CTA Tattler

Blood, garbage, urine, hot flammin' cheetos bags, grape pop cans, chewed chicken wings, graffit, gum, spit, just to mention a few additional items of interest found on Cta trains and platforms.

Oh, my god. Someone got stabbed on a train and they couldn't take at least the married pair of cars out of service to clean them?

That really says more about the state of the system than a metaphor could.

I feel sorry for the operator, having to drive around a train knowing there's someone's blood in the seats behind him. How creepy is that. I hope the victim turned out OK.

That is really frightening! Good lord that's a lot of blood!

Haven't read anything about a stabbing on the CTA but it wouldn't be surprising given the amount of blood. I've never seen a bloody nose spout like that.

I agree with sabrina. I'm shocked that they left the cars in service, whose choice what that?

Pffft. I've seen more blood in my mom's panties during menstruation.

Also, I enjoy the last line of your post. It really hints at your true feelings, Kevin. You really feel for us CTA riders. It's almost scary. Like seriously, step away from me. Stop wringing your hands like that.

Maybe they had to get the cars to the yard at Howard so they could continue processing the crime scene. As gorey as this is, I'm sure there would have been just as much complaints about them completely stopping service and no one being able to go north at all.

If the stabbing was at 79th, couldn't they just have sent the train back to 95th?

Dad is that you?

Knowing how lazy the CTA is... the stabbing at 79th street probably happened 3 days ago. There's been a "brown line" train with a sign in the front saying Green Line running for months now. You'd think they'd be able to change the signs by now.

Let your true feelings out about The Govunator and his hinch men. Maybe we should start talking about helping those legislators who actually gives a hobo corner about public transportation.

Mebbe it was that "time of the month" and
" Aunt Flo " stopped by

Cool. As if one menstruation comment wasn't funny and/or gross and/or immature enough. Thanks, guys.

The curtain roller signs on each car can only have so many destination designations. The 3200-series cars, which are regularly in service on the brown and orange lines, aren't equipped with green line designations. There likely aren't enough 2400-series or green-line-designation-equipped 2600-series to cover the green line and wherever else they're assigned. So, hey, you do what you can. It'd be a bit much to completely switch out roller curtains.

Why isnt the Skyway money being used to bail out CTA ?

Let's say the stabbing did take place at 79th. What should they do with the cars?

Well, they could disconnect the pair, and get a seperate operator to take the bloodied pair to the next cross-over, and then shuttle it to 95th. But that means waiting for an extra operator (who can't get there by taking the train!). So the line stays out of service, and people are left standing on the platforms complaining.

They could forget about waiting for an extra operator, and just move the whole train down to 95th. That means one less train on the line to handle the crowds, and if the cars were out of Howard, then they'll be out of place. So you're just spreading the logistics issuses out over a couple of days.

They could take the train out of service, and run it, and the operator up to Howard passing all the people waiting on the crowded platforms along the way. Wouldn't you love to read about that!

Or they could block-off the one affected car, and put the rest of the train back in service to get people moving again.

No matter what choice they could have made, someone will come along and say it was the wrong choice. But there are a lot of people who benefited because of the choice they made. Far more people benefited than under any of the other choices.

Still, people complain. They complain about everything. Some people will hunt for things to complain about.

All in all, I think someone made the right choice this time.

See, I warned you folks that those bozos and
yahoos in Sprinfgiend don't give a rat's
behind about the CTA finances and it's riders. Why did Emil Jones say that the transit bill would be reconsidered then turn
right around and say though his "spokesperson" that the bill would not
be brought-up again until Sept. 17, the day
after the cuts and fare increases are put into effect ? But take heart it's not the end
of the world, the sun will still rise, the CTA will still operate, and as sure as doo-doo stinks, our "elected" officials will devise "new" way to separate us from our money and send us a bill for doing so, 'cause
they know that come election-time we have short memories and all is forgiven/forgotten
and we who do vote or don't vote for that matter will write them a blank check to work
us over, both emotionally and financially, again.

And I feel sorry for Ron Huberman, he tried to do what they asked him to do as contingent
to them (The General Assembly) approving money for the CTA, service and personnel cuts
and they reneiged and left him looking like
the heavy and he will be the on to take the
fall. and furthermore if mayor daley can
guarantee $ 500 million to "buy" the olympics, why can't he help to fund his bus
company. After all it is the "CHICAGO" transit authority.

"See, I warned you folks that those bozos and
yahoos in Sprinfgiend don't give a rat's
behind about the CTA finances and it's riders."

Actualy nobody south of City limmits gives a rats rear about the CTA and we like it that way.

You lost sheep and lemmings, get over it. Very few people want their taxes raised to bail out a failed system. Pay the 3 or 4 bucks for a ride, shut your holes, and get on with your lives !

"rest of the state",
YOUR economy, the entire regional economy, depends on downtown Chicago. Period. Downtown Chicago depends on the CTA for about 50% of its workforce; a further 20% take Metra. You damn well should care, even if you don't ever use it.

I am so angry. I just read that the Senate won't consider a bill until September 17th?? Unreal. This problem should have been addressed months ago. How much money is being wasted on all the red tape of contingency plans, severance, signs, etc. Even if they pass something and then rehire/reinstate routes it is going to be millions of dollars wasted over this whole fiasco. How about not paying any legislator a salary that caused this mess? In my opinion anyone whose inaction negatively affects hundreds of thousands of people's lives should not get rewarded for their work!

I've given up hope on the Sept. 16th cuts. I just hope to god they do something before Jan 1. 2008. Rumor has it $6 per ride fares and or 75% of all CTA service gone. That is scary stuff folks. Even all you people on here that drive your precious cars all over this city, clogging the roads, polluting like crazy and causing more dead urban space devoted to parking, its going to get a LOT more expensive for you too. There will be thousands more cars on the roads and trying to park. Lake shore drive will be a parking lot at rush hour. If Chicago becomes unattractive to business, our average salaries will also go down. Less demand for workers, less money for us, the city.

The CTA workers are disgusting and the laziest workers I have ever seen in my life. I think they are highly overpaid (due to the union) and all deserve paycuts. Perhaps that would save the CTA some money. I often wonder how New York's MTA runs so smoothly?

Im tired of seeing the CTA agents chewing on chicken bones and licking their fingers in their booths.

NOBODY cared when Kreusi and Browne and all the others - with the help of Maor Daley ran this transit system into the ground....and now they get to lay the blame on the state??? Give me a break. They are ALL rsponsible - don't let them steer blame away from themselves. The city should have hired a professional years ago instead of useless managers.

That very well may be, Lonny. But it would help if you would give specific examples of how they have run the CTA into the ground. Otherwise it is difficult to take your post seriously.

A friend of mine was attacked early this morning (Sep. 10 at 4 a.m.) at the Roosevelt platform. He was getting off the train and a group of guys were getting on.

One of the guys just punched my friend in the face for no reason at all. Completely unprovoked. He broke my friend's jaw in two places. My friend is in the hospital right now awaiting surgery.

The CTA worker called the ambulance but that was as far as she went. She didn't radio the train operator to notify the police and arrest the attackers at the next platform.

We're hoping that there were cameras on the platform so that we can get these guys arrested.

Please be extremely careful out there. I don't know what else one can do to protect themselves.

Criminals and homeless have taken over CTA

"The CTA worker called the ambulance but that was as far as she went. She didn't radio the train operator to notify the police and arrest the attackers at the next platform."

Yeah. They should have radioed the train operator so he could stop the train, and trap the violent guys until police got in position. Screw the people stuck on the train with them. Endanger them all just to trap the bad guys. I'm sure they wouldn't mind at all.