting hurt by someone he had no idea what their mental state was.

Taking pictures on the property is allowed if it's one or two shots by a tourist or within reason, but employees are told to use their best judgment when dealing with any situation. And my best judgment is different from your best and so on.

There was a comment by someone about bus supervisors sitting in cars and chit-chatting. I've noticed over the years a lot of hostility from passengers about how much we make and how our jobs are to be done. The jealously is surprising.

Photo of rude supervisor, and CTA's response to complaint

CTA Tattler readers have demanded that Justin (aka Bluebummer) share with us the photo of the supervisor who verbally harassed him this past week. And here he is.

Also, here is the response from the CTA to the complaint Bluebummer made about this guy:

"Thank you for your complaint and we're sorry you had such a confrontation on the train. Based on the details you provided, we are assuming this occurred early Sunday morning; we urgently need you to correct this if it was actually early Saturday morning.

"We cannot encourage the taking of a photograph of anyone without the subject's permission --whether to be published or not -- but we also require our employees to speak professionally with all customers at all times. Your complaint is being forwarded to the supervisors of the Blue Line for the appropriate corrective action. In the meantime, we appreciate you telling us about the situation. And for future reference, the employee's badge number is all we need for a positive identification; a photo is not necessary.

--CTA Customer Service

Click on continuation below to read Bluebummer's complaint letter:

Train supervisor harasses bummed out passenger

Here's a bummer of a story from Bluebummer:

Sothe other  night I was a part of the very fun Blue Line art gallery car. After all was said and done that was great.

But getting home was more exciting. We all got off the Blue Line at Belmont and the rest of the group had to go back south while I needed to continue North. As everyone who gets the alerts knows by now the Blue Line is one track from Addison to Jefferson Park.

Well when we arrived at Addison we were told by the operator that we'd be sitting there waiting for a Southbound train to pass us, even though we had just passed one at Belmont. So we sit at Addison for 30 minutes as two (2) more southbound trains go by!

After the first one I go out by the operator and ask why we are waiting for another train because we just passed one also! The supervisor there must have thought I was a threat in my completely nonchalant way of pointing out the fact that I would like to get home at a reasonable hour.

So then right before we finally get to move the supervisor comes and stands in the car by me and asks me what my problem was in front of everyone else on the train. So I have my camera with me to document the night and I thought, "I am gonna take a picture of this Jerk so I can send it into ctahelp@transitchicago.com."

The fear of riding backwards

Help me here. What's up with the fear of riding backwards in a CTA train?

I have seen people sit down cautiously in a seat facing in the opposite direction of the train, or avodi that seat altogether. And then they hop up quickly and take another seat across the aisle facing forward as soon as it becomes available.

Plus, I've read comments here about people getting sick while riding backwards.

Why? How? I did find this link on motion sickness and kids, but how big a problem is it for adult riders?

More tales from the "Crazies" front

Dispatches during "Crazies Week" last week prompted readers to add their own sightings:

The old lady on the Sheridan 151: There is one woman on the 151 whom I've begun to see with some regularity. She's elderly and always wears the same outfit. Or at least I think she does. I'm always taken in by three things to really notice her clothes: her ratty flip-flop sandals that she wears in any weather, and an ill-fitting wig with half the hair missing that I swear she always wears backwards. Sometimes she sits relatively quietly, sometimes she has the most energetic conversations with someone the rest of us can't see.

Not really anything special about her as far as crazies go, but the thing that gets me are her habits. She always gets on at the same time around Water Tower and always exits up inner LSD somewhere between Division and North. She always has a collection of bags from high-end retailers, but they're always different bags. There's never any overwhelming odors coming from her and she otherwise appears to be in decent physical health.

Granted, she could get those bags from the trash and maybe the voices in her head just keep her on a tight schedule. But, I can't help but get the feeling that this woman is some Gold Coaster's crazy mom or aunt who gets let out of the house on some afternoons but has to be home by dinnertime.

Ranters come out when train goes express:  Why do the ranters always seem to get on the Purple Line just as it is going express?

