A human face behind CTA "medical emergency"
A number of folks here have complained about being delayed by all sorts of CTA nonsense, including medical emergencies.
But on medical emergencies, I always just shake my head and say, "well it could have been me or someone else I knew."
Friday's Chicago Tribune featured a news obituary for Dennis Gordon, a 58-year-old musician and newspaper designer. He died after collapsing on the CTA's Brown Line on the way to work on Tuesday.
I actually remember hearing his band play in the 1980s. And it turns out that my daughter knows his son.
So the next time you hear the announcement about a delay due to a medical emergency, instead of cursing the idea of being late, perhaps the proper response should be: "There but for the grace of God go I."
Out of all the dreaded "so this is why we're sitting here" announcements, people seem to get the least agitated by the medical emergency one, probably for the reason you mentioned.
It's fine to get riled up because the CTA can't keep a switch in order (I'm looking at you, Belmont), but if someone's having a seizure in the next train it's a different story.
Posted by: bopo | February 24, 2007 at 11:31 AM
yeah. i don't get being bent out of shape about such things. then again, we've seen people on here get their shit in a twist over people committing suicide, so ... i suppose anything is possible.
however, the only time i 99% fainted on the brown line, i jumped up just as i hit the ground for two reasons:
1. i was embarrassed and
2. i didn't want everyone to hate me because i caused some big ass delay.
Posted by: jocelyn | February 25, 2007 at 01:28 AM
Thanks for the perspective.
And nice use of Jenny Lewis, if that was intentional.
Posted by: chessi | February 25, 2007 at 04:05 PM
hee. sorry to giggle, but that phrase has been around *long* before jenny lewis ...
it's a nice reminder to remember that i'm no better or worse than anyone i see. it's so easy to judge, and not so easy to imagine being in someone else's shoes.
Posted by: jocelyn | February 26, 2007 at 01:00 AM
Yeah, it really is totally out of line to get angry about medical emergency delays. It's not like someone gets up in the morning and says, "I think I'll go have a coronary infarction on the Brown Line today so I can upset Joe Blow." Please, this is an issue that we have to cut slack for.
Another? Boarding disabled riders, especially on the buses. I am guilty of getting a little antsy, a little irritated when it goes into 10 minutes to secure a chair, but that is wrong - we have to cut them slack. CDT (the service for disabled people in Chicago) is notoriously HORRIBLE - you can schedule weeks ahead and they will still be no-shows) so disabled people, some of the poorest people in the country, are more often than not dependent on public transpo. But then so little of it is accessible, but that is a fish to fry in another column.
Posted by: Xtina | February 26, 2007 at 10:14 PM