April 2008 Archives

Posted April 29, 5:40 p.m.

Sometimes, I get reader letters and calls that don't fall into the neat categories I set forth.  So, now, each day, I'm going to start a general box for CTA kudos or complaints. I want to know what's on your mind.

Some of them, I will forward to the CTA for review or even write a "Going Public" column about if they affect enough riders. 

So come on...Fill 'er up!

Forget burnout -- boreout is the up-and-coming workplace trend, according to the London Times.

The term, coined by business consultants Philippe Rothlin and Peter Werder in their book "Diagnose Boreout," is used to describe workers who are underchallenged and often spend their days staring blankly into space.

"We estimate that 15 percent of office staff are on the way to boreout," Werder told the Times last year.

Frankly, I think everyone experiences boreout every now and again. Who hasn't taken a mental vacation in their cube where they daydreamed of replacing the fluorescent bulbs with real, actual, natural sunlight?

Boredom isn't necessarily the inspiration for the fakation. Sometimes you just need these mental breaks to refuel yourself for the rest of the day.

The Times article cites Homer Simpson of "The Simpsons" as an example of a worker experiencing boreout. I don't think he's necessarily bored -- perhaps he just doesn't have the mental capacity to be working at a nuclear power plant. Or a donut factory for that matter.

I think Jim Halpert of "The Office" is a better example of a worker with boreout. But he uses these boreout periods to his advantage by pranking co-workers.

I also think Tom Hanks' character in "Joe Versus the Volcano" fits the bill. (Hooray! Finally I get to drop a JVtV reference decades after it became my favorite movie.)

What are some other examples of workers with boreout? Do you experience boreout?

Posted April 29, 12:00 p.m.

Hear those birds chirping?

See that grass growing?

OK, unless you're super observant, you may not see the grass growing, but other signs of spring are here.

It's also time for a painful process called spring cleaning, but take heart.

The CTA, too, is getting in on that action with its own renewed cleaning efforts, and riders will be the ultimate beneficiaries.

Sprucing spree at Wilson
This particular Red Line station appears to be a CTA stepchild, according to riders who have regularly written to "Going Public" lamenting the station's leaky roof, dingy lighting, propensity toward puddling and otherwise crumbly appearance. It must be especially painful for Wilson-ites who pass through the beautiful new Brown Line stations on their way downtown. But don't give up the good fight, Wilson-ites. The CTA already has undertaken steps toward fixing up your sketchy-looking stop by rebuilding the stairs and replacing lighting in the stairwell at the entrances on Wilson Street, according to agency spokeswoman Sheila Gregory. The agency also repaired the ceiling and roof of the station house and replaced entrance doors at the main entrance on Broadway, Gregory said. There's even a plan for the puddling, with a new drainage system being installed under the stairwell, Gregory said.

Efforts will only intensify as the weather warms, Gregory said, and crews will be working to refurbish benches and replace the canopy as well as plaster on the mezzanine floor, and repair the street-level entrance. But don't expect a transit Taj Mahal, as Wilson is an older station, and there is only so much the CTA can do to improve its aesthetics.

Pigeon-proofing
A caller to "Going Public" didn't leave a name, but he did leave a lengthy, impassioned voice mail decrying the Jefferson Park bus terminal and bus turnaround area, which he described as disgusting hubs for pigeons.

The CTA, too, seems perturbed by the strong pigeon presence at Jefferson Park. Last year, the agency added more anti-pigeon spikes at the stop for a total of 1,750 linear feet of roosting deterrent, Gregory said. Unfortunately, a recent inspection showed the pigeons are persistent, and there might be a rider-related reason."Customers are discouraged from having food or drink, and from feeding the birds around CTA property, which only exacerbates the situation," Gregory said, adding that there are signs to that effect in the area, which will be increased in number as well as translated into multiple languages.

As for that nasty turnaround, things will be turned around, according to Gregory, who said the CTA will power wash it more regularly as the weather warms and add more garbage cans to the area.