This morning an older fellow, complete with old man hat, gets on at Belmont. About a minute into the ride, he began talking about socialism and democracy. He told us about how we're becoming robots. Then he talked about actual robots. Eventually, as expected, the rambling angles towards Jesus. And the Jews. Catholics having such and such icon in their church (he was kinda mumbly at this point) and the Jews doing something else.

He spent about five minutes repeating himself about fish and how they're preserved in the desert with salty water. Then back to Jesus. And the Jews. As far as I could tell, he didn't have any outright hostility to Judaism, but he was talking about Pontius Pilate and the crucifixion and the Jews. Somehow, the topic then flowed into radioactivity and isotopes. Before I had a chance to get up to thank him for his drifting address to the train car and suggest next time he stick to a script, he quietly exited the train at Davis just before the doors closed.

The Red Line flosser: This morning on the Red Line heading south between Bryn Mawr and Lawrence, there was a guy, clean cut, looking like he was going to work, standing between the doors on the right, holding a string of dental floss over a foot long. He looked around nervously to make sure no one was watching, and then proceeded to floss his teeth. He was getting the molars all the way in the back and working his way around the top row, alternating the flossing with flicking the harvested tooth gunk onto the floor.

Anatomy of a train derailment

There have been a couple train derailments in the news this year. That made me wonder: Just how does a train derail? So I asked the CTA Insider, and here's his response:

"There are a couple of ways a train could derail. There was a situation where a train was past a switch point (the train was not in service - there being passengers on board) and for whatever reason the motor man backed the train up (which is never supposed to be done - they are to walk to the other end of the train and move the train as if it where headed in that direction) and because the switch was already activated the train wheels went up past the rails.

  "This is considered a derailment but not in the dangerous sense. Any time the wheels come above the rails it is a derailment and if the shoe (the part that touches the third rail) comes off the power, the lights go out and the car loses power but it is mostly seen as a situation where the train leaves the tracks altogether.

"If a train where to hit something or roll over something there is the possibility of a derailment. That Brown/Purple collision awhile back is a perfect example -- the rear train does not stop but the front train has its brakes applied. The rear train pushes against the front and somewhere along the cars the knuckles buckle and the forward momentum pushes the car sideways enough for the wheels to clear the rails.

"The motor man is supposed to stop before they get to anything lying on the tracks because it could cause the train to raise up enough to push it off the rails. Even snow has been a problem some winters. Sometimes the motor man is moving too fast through a crossover or around a corner and the train will ride up the side of the rail and leave the track.

"It's always a rough ride through a derailment for the passengers and the motor man, who sometimes can be thrown around pretty harshly. The derailment that happened a couple of years ago on the O'Hare line was ruled as human error as there was track work going on at the time and this motor man didn't respond correctly and ran into the train sitting ahead while going at least 25 mph. That caused 3 or 4 cars to accordion across both sets of tracks. I had a friend on the rear train and he said people were flying around like rag dolls in a dryer. Speed is a factor in most situations but a lot of times it is inattention to duty.

"Normally there's not much damage done to the trains undercarriage or to the tracks but there is the possibility of the train knocking the third rail off the chairs it sits on which will cause a shut down of service along that section of track until track men get there to lift it back onto the chairs. The trains themselves are lifted by a crane and placed back on the tracks, and then pulled to the shop to be inspected and fixed if possible.

"With the derailment that happened in 1977 I'm not sure how it worked for that situation but I believe it was the same premise. I have a picture of that accident on my wall at home as a reminder of how bad it could be if people don't pay attention. There's also some ghost stories of that particular four car train that went around for years after it was put back in service, how the train would make screeching sounds and ghostly passengers would be seen by car cleaners passing through the cars at night during their shifts."

Photo by Alex Garcia, Chicago Tribune, via chicago-el.org

Polite motorman makes for pleasant CTA ride

A pleasant motorman on Red Line run 816 last week made the ride to work a little more bearable.

He reminded people to give up seats to the "handicapped and pregnant woman, and any man who looks real tired. We're all family here people, so let's treat each other right."

A minute later he said: "This is your train, I'm just the chauffeur."

He was chatty throughout the ride, but not in an obnoxious way. As we got toward the Loop, he reminded people by the doors to step off the train to let passengers exit more easily.

And they did!

