June 2007 Archives

Your numbers up, CTA's "baddest" bus routes.

Readers responded to the "Going Public" call for the worst bus routes around with a vengeance.

All week, we tallied the votes and read rants about everything from spitting riders to chronic bus bunching to near non-existence service.

And where were these rants directed? Directly at our four final contenders: No.8-Halsted, No.147-Outer Drive Express, No. 79-Jeffrey and No. 65-Grand.

Only one can win (or is it lose?) by being crowned the worst bus ever. It's time for the final judgment. Cast your vote on the accompanying poll for the most rotten route around. We'll reveal the results in next Tuesday's "Going Public."

Posted by Jim Walsh - 10:54 p.m., June 21

I've done a lot of stupid things in my life: That "Rammstein" album purchase. The time I ate at Taco Bell. And--most recently-- my decision to ride the Blue Line to O'Hare.

I was supposed to pick up my mom at the airport this morning, but my car died. So I decided, at 9:40 a.m., that it would be best to take the "L" to the airport.

Since I'm new to the city, I figured the best way to do this from my Fullerton Brown Line stop was to ride into the Loop and transfer to the big Blue at the Thompson Center. Little did I know I would be spending the next two hours in transit.

It took forever to get out to O'Hare. The driver must not have been in a hurry, because the train crawled past stop after stop as I anxiously calculated how late I would be picking up my mom. I could have jogged faster than we were moving.

By the time we rolled into O'Hare, at about noon, I was about to go nuts--along with my fellow passengers. Fortunately, my mom was understanding--especially when I insisted we take a cab back.

Any tips for next time I have to get to the airport sans car? There has got to be a better way.

Posted by Tracy Swartz- 10:10 p.m., June 18

(You probably think this post is about Blue).

With apologies to my beloved Blue Line, I changed up my commute this morning and took the #72 North Ave. bus to the Red Line.

Big mistake.

The #72 (usually more timely than the #65 Grand Ave. bus) whizzed past my pickup stop and screeched to a halt halfway through the next block. Sigh.

I boarded the Red Line at the Clybourn stop, where I was greeted with a sea of faces. I haven't seen a space packed that tightly since the Tribune gave away free hot dogs to its employees.

I surveyed the crowd as I tried hard not to love thy neighbor. I saw a lot of girls wearing their sunglasses as the train made its way underground.

I enjoy parading around town in my oversized UO shades but I feel silly wearing them below ground. I know the lights in the train car can be harsh, but is this accessory really necessary?

I think the lack of eye contact adds to the cold feeling of riding the train. I like to watch riders' faces when they read the paper or interact with others. But then again, it would be easier to avoid a Chad's bedroom eyes.

Posted by Scott Kleinberg - 2:07 p.m., Sunday, June 17

It's been more than 25 years and we're still waiting for the 4th installment of Indiana Jones. Let it be known that I'm giving you the 4th installment of Random Observations in a more reasonable time frame.

That said, cue the roaring lion.

•• You know how Red Line construction has required the CTA to shift trains that travel in the subway up to the elevated tracks? Today, I saw a really helpful sign at the entrance to the Red Line at Monroe explaining what's going on and more importantly exactly where riders should go to catch their train. Great, I thought. And then, at Lake, there's no sign. At Grand, there's no sign. So ... how do you know whether or not the train is really being rerouted or if the sign was just left there from another time? And if there should be a sign, you just walked all the way downstairs to find out the same thing you should have found out upstairs!

•• I've talked about this before in another entry, but ... why is it called the "Go Lane" on the bus when if you try to do what the sign instructs—stay left and pass your card BEFORE the person in front of you finishes counting $2 in dimes and nickels— you get yelled at by the driver to wait your turn? To me it's the equivalent of getting in the I-Pass only lane on the Tri-State and being told not to without waiting for the guy paying cash to pay.

•• Why do taxis fly around a bus just to get in front of it and then slow down while the light is green and force everyone to miss the light? I understand they want more time to find a fare so they slow down, but why don't they just get behind a bus to start with? Then they can go 5 mph all day long!

•• And finally, why do people think that they can exit out the rear door of the bus NO MATTER WHERE THE BUS IS?!? Nowhere near a stop today and some woman's pounding and yelling "Can I get out here?" No ... you cannot. Standing passengers: Please do not lean against the doors. You're getting on my nerves. Thank you.

As you can see, totally random observations. Things that make you go hmmmm (go ahead, sing it). And while you're singing, let me know yours. For the 5th installment, I'm printing the 5 best submissions, so start observing, folks. You could be a published author!

Doors closing. (Can I get off here? No! Sit down!) Until next time.

Posted by Scott Kleinberg - 1:37 p.m., Friday, June 15

Last night, while on the No. 56 Milwaukee bus home from Madison and Wabash to Madison and Clinton, there was a guy from Japan talking to the driver about mass transit in the far east.

PASSENGER: You'd pay $4 or $5 to ride the bus ... but there's a TV.

DRIVER: TV? Really? hmmm. Wait ... $4 or $5? Wow.

Interesting. But, for the amazing low price of $1.75 (I have a Chicago Card), I got to see some guy pick his nose for 10 solid minutes.

Who needs TV?

On that note, have a great weekend. And as always, feel free to share your entertaining stories with us.

Doors closing. Until next time.

Posted by Mark Bazer - 9 a.m., June 14

My toddler son loves the bus. It’s safe to say it’s his favorite thing in the world that doesn’t feed him. “Hey, buddy, we’re going outside,” I’ll say.

To which, the reply almost always is, “Bus?”

The terrible twos are upon us, and if we want our son to do anything, involving the bus is a great way to make it happen.

“Hey, pal, we need you to stop taking off your diaper.”

“No!”