Sweeping change
So maybe you don't patronize Wilson or aren't feeling pigeonholed at Jefferson. Don't worry, there is a CTA cleanup initiative that applies to all riders coming this spring and summer. In addition to ongoing efforts to make the CTA sparkle, riders can expect to see the results of more frequent deep cleans, the public transit version of detailing. Starting next month, all stations—as well as "L" cars and buses—will be deep cleaned more frequently.

Posted April 28, 4:30 p.m.

I was just reading New York magazine online, and they had an eye-opening feature in which a writer tried to channel the thoughts of what he referred to as a "subway idiot" committing sins such as blocking stairwells, ogling women and loudly enjoying music.

The language in the piece is a bit too salty for this site, so I can't link to it.  (Sorry!)  But check it out by doing a search for "Inside the Mind of a Subway Idiot" on their site.   

The piece inspired me to explore what might go on in the minds of the pests that ride our local transit system, so I created an entry of my own for the train. 

Feel free to add on.  Pick your poison: a pest on the bus, train or even in a station.

With no further ado, I bring you the "L" Idiot:

Man, I know I just boarded the train, but I need to press my body up against the doors to the point my nose print is on the glass.  There is no way I'm missing my stop...even if it is at least 30 minutes away.

Hold up, did that person just step on my foot? Accident, smaccident.  Time for a loud confrontation and profanity-fest in front of everyone on this car, especially that cute little 3-year-old two feet from me.  It's about getting respect on the rails, yo!

Introducing a little musical interlude from Lil' Wayne or perhaps I'll share a little Celine Dion with this boring crowd.  I don't like headphones, so I'll just play it as loudly as possible on my phone.  These idiots around me could do with some musical education.  Maybe they'll get into it more if I sing along. 

Yesss!!!! [Checking caller I.D. on phone screen] It's my cheating ex. So glad my cellie works underground. I've been meaning to give that loser a piece of my mind ever since we broke up via phone on the "L" last week. Why not get this final confrontation over with in front of everybody on this car as well?  Maybe they can help me think of some stinging comebacks.

Glad I got that call out of the way, and it only took 15 minutes.  Whew! All that screaming, crying and accusing made me hungry.  Snack-time.  Think I'll just chow on this greasy gyro with double onions I've been saving in my 'pack.  Oops, forgot to grab some napkins.  Well, that's what seat cushions are for.

Boy, it's hard to balance this gyro, a can of soda, and my pack.  I'll put it on this other seat.  What are you looking at, grandma?  Standing gives you character, so suck it up.  It's not like your cane isn't helping hold you up.

Hmmm, wonder how long it will take the CTA to find that left-over gyro I secreted under the seats.  I guess I could throw it away when I get off, but nahhhh.... We've got to make those CTA janitors work for their money, honey.  My taxes pay for this train.

Posted April 28, 1:57 p.m.

So today is the first day that Blue Line 54th Cermak service is as non-existent as rapper Flavor Flav's dignity.  The West Side rail service died a slow and ugly death, first running less frequently, and now officially deceased.  A moment of CTA silence please.

Thanks.

Now that we can talk again, one of the service's former fans would like to sound off about the Pink Line that supplanted it.  The Little Village rider's e-mail was aptly titled: "PInk Stinks."

Can you please pose a question to Mr. Ron Huberman for me?  Will they be adding more rail cars to the Pink line?  OR will they be running trains with more frequency?  Today was the first day of only the Pink line and I was NOT happy.  It was the most uncomfortable ride.  We were crammed in there like sardines.  Honestly, instead of getting better, it just gets worse.  I don't understand it.  We pay our fares just like everyone else, yet, we keep getting the worse service.  It really frightens me that we have to be dependent on this rail line.  It is so unpredictable.  Why does the CTA hate the West Side so much?

Question posed.  I'll see if the CTA cares to comment on this for us.  What's up, West Siders?  Have you found your way around this service change? Do you think you'll get used to it, or do you just plain hate it?

Posted April 28, 12:00 p.m.