It was actually a pleasant CTA riding experience.

Aisle-facing seat: More room means more scrunched?

Aisle-facing seats on trains are now a $577-million fait accompli for 2009.

The CTA says after the purchase of 406 new rail cars, riders will get at least 6 more inches of aisle space to allow "more room for customers carrying backpacks, packages, luggage, strollers and bikes. In addition, it allows more space for standing customers with more support poles and straps in the center of the car and accommodates 40 seats so no seats are lost as a result of the new reconfiguration. Aisle-facing seating also provides space for an additional wheelchair position, increasing the total to two per car."

Two years ago I rode one of these cars during a CTA test run. The one thing I didn't like about it was the prospect of being squeezed in and scrunched on two sides. I think the CTA should consider some sort of divider between seats or an elbow rest to protect personal space.

What do you think? of the aisle-facings train cars. Take my click poll below. And here's a Tribune graphic showing the new configuration:

What's your opinion on aisle-facing seats?

Take this poll on the aisle-facing seats coming in 2009. I'll shares the results with the powers-that-be at the CTA.

Nonsenical blathering, like clockwork

Filling out Crazies Week at CTA Tattler, let me highlight this reader contribution. (Share yours here):

"I get off the Blue Line at Clark & Lake every day at about 8:45, sometimes 8:50 in the morning. There is a guy that sits about an aisle deep, in the window, on the right side of the first car, every day, and begins his nonsensical blathering about everything that he hates around the halfway point between the Chicago and Grand stops, every day, which is usually the same thing.

"I've been known to get on at the Cumberland stop on occasion so I know he is on the train for a while. He is a black guy in his mid-50s with an almost George Clinton style of dress. He has what appears to be a modified top hat and begins his same spiel, same time, same place, every GD day."

There's nothing like the regulars on the CTA.

Nude man on the Sheridan platform

Continuing with "Crazies Week" here at CTA Tattler, I give you the whole story of the nude man on the Sheridan platform, which was told here on Monday via comments to this post.

The story begins on the Red Line headed south on a Monday morning. Bleary-eyes commuters are still trying to wipe sleep out of their eyes when a guy begins yelling and screaming, and tearing up money.

Yes, tearing up money. (Don't you wish you had enough money to tear some up?)

Soon, tearing up money wasn't enough. So he began tearing off his clothes. On the train.

Next thing you know, the train is rolling to a stop at Sheridan, and crazed tear-up/off man leaves the train.

Nude.

Anyone else have any further details?

Horrible smell from Hobo Corner deposit merits varied reactions

We left the Sox game a little early Saturday night with the Men in Black holding a comfortable 8-1 lead en route to a 9-2 victory over Kansas City. We figured we would get a jump on the huge crowd and hop a Red Line train north before the fireworks were over.

We walked the length of the platform and boarded the second car. Immediately the horrifying stench assaulted us. It was unmistakable. Human shit. We walked to the other end of the car where it really wasn't as noticeable and began our people-watching. It was similar to anthropological research -- observing how people reacted to it.

There was a broad mix of reactions, from outright screams, to fingers over noses and hands over faces. I duly noted people scrunching up their faces, and quickly moving to my end of the car. Many people totally fled the car altogether at the next stop.

Being your intrepid Tattler reporter, I ventured closer and found it was a large deposit "hidden" under a newspaper under the seat in the Hobo Corner.

Amazingly, two women with a baby rode 30 minutes in the seat directly behind the Hobo Corner. I can only deduce they must have been drunk or totally lacking working olfactory glands.

I did inform the motorman, who just shook her head and thanked me.

Clothing creativity

We were riding the Blue Line to O'Hare when a dirty,smelly guy around 30 or so boards at Clark and Lake.

He was wearing a black XL hooded sweatshirt -- as pants. He had placed his legs through the armholes of the sleeves. He was very creative because he was using the hood as a fanny pack.

After he got off at Division, we looked over at his seat and found he had left a crumply bar of soap that looked like it had been whittled, plus a spoon.

It might have been better had he kept the soap and used it.

All aboard the CTA Fashion Train

The Fashion Train departed from Belmont last week, and Tribune photographer Wes Pope was there to document it.

