CTA Tattler

I had a first this past Friday. Riding the Purple Line northbound out of Belmont, about 4 minutes into the ride the operator apologizes for the slow ride and says that the train is ahead of schedule and needs to get back on schedule. We rolled along at what seemed to be half the normal speed for another 5 minutes and pulled into Howard on time at 7:59am.

I'm still confused by how the train got ahead of schedule. Does not compute. *brain sputters sparks*

I agree, that is incredibly helpful! My commute downtown is only faster for me to transfer to the red line from the brown IF a red comes within 3 or 4 minutes. Many times the wait is more like 10, or a red line passes us while we're at Wellington and leaves before we get to Fullerton. I hope more train operators begin communicating this way, especially with three-tracking beginning in a few weeks!

Generally, I like to be over-informed by train drivers, rather than underinformed, but some take it a bit too far. For example, my red line driver this morning talked incessantly, and just kept repeating himself, like this is all our first time riding the train.

They should be reminded that while relaying useful information (delays, transfers) is important, some of us, especially in the morning, just want some peace and quiet to read, get a little commute snooze, or just mentally prepare for the day, rather than hear, "Please step up, step in, stay away from the doors.....etc" ad nauseum at every stop.

I think they must have gotten a memo or something. I had a bus driver tell me last night we'd be parked for 5 minutes to get back on schedule. Then he proceeded to use that 5 minutes to pick up nasty old newspapers from the seats and floors.

^^+1

The other day I was on a train where the operator kept saying "please use doors all available open doors" at each stop. Not only does it not make sense, but unless were all idiots, it has no point. Since when does someone attempt to board the train using an unavailable closed door?

What is with trains being ahead of schedule lately?
Considering how slow they go due to the slow zones I'm baffled by this.
I recently rode from Garfield to Thorndale. The train had a door problem at a couple of stops downtown, but still we got the "we're holding for two minutes" crap farther north. There's no way this train was ahead of schedule!

complain, complain, complain. That's all you ever do.

What interests me about the announcements is the clues they give about the mindset of the operator. Less and less you hear them refer to "my leader" or "my follower" or even "a train directly behind me." More and more they remember to drop the inside jargon and speak of "a train directly behind US", showing they understand it's not just them driving an inanimate object, but a train full of passengers. I can only imagine the work it's taken to get this concept across, but it's starting to take hold.

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The other day I was on a train where the operator kept saying "please use doors all available open doors" at each stop. Not only does it not make sense, but unless were all idiots, it has no point. Since when does someone attempt to board the train using an unavailable closed door?
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Well, you've missed the point.

The point is to break the cattle syndrome. Instead of using all the open doors, people tend to put blinders on, an just mindlessly follow the people ahead of them. This reminder is meant to break that habbit, and get people to look at other doors besides the one they're waiting in line for. It's not to remind people they can't use a closed door! lol!

The, "USE ALL AVAILABLE DOORS! USE *ALL* AVAILABLE DOORS!!" routine is easily one of the most annoying regular occurrences. When you board at the beginning of the Loop, then sit through 8 more Loop stops that are each 2 blocks apart, having the operator scream it at the people boarding at every station is not only irritating to the people already on the train, it doesn't really do a lot of good anyway.

Is there really anyone getting ready to board the train that hears the operator yelling at them, and decides to run to a different door? Wouldn't that normally take more time?

"Is there really anyone getting ready to board the train that hears the operator yelling at them, and decides to run to a different door?"

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Well, actually Joe Blow, yeah. I've seen people standing right in front of a door, look inside the windows as they're boarding, notice there aren't any empty seats or any seats period, see the car in front has empty seats and try to sprint toward that one instead, rather that just get on the train they're standing right in front of, bite the bullet and stand.

But they're using different doors in response to the current situation in the various cars, not because the train operator yelled through the speakers to USE ALL AVAILABLE DOORS. If they stopped and boarded the crowded car after thinking about what the operator scolded them for, you might be able to say it made a difference. But it's mostly just an irritating thing that doesn't serve any useful purpose..

Joe, that's the point. They standing at the "available door" and rather than just walk on the train and resign themselves to the fact they'll have to stand, they race to a door further away because they think they'll get a seat. I mean, they can be standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF A DOOR.

And that's just one scenario I've seen. Don't get me started on high school kids trying to hold the door for their friend as they go running down the platform instead of just jumping on the first "available door".

Just once I'd like to hear the operator announce "if you don't want a seat, please allow those who do want a seat to get to it."

The usual challenge when I get on a train is to choose which door to enter so I'm less likely to be blocked by some tortoise-paced yahoo who will go in the door and then just stop and stand there in the entrance so no one can pass through to the aisle, or inch forward with a look of "where am I? what should I do next?", while people proceed quickly in the other door and grab up all the seats before I can get said yahoo to let me pass.

I can understand the announcement after a cubs game (@ addison) or at popular stops like chicago and lake, but there is no reason for it at every stop. Specifically during the morning commute where 90% (I assume) of the riders take it daily and are aware of the 16 doors.
Some of us like sitting in the same train car or have to wait for some ahole to move out of the doorway. No point treating us like clueless out of towners.
*end of rant lol