CTA employees are often the target of rider rage, and in some cases, simply because they are on the front line.  Though I get plenty of reports of rude bus operators and customer assistants, I also receive compliments and kudos about excellent employees of the transit world.  It's a shame that in life, even outside the agency, the bad service usually prompts customers to speak out while the good often goes unnoticed.

Because of that, it's only fair that we hear out CTA employees, who often feel uncomfortable talking to me for my column or for stories because they fear punishment or retribution from managers.  Think about it: would you talk about your boss in the paper without expecting an uncomfortable exchange around the water cooler?

That said, I offer those employees a forum here where they can finally ask riders for some answers and share their experiences.  Here is an excerpt from a bus operator offended by what she sees in various rider rants.  She's also got some questions for the riders, so feel free to respond:

"I am A C.T.A employee and when I get The chance to read your column it is almost always negative about us drivers. Not all drivers are the same but we all deal with the same drama, problems and garbage from the passengers. So I think you should give us our chance to vent so that the public will know what we go through since they think our job is so "EASY" all we do is sit there and drive. I have some questions. Why is it that the passengers get on the bus and ask where is the bus going when the sign will read where the bus is going. If u can't read I'm quit sure you can hear. Why do they get on the bus and ask how much is the bus fair? I just picked that same person up 2 days ago and they got on and paid with no problem. Why when we pull up to the stop they will say you are late or why are you late? First of all like we don't know that we are late and if they were the only ones standing at the bus stop and the bus could fly over all the traffic then it will be on time just for them. Why is it that the women have to be [b-words] or the men have punk [b-words] because we don't feel like smiling for 8-10 hours all day everyday.

Or if we give a nod instead of a hello at the end of day it's not that we have "attitudes" as they say but, we have said: Hello, Hi, Good morning, Good afternoon, Good night, I'm fine, I'm OK, Thank you, You to, How are you doing, Be safe, Watch you step, to hundreds of people so don't get mad. Sometimes the passenger will get on the bus and say disrespectful thing to us and we are suppose to accept and not say anything back. I can go on and on forever with stuff that we go through on and off the street. They need to understand give respect to get it. So please give us a chance to lift the weight off our shoulders. Understand we are not all bad people."

The momedy "Baby Mama," a comedy about a surrogate pregnancy, raked in about $18. 2 million and scored No. 1 at the box office this weekend, according to the New York Times.

The movie stars former Chicagoans Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. The bosom buddies met while performing at Second City.

Full disclosure: I'm not much of a "Saturday Night Live" fan. I never really got into the show but I appreciated Poehler in "Blades of Glory" and Fey in "Mean Girls."

Since "Mean Girls" and "SNL," Fey has been popping up everywhere: on 30 Rock; American Express ads; magazine covers.

She's so ubiquitous, Gabe Delahaye of Videogum wonders when the Tina Fey backlash, known as Tina Feytigue, will begin.

Delahaye questions whether Fey will follow in the footsteps of Jennifer Lopez, who maxed out on fame years ago with the releases of "Maid in Manhattan" and "Gigli," her perfume and Bennifer.

Lopez's stardom has definitely dimmed since then. She's set to star in a TLC reality series about her life and her new twin babies, according to Newsday.

I like Tina Fey, but not enough to be considered a Feynatic. Nevertheless, I do hope Fey doesn't take J.Lo's path so maybe Fey should lay Lo for awhile.

How about you, are you a Feynatic or Feytigued on Tina Fey?

If there is one dealbreaker for me, it's emoticons. I loathe, loathe, loathe the electronic smiley-faces people use in instant messages and e-mails to denote happiness or flirtation or frustration. I won't even link to an emoticon, a blend of emotion and icon, in this blog because I despise emoticons so much.

IM speak, like LOL for laugh out loud, is another pet-peeve of mine and nearly as bad as emoticons. I could write a whole separate blog entry on the unseemlingness of using LOL in daily conversation.