“What if you keep your diaper on and we go on the bus?”

And just like that, the diaper stays on.

I’m sure my son isn’t unique in this regard. Little kids love transportation, the bigger the better. The rest of the world has moved on from trains, for example, but not toddlers.

Go to any toy store and you’ll see the toddlers flock to the Thomas the Extortionist Train Set area. So, I’ve got to believe other kids are digging the CTA bus system as well.

So, a suggestion, which, I realize, would not be good for me personally but which just very well could save the cash-strapped public transportation system in this city: No more of this toddlers ride the bus free craziness.

From now on, the CTA should charge $50 per bus ride for every child under 3. We desperate parents will pay.

Posted by Scott Kleinberg - 2:01 p.m., Wednesday, June 13

Today I waited 24 minutes for the bus at 1 p.m. in the heart of the bustling West Loop. The person I was chatting with said her wait was 30 minutes.

Why?

That person I was talking to said it best ... She doesn't like to complain because other cities don't even have transportation systems. I agree that we are lucky, but in a world class city like Chicago, I expect more and I expect better.

And remember folks this is without any funding doomsday scenarios built in. How much worse can it get? We were all pleasantly surprised by the relative smoothness of the first phase of the Brown Line reconstruction project, but let's not get too complacent. 24 minutes during a rush period downtown just doesn't work for me.

What are your thoughts? Is my gripe unfair? Is 24 minutes acceptable to you? And if you have ideas on how to speed things up, by all means please let me know.

Oh, and a quick update. This isn't the CTA's fault, but it's icing on the cake. I'm writing this on my cell phone while stuck in the left lane on Wacker at Michigan. The bridge is up and the car in front didn't make the turn before it happened, so the bus has nowhere to go. And the driver is not too happy. So today it was 1 hour from home to work. Sigh.

Doors closing. Until next time.

Posted by Jimmy Greenfield - 1:15 p.m., June 12

Warning: the following post contains graphic content that may frighten you. It certainly frightened me.

For some reason today I decided to figure out how much time per year I spend on the CTA. Here are my calculations:

So I spend an entire week on the CTA every year. And that doesn't include time stuck on the platform.

Who can top me?

Posted by Scott Kleinberg - 12:01 p.m., Friday, June 8

I got 450 e-mails today asking me when part 3 of my random observations from a bus series would drop. Ok, maybe it was 2 e-mails. I can't remember. Anyhow, fasten your seat belt. Or don't.

•• There aren't enough 24-hour food joints in Chicago. Washington near Wabash is like an oasis when I'm hungry after a long day ... There's a 24-hour Subway and a Dunkin' Donuts across the street. Last night ... large iced coffee and a berry frosted don ... what's this????? Hello, jelly. Is that you, RASPBERRY?????? niiiiiice.

•• Some of the newer CTA buses have really nice seats! I was on the 124 Navy Pier bus yesterday for the first time. I was very impressed. Next time, I'm going all the way to Navy Pier ... but first I'll ask my boss.

•• If another bus passes me up when I'm waiting at a stop where multiple buses stop, I'm going to scream. What do I need a hat with a number on it? One of those signs like at an auction? Hello, driver? If you see a person, make eye contact with me because I'm sure as heck making eye contact with you. Just don't pass me up! Oh, I'm talkin' to you, 157.

•• Don't EVER take the No. 11 Lincoln-Sedgwick bus from the Loop to Lakeview during afternoon rush. I think I grew a beard in the time it took to get there.

•• I heard a new announcement the other day ... when buses are crowded, fold up strollers so everyone has a place to sit .... Yeah, everyone except the baby!

And while I love making random observations ... the best ones come from you, dear readers. So tell me what you see. What you think. To paraphrase Dr. Frasier Crane ... I'm listening, Chicago.

Doors closing. Until next time.

Posted by Jane Hirt - 2:15 p.m., June 5

Today I did the practically unthinkable—I made small talk with a complete stranger on the “L.”

Like most people, I usually put on my don’t-mess-with-me face when I get on the Brown Line at Western.

Today, though, a guy with a bike got on midway through my trip wearing a jacket with an irresistible Huskers logo on it.

I grew up in Nebraska and even though I’ve lived in Chicago half my life, I still make it a point to be nice to Nebraska transplants. I just can’t help myself.

But strike up a conversation with someone on the “L”? Hmmm, tricky.

I thought about it a good long time and ended up waiting until I was a safe six stops away from where I was getting out. “Are you from Nebraska?” I asked pointing to his jacket.

He told me he’d lived there just a short while—when his sister was based there with the military. But he said that almost every time he wears that jacket, some Chicago-Nebraskan in the crowd or behind the counter asks him if he’s from there. He’s gotten free food, he said, and more than a few hugs. (No, I didn’t hug him.)

But we did have the kind of nice conversation that restores your faith a little in CTA-traveling humanity.

Thanks, Nebraska jacket guy.

Posted by RedEye - 3:27 p.m., June 4

Hearings will begin Tuesday regarding the CTA's contingency plan that would lead to massive fare hikes and reduced service if implemented.

Read Tribune transportation reporter Jon Hilkevitch's story for times and locations.

Posted by Scott Kleinberg - 2 p.m., Sunday, June 3

Those of you who regularly read my posts know that I have been on a tear lately over customer service on the CTA. And that tear is going to continue as long as I have stories like these to post.

I'm on the 151 Sunday afternoon headed from Union Station to Michigan Avenue. At Jackson and Riverside Plaza, a group of about 20 Canadian tourists gets on, obviously with no idea where they need to go. What they do know is that they want the No. 6 Jackson Park Express bus and think it might leave from State Street. But that's all they know.

This dismal display of customer service begins now. Definitely click through for the rest. You don't want to miss this.