The Fashion Train was part of the second annual Nova Art Fair. Passengers paid $20 to ride along and enjoy the show as an out-of-service Brown Line train rode around the Loop.

You must see Pope's photos, especially one showing an Oriental carpet rolled down the aisle. Let's hope they scrubbed up the vomit and crushed Cheeto dust first.

Sporadic Red Line subway closings this weekend

The Red Line will rerouted to the Loop elevated tracks this weekend during some limited hours to upgrade service and power equipment according to a CTA customer alert.

It's not so bad northbound, when the rerouting will start at 11 p.m.Friday and continue till 8 a.m. Saturday. The CTA says:

From the Cermak-Chinatown station, northbound Red Line trains will make station stops as follows:

--Roosevelt (accessible) (elevated/Green, Orange lines)
--All stations along Wabash and Lake
--Merchandise Mart (accessible) (Brown Line)
--Chicago (Brown Line) operating express to Fullerton (Red/Brown lines) to resume regular northbound routing to Howard.

Southbound the rerouting will probably affect more people, as it starts at 6 p.m. Sunday through 4 a.m. Monday. The CTA says:

From the Fullerton (Red/Brown lines) station, southbound Red Line trains will make station stops as follows:

--Chicago (Brown Line)
--Merchandise Mart (accessible) (Brown Line)
--All elevated stations along Lake and Wabash
--Roosevelt (accessible) (elevated/Green, Orange lines) to Cermak-Chinatown to resume regular southbound routing to 95th/Dan Ryan (accessible) (Red Line)

In other news, the CTA and the community have agreed on the design for the Armitage El station.

Crain's Chicago Business reports that the CTA "will incorporate vintage designs in its renovations at the Armitage Brown line stop, ending a contentious battle with the surrounding community." See details at Crain's site.

Also, read the Trib's report on how the CTA has "narrowed the possible routes for the proposed Circle Line project to three corridors that would run west of the Loop. They said they plan to spend the coming months whittling the options and will choose a final route early next year."

It takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'

A Tattler rider shared this photo with me last week.

It's the aftermath of a car hitting a bus shelter at the WNW corner of the Armitage/Sedgwick/Lincoln intersection.

What's truly impressive is that none of the glass windows shattered. A piece lies on the ground unbroken. Amazing!

Support your favorite El line with a button

Our friends over at Gapers Block are expanding their horizons to sell products one-inch in diameter -- buttons!

Naz Hamid and Andrew Huff, the founders of Gapers Block and big fans of Chicago transit themselves, have started a new endeavor called El Boton, wherein they will feature button art (for sale) by area designers and artists.

Appropriately enough, El Boton is making El buttons its first offerings, at $2 per button, shipping included!

Check them out here. And good luck to Naz and Andrew.

Lost in their iPod world

Two hip young woman in their mid-20s board the northbound Red Line at Chicago at about 9 p.m., no doubt fresh from their law school class at Loyola University.

They giggle and laugh and take seats opposite each other near the doors. They each pull out an iPod and settle in for a musical interlude after a night of arguing torts.

At North and Clybourn, one gal's neighbor exits and she gestures for her friend to come sit by her. But it was too late. Someone else had grabbed the seat. They shrug at each other and giggle some more.

The guy opposite the other gal notices this and gets up to offer his seat. They gesture wildly and decline the kind offer.

The two friends are happy enough, lost in their iPod world.

Find the best deals on new mp3 players. Get customer ratings and professional price comparison. Get the latest in mp3 technology legal debates and who really pays the price for free music. Also find great deals on new laptop computers to go along with your new music player. Check out this great comprehensive guide for buying laptop computers.

Quite a view for wide-eyed teens

A young 20-something couple gets up to exit the Red Line on a Friday night. She's wearing a jeans miniskirt, he's got his clubbin' clothes on.

Suddenly, he lifts her in his arms, cradling her like a baby. She's laughing as he carries her toward the door.

But the laughter quickly turns to a scream when he slams her head against a pole. In a yelping reaction, she jerks her legs open in his arms.

Two teen boys are standing nearby, mouths agape. One says to the other: "Did we just see her vagina?"

She wasn't wearing any underwear.