Unfortunately, both text shortcuts and emoticons have become the foundation for teen speak. A majority of teenagers use emoticons and text shortcuts in their school assignments, according to the New York Times.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project surveyed 700 students and found:

>> 50 percent said they sometimes omitted proper punctuation and capitalization in schoolwork.

>> 38 percent said they used IM speak like LOL.

>> 25 percent said they used emoticons and smiley faces.

If I could, I would eliminate emoticons, LOL and OMG for ohmygod, from the tween and adult lexicon. People would no longer be able to say or write those words. 4ever.

Which text shortcuts would you strike from the urban dictionary?

Posted April 25, 1:00 p.m.

I am constantly impressed by the innovation of riders who write in with ideas for CTA improvements.  The CTA is too, evidently, since they ask for suggestions via feedback@transitchicago.com. 

Today, I am pleased to present an e-mail from a rider, who acknowledges she is interested in working with the CTA, that might help the agency's communications system in the case of an emergency.  Heck, if she wants to work with/for the "C" to the "T" to the "A", I say they give her a go.

I think that the CTA would be better served by forming a Emergency Communications Command Center (EC3). One for rail and one for bus. Then, whenever there is an emergency, such as the Blue Line incident (God forbid!), the train operator can directly speak to a person at the EC3 and that person would make sure that the communications are done most efficiently and effectively between CTA staff, management, emergency fire and police personnel, and passengers. This would be their sole purpose for existing.

Just reading what happened tells me that it is possibly the structure or framework of the organization that needs to be re-thought and improved.

I think that CTA can and will improve the level of service that it provides for its riders. This is another 'opportunity' to fix what matters.

I must disclose that I recently applied to the CTA for a job as a Performance Consultant thinking that I could help improve the system. I hope that I can.

Best wishes,

Beatrice C. Franklin

South Loop

So come on, CTA geniuses of the universe.  Give me some more of those great ideas.

Posted April 24, 4:45 p.m.

I have no gripes with ads along the CTA, despite the opposition of some who decry the commercialization of our society. 

Whatever.  I guess they'd like to see the agency sell baked goods to make money.

I say, let the ads flow forth, especially since they put money into the much-maligned agency's pockets.  Bring on the Comcastic bike-rack ads, wrap every bus, and cover station walls, and even the floor, with promotions. 

Surround some of those ugly "L" trains with a wrap, just as long as said wrap isn't equipped with an audio chip that enables it to shout out slogans.

The only place I draw the line is at mall kiosks,which theoretically, could be set up in stations.  Crikey, could you imagine someone huckstering cell phone cases, phony ponies, or those weird-looking Crocs while you wait for a train?  (Shudder)

But some obviously draw the line at certain kinds of ads on the trains, buses and in stations.  There is controversy brewing over a recent CTA decision to pull an ad for one of the controversial "Grand Theft Auto" games, aka GTA. 

A rider sent me a note about this, but GameSpot wrote an article about the topic today.  In short, the CTA pulled the "Grand Theft Auto IV" ads because of a previous flap over a 2004 ad for a "Grand Theft: San Andreas Fault" game, secured by one of their previous advertising partners, GameSpot reported. 

Personally, I think this is silly.  If the CTA can advertise for "The Ruins," an obviously gory movie about ancient beasties/people crawling under people's skin, you can let the peepz know about GTA.  I'm not saying you can show someone being yanked out of a Porsche made of pixels, but the GTA ads in question were fairly tame, in my opinion. 

Admittedly, I am speaking from a non-parent perspective, and would not want my godson playing these games at his tender age.  Still, I don't think ads for GTA flies in the face of this stated policy of the CTA's advertising standards:

"CTA guidelines require ads to be truthful, and not directed at inciting imminent lawless action," the CTA representative told GameStop. "They cannot be legally obscene or portraying graphic violence."

Look at the ad featured toward the end of this video from Fox and tell me:  Do you think the ads should have been pulled?

Posted April 24, 1:39 p.m.

Brown Line capacity expansion construction is a public transit pain, but a necessary one, I'm sure most of us can agree. I've already gotten some raves from riders who say that the longer cars along the Brown Line and nicer stations are putting smiles on their faces.

