CTA Rant Thread (Chicago, Calumet Park: credit card, student loan, purchase)

[Drover]

If they're going to shut down an entire stretch of track for three weeks, it had better be bloody flawless when it re-opens, not this "half-way fixed but still only running at full speed during rush-hour" crap like the rest of the Blue Line seems to be from the Loop to Addison.

[Avengerfire]

Yes I agree. They have been working on this crap for a long time. They have to get a grip on it soon.

Last time I rode to and from O'Hare a few weeks ago it took like 20 minutes to get from OHare to Rosemont. No joke. (on a weekend)

[chaset]

Originally Posted by youngurbanprofessional

I hate it the most when people overcrowd a seat. Most trains and buses have seats next to another one, and a lot of times, fat or thin, people take up more than their share of space.

1. If I'm so fat that I take up more than one seat on a bus/train, I should be running to work. I once saw a fat guy try to squeeze himself between two other people who were already sitting down confortably. By the time he was sat, the other two people had to get up from their seats.

2. If you have so many bags that you can't keep all of them near you without taking up an entire bench, then you should be standing. Especially during rush hours.

3. There is a game people play on the trains, I call it: "how many people can we fit in a car". I hate this game, so do a lot of people. If you think it is worth it to force-squeeze yourself into a train car simply because you can't wait less than 5 minutes for the next train, you are dead wrong. Sometimes I just want to literally shove them off the train, or elbow them in the face. Someday I just might.

The CTA employees are incompetent and bad enough, but we expect that from ghetto people who make no money. Other people, however, should have some common sense and learn not to be so selfish. I agree with a previous poster, some people need a punch in the face. Otherwise they can keep doing stupid **** and get away with it.

Yes. In japan they have PROFESSIONAL subway workers who squish people into the cars. such a good idea.

[chaset]

Originally Posted by Drover

People generally follow the "stand on the right walk on the left" pattern here too, though there are some escalators that are too narrow to allow "two lanes of traffic" so to speak. People on those are just gonna have to be patientn when there's a "stander" in front of them.

Like north and clyborn! it's like 6 inches wide!!!

[Avengerfire]

Important CTA service notes please check these notices before planning your trip or asking questions on the board!
Service changes and disruptions:

CTA | Chicago Transit Authority - CTA Press Releases

Blue Line (to and from OHare) disruptions from 7/8/08 to 7/28/08

http://www.transitchicago.com/news/m...szep.html#blue

[Avengerfire]

CTA train derails:

CTA train derails near Cermak-Chinatown stop -- chicagotribune.com

[Avengerfire]

CTA plans a park and ride at the Wilson Red Line stop.
Truman College, CTA to build parking deck next to Wilson Avenue station -- chicagotribune.com

Personally I think it would be a great idea for the CTA to build its own garage in addition to this one and sell some of parking spaces and/or rent them out daily or hourly to Cubs fans. Perhaps the charge could be $1500 a space for a every game in the Cubs season and $30 for up to 6 hours on the day of game. They also can sell spaces for area residents and commuters that prefer to park in the garage monthly. Maybe $100 bucks a month?


Included in the parking charge the CTA could give out a free ride back and forth on the Red Line to Wrigley for the Cubs parkers. The CTA is always crying about money if they did something creative like this they could make some money.

What do you all think about this?

[sharkylittleton]

Is the construction finished on Clark/Division redline stop? Can you enter/exit that station without any issues?

[MrChicago]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

I will start off with a little ditty I found a few days ago. Please blow off all the steam you can in this thread and also tell your stories!

================================================== ========
CTA Checklist---Feel free to add to this...

Enter train while people are still exiting.

Hold cell phone with arm upraised, elbow out so it is horizontal to the ground.

Check the time by straightening arm out, snapping elbow at right angle to reveal the timepiece.

Increase volume of voice while on the phone.

When a call comes in, say more than, “Excuse me, I’m still on the train. May I call you back in 10 minutes?”

Spit while you talk.

Eat food and dump crumbs on the seat, floor, etc.

Drink and leave the can or bottle on the floor.

Continually draw back your mucous instead of blowing your nose.

Cough without covering your mouth.

Sit with your legs splayed so that you take up 1 ½ seats.

Keep your personal items on the seat next to you.

Run your luggage wheels over as many toes as possible.

Play the staring game with an uninterested party.

Play your ipod so loudly everyone can hear it too.

Kiss, but making slurping noises.

Ignore your screaming child hoping it will all just go away.

Scream at your screaming child to make it stop screaming.

Fart without impunity.

LOL, Now you may not mean to come off as funny but you did,and the truth is a funny thing. C.T.A does need to do a better job as far as commuting; as people I think we should mind our business, because that's how people get killed. I'm sure that you might have offended some of the other commuters on the transit yourself buddy

[Costa Rica Chica]

As I have officially been an El rider for two whole days now, I can now join this thread. So, I get on at Randolph/Wabash on the purple line, and wouldn't you know there are technical difficulties one stop later, (something with a broken signal light,) and the train is stuck at the platform with the doors open for more than 25 minutes. In 25 minutes a lot of people who want to ride the purple line amass on the platform and try to get into the already packed train to the point where people were pushing and shoving and yelling at people to stop trying to get on the train. I was shoved against the glass where the air-conditioning comes out and my butt was like an ice-cube after a few minutes, let alone the hour it took to get back home to Evanston.

(I still am so happy to be here that I don't care, though!)

I got off at Merchandise Mart this morning and walked to my office on Wabash along the Chicago River - lovely! I took pictures, maybe I'll post them tomorrow.