CTA Tattler

Who deserves the "priority seating" and what are the rules?

Cheryl shares this interesting bus conversation:

"I got into a discussion about handicapped seating on the bus this weekend. A woman with a cane took the position that able-bodied people were never, ever to sit in the seats marked handicapped.

"A man with a small child in his lap said the child meant he could sit there.

"I am of the opinion I can sit there, but if someone got on the bus after me who needed the seat, I was supposed to move. It was a very nice debate--there was no yelling or shaking of canes. And none of us convinced the others of anything."

Meanwhile, a 9-month pregnant Tribune reporter complained on the RedEye's CTA blog that no one on the bus gave her a seat, despite her very pregnant self.

That reminds me of the very spirited discussion on the subject we had here.

Please don't whiz on the electric fence -- or rail!

A very drunk, very young and good-looking man was stinking up the Hobo Corner. He was making noise, and being very disruptive the whole time.

Then he decided it was time to relieve himself. So he stepped into the next room, or in this case, out the door between cars and took a whiz.

I thought, "Please don't whiz on the electric fence/third rail! You'll die!"

Later, my daughter told me it's an urban legend that people have died doing that. The science student explained that urine is not a continuous stream -- tiny microscopic spaces keep the stream from being a solid conductor of electricity

Read more about this topic here at snopes.com. I was gonna post the picture found there of the burned penis, but I thought if I did, you guys might never come back here.

So anyway, the drunk guy went back to the corner and continued to cause a commotion -- grunting, snorting, and dissing people. His final act of a-holery was to pull the red knob on the door after the train had started leaving Granville. Remember, the whole world stops for this guy.

Puke-worthy bloody tale

My neighbor Tom shares this icky story:

There I was, minding my own business, when two young women got on. They were having a very loud, chatty conversation that you couldn't help but overhear.

Eh, no big  deal - until the one girl launched into a story about how she was shaving something, I'm not sure what, but the razor blade slipped and went into her fingernail.

She kept talking about it, how deep it was, how much it bled, how awful the wound looked... "It hurt so much, I almost puked!"

My skin is crawling, just remembering her story. I felt like puking right then and there. Sheesh. 

Squicky squeamishness

I'm normally not squeamish about how some people mutilate their bodies. I can usually tolerate looking at strange metal objects protruding from people's faces without getting too squicked out.

But for some reason this guy sitting in front of me on the Red Line just really got to me:

I mean, ugh. And why? Go ahead, flame out on me all you metal-heads.

Oh, and a birthday shout-out to my loving wife. I know, this post is a strange spot to wish her a happy birthday, but today's the day. 

CTA expands bus-tracker GPS program

The CTA board on Monday expanded a pilot program to allow bus riders to track the location of every bus on the street.

The Bus Tracker system has been used and tested exclusively on the No. 20 Madison bus since last year. Now the CTA awarded a contract Monday to expand that program, starting with buses now being used to help ease the congestion caused by three-tracking on the North Side.

More details from the CTA press release  (including the bus routes targeted) can be found in the continuation.

WWJD about this dude?

I board the crowded Red Line train at Sheridan after a Cubs game. The clueless suburbanites are clustered near the door in a tight knot, so I slide past them to an empty aisle spot I spy in the middle of the car.

I see why the area is mostly vacant. A guy in his early-30s is taking up two seats, with his back against the train wall, his long legs on the adjacent seat, spilling into the aisle.

He is reading the Bible. New Testament. The Act of the Apostle. He is both highlighting with a yellow marker and circling passages with a pen.

Makes you wonder: What Would Jesus Do about this rude rider?

Absurd personalized phone ring tone

The cell phone started warbling and the commuters started laughing:

"Andrea, Andrea, Andrea, oh Andrea answer the phone" came the melodic sounds of the cell phone.

Andrea finally dug the phone out of her pocket as the Red Line commuters chuckled at the absurd, personalized ring tone/song.

Kruesi going-away gift: New yellow jacket!

Lilia Chacon at Fox News told me today her news crew would like to get Frank a new NorthFace yellow jacket as a going-away gift.

Lilia interviewed me today for my thoughts on Kruesi's resignation. (Film on Fox's new News at 10 pm tonight.) She mentioned they wanted to get that for Frank as a gag gift, since he always wears it.

A couple of other notes:

The CTA's Web site has two interesting press releases. The first is just headlined: "Statement of Carole Brown." In it she thanks Frank for his years of service.

The other notes that Daley is recommending Huberman as CTA president.

I just find this interesting because neither if you just look at the press release page, there's no mention of Kruesi leaving.

Like the CTA just wants to turn the page, and quickly.

Another note: I've seen some comments already dissing Huberman as inexperienced, and not the guy for the job. I say give him a chance. He's a great administrator, and that's what we need at the CTA. Plus I'll bet he'll do much better schmoozing the state legislators for money.

Firefighters "spit" on Brown Line fire

A track fire halted Brown and Purple Line service during Wednesday's evening rush hour.

A reader from Hirsch Associates, an architectural firm located right near the site of the fire, shares these photos of firefighters working the small blaze.

Or, as David puts it: "Nothing funnier than a few firemen standing around practically spitting on a fire."

See another photo in the continuation page. Thanks for sharing David.

Kruesi Resigns

Frank Kruesi resigned this morning-- seems Daley listened.