But not everyone is happy.

"Going Public" has not heard from a lot of merchants inconvenienced by the station work, but one consistent voice has been that of Tamara Chaponot, who owns a boutique called Clever Alice. I also spoke to her neighbor, a gallery owner also out of sorts about the construction work, and who has evidently done something about it (see her note below). 

I've interviewed Tamara about her harrowing experience with the Chicago stop within the last year, and she keeps me in the loop about what's going on. Here's what she wrote to me earlier this week:

I hope you are still keeping on eye on the CTA and if you are, here is where the corner of Franklin and Chicago stands: As of today Franklin street is still not open. They are currently painting which includes removing lead -based paint and strong fumes from their work during the day. The smell is strong and you have to cover your mouth and nose when you go outside. The CTA workers have on gas masks. I was told this construction site was to be done in Oct of 2007 and that was running behind.

It is now April and the biggest art weekend of the year is the 25Th thru the 28Th. Art Chicago brings in many out of towners to this neighborhood, the 2ND biggest art gallery district in the US, and the CTA choose this week to close down Franklin, put up tents, and paint. What can I say but again the loss of business is unmeasurable. 750 N. Franklin building has lost the Byron Roche Gallery space, he has relocated upstairs. The CTA has impacted my business and has offered nothing to help. Please keep watching.

Here is the not-so-inviting area in front of Tamara's store, according to some photos she sent me.  It's a shame that she seems to be losing business, as when the stop is finished, it would definitely be beneficial to remain in this location.  Check out how it will look upon completion, according to the CTA.

So if you're by the Chicago stop along the Brown Line, do stop in to Clever Alice and say "hello." I checked out her store, and she's got some pretty hot inventory. 

Posted April 24, 12:30 p.m.

It's sad news about a stabbing that took place near the CTA's Morse station early Thursday, but this occurred in a car, and not on CTA property, according to reports I've seen. 

But today, ironically, I received a letter from a Wilmette rider about an alleged assault on the CTA's Red Line.  Here's what the rider told me about the experience:

I think the CTA really needs to have more security on trains.  I was mugged and assaulted on the CTA red line.  There were people on the train just watching me get beaten by 9 people!  No one called 911, or even pressed the emergency button.  If they would have made any effort maybe I would not have broken two bones and been scarred for the rest of my life.  I was eventually pushed off the train onto a platform where the beating continued and ended with me having to run away with two broken bones.  I had to have surgery on both bones and missed one month of work.  When I tried to contact CTA all I got were answering machines and people who were too busy to call me back, or were always on break when I called.  The police didn’t do anything either which wasn’t a shock to me at all, they said they were going to assign this case to a detective.  The detective called me two weeks later and said hes going on vacation for a few weeks.  So in the end I will never take the CTA again, CTA you lost a customer for life, and please CTA and Chicago Police get your [bleep] together!!!!!!

Most of the security complaints I hear are directed at the South Side of the line, especially at 95th, where riders have complained of out-of-control vendors, aggressive panhandlers and a lack of visible police presence. 

CTA Prez Ron Huberman told me he has made the police kiosk at that station more  evident to the riders, and recently made sure that officers can process ne'er do wells right at that location.  Amen! 

But tell me: Do you feel safe on the CTA, and if not, what would you like to see done?

Do cameras cut it for you?  Personally, I'd like to see a dedicated CTA police squad with uniforms, rather than so many undercovers.  The cameras are a great idea, but nothing stops would-be criminals like the idea of immediate arrest. 

Crime is everywhere, and we know it isn't the fault of the CTA or something unique to the system, but let's come up with some constructive ideas to make riders safer.  Heck, I'll even try and share them with the CTA. 

A North Side vs. South Side showdown took place in the RedEye today. I wrote a feature about some of popular words on both sides. What do you think of this list:

Brunch, pothole and Doomsday, the constantly fluid date when the CTA may or may not raise fares or cut service, are just a few of the words that have become ingrained in Chicago's lexicon.

But there are terms within this Chi-alect that are specific to the North and South Sides. So pick a side and prepare yourself for a war of the words.

>> trixie: A twentysomething, blond public relations or marketing worker who drives a Jetta, loves Starbucks and the Cubbies.

The Trixies enjoyed their heyday more than seven years ago when the satirical Lincoln Park Trixie Society was formed on the Web. These days, the society's Web site is inactive, and Trixie talk has trickled.

Did the Trixies grow up and become stroller moms?

"They're still around. They're still the same sort of people. Maybe they've blended into the scenery a little bit more, and it's not as shocking," said Kevin Kaduk, who wrote about Trixies in his book "Wrigleyworld."

The Trixie Society is planning a comeback in mid-2008, according to a note posted on its site.

>> chad: A Trixie impressant who attended a Big Ten school, loves cornhole, collared shirts and cargo shorts.

Like Trixies, the Chads' notoriety has faded. The Lincoln Park Chad Society's Web site has not been updated since last summer, though, to be fair, summer is when hibernating Chads emerge for beach volleyball, driving with the top down and cheesy pickup lines.

>> The Cell/The Joan: Comiskey Park morphed into U.S. Cellular Field in 2003 when the cell phone company bought the naming rights to the home of the White Sox.

Old-timers still are stuck on calling the park Comiskey, while other Sox fans have shortened "Cellular Field" to "The Cell."

Fans also call the park "The Joan" for Chicago native Joan Cusack, who serves as U.S. Cellular's commercial spokeswoman.

>> joe: On the North Side, there's Trader Joe's, Joe's on Weed Street, Buffalo Joe's in Rogers Park and Joe's on Broadway in Lakeview. But on the South Side, a Joe is just a random person.

>> hecky naw: An expression of displeasure that means "hell no." In his song "School Spirit," former South Side resident Kanye West raps "Gangstas walk, pimps gon' talk/oooh hecky naw that boy is raw."

Posted April 24, 11:20 a.m.

Do you love the CTA so much that you want to shout your love from the top of the nearest mountaintop? Are you so enamored with the train-and-bus system that you'd like to take it on a date to Great America, where the two of you could wear matching T-shirts and get caricatures drawn of yourselves while eating an Elephant Ear?

Well, if a mountain is too far and it's still a bit too chilly for Great America, here's a way to rep for the CTA.  The good people over at Carfreechicago.com sent me a note about buttons you can buy with "L" stop names on them.

Check 'em out, yo, at http://www.carfreechicago.com/store and then let me know if you're going to get one.  I've got my eye on the 35th pin. 

Posted April 23, 2:20 p.m.

Bicyclists, it seems you embrace the CTA and the agency reciprocates, what with buses sporting those lovely bike racks, now decorated with Comcast ads. Comcastic!  But a very kind e-mailer, who ID'd herself as a CTA bus operator, has this warning for her bike buddies on the road. 

I WORK FOR CTA. I HEAR THE BAD REP THAT CTA GETS ALL THE TIME WHICH SOME IS CORRECT I MUST SAY BUY I HAD AN ENCOUNTER WITH A BIKE RIDER TODAY AND HE WANTED TO PASS ME ON THE RIGHT AT A BUS STOP AND GOT VERY UPSET WHEN I WOULD NOT LET HIM PASS THE BUS AS I PULLED INTO A BUS STOP. A PASSENGER SAID I CUT THE MAN OFF. JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT NO ONE CAN PASS A BUS ON THE RIGHT CAUSE IF I OPEN MY DOORS TO LET THE PASSENGERS GET ON AND OFF OF THE BUS GUESS WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I LET THE BIKE PASS ME AT THE RIGHT THE PASSENGERS WILL GET HIT BY THE BIKE. THE RIGHT OF WAY MIGHT BE CORRECT FOR A CAR BUT NOT FOR ANY BUS EVEN A SCHOOL BUS. SO I HOPE EVERYONE AND MOST OF ALL THE BIKERS KNOW THAT IS THE WAY IT IS AND TO BE CAREFUL THIS SUMMER. THANKS.

Bikes, do buses give you respect?  Bus operators, are these cyclists cruisin' for a bruisin', especially now that the weather has broken and there are more two-wheels to contend with?

Posted April 23, 11:20 a.m.

Like Whitney Houston, I believe the children are the future.  But the future is kind of bleak on the CTA.

Yesterday evening, I was riding a Red Line train from Grand and State to Roosevelt when I heard some of the foulest language ever since I experienced N.W.A. in the late '80s.  I was afraid to turn my head and look at the source of the verbal villainy because it seemed he was looking for trouble, commanding a seemingly drunk Cubs fan rider (and serenader) to "shut up his corny singing" and saying he was going to put a "hole in somebody's head."  The ruffian spoke loudly into his cell phone, which unfortunately worked underground, obviously attracting the attention of everyone in the vicinity

I ignored him since I didn't have my fighting shoes on.  But as he walked past me to exit the train, I was surprised to find out he was a baby-faced pre-teen with a bookbag bigger than he was.  Surprising, and sad....even sadder than the sloshed Cubs' fan's rendition of "Some Kind of Wonderful."

This kid was obnoxious, but not as awful as students who stop the buses or try to leap out of emergency exits or do car-crossing, harassing other riders in the process.  Not to pick on the kids, but seriously:

Youth of today, what's really going on?  And fellow riders, have you run into trouble with these "L"-ectric youth?   

Posted April 23, 10:14 a.m.

Earlier this week on his show "Countdown," MSNBC's Keith Olbermann chatted with Hillary Clinton about her television ad that features an image of Osama bin Laden, according to The Chicago Tribune's political Swamp blog.

Asked Olbermann: "For nearly six years now since Sen. Max Cleland was cut down by a commercial that featured a picture of bin Laden... that tactic has been kind of a bloody shirt for many Democrats.  Is it not just, in your opinion, as much of a scare tactic for a Democrat to use it against another Democrat, as it is for a Republican to use it in a race against the Democrat?"

In an editorial published this morning in The New York Times, the term bloody shirt again was dropped.

"On the eve of this crucial primary, Clinton became the first Democratic candidate to wave the bloody shirt of 9/11. A Clinton television ad -- torn right from Karl Rove's playbook -- evoked the 1929 stock market crash, Pearl Harbor, the Cuban missile crisis, the Cold War and the 9/11 attacks, complete with video of Osama bin Laden."

The phrase, which means to stir up political divisiveness, can be traced to several eras, according to an entry on vintage-vocabulary.com

>> The phrase was used post-Civil War to describe when "Northerners used incendiary rhetoric to keep alive bitter feelings against the South," according to vintage-vocabulary.com

>> During their wake, a bloody shirt hung above the men who died in the Corsican blood fueds, according to the Handy-book of Literary Curiosities. 

>> "Another version, however, traces the origin to a massacre at Glenfruin, in Scotland, when some 220 widows, each bearing on a spear the bloody shirt of her husband, rode to Stirling Tower, the sight so rousing the people that a terrible revenge was inflicted upon their enemies," according to A Dictionary of Names, Nicknames and Surnames, of Persons, Places.

What do you think of the term bloody shirt? Do you think Hillary Clinton was waving the bloody shirt with her television ad?

2008 Electionary

Originally Posted April 22, 2:44 p.m.

Update #2: As of 4/24 at 5:10 p.m., Gaffney sent me the following e-mail message regarding this incident: 

Update #1: As of 4/23 at 3:30 p.m. CTA spokeswoman Noelle Gaffney has indicated she will look into this complaint, after I forward her details from the rider in question.  She is also looking to clarify what was meant by the bus-tracker not being "useable" 7 out of 10 days, as her operations peepz have told her it's been up and running without incident.

The battle of bus operators vs the public continues.  First, the disclaimer:  Not all bus operators are rude, heck, some are an absolute delight and I've met many during my transit travels. 

Disclaimer 2: Not all riders are innocent, in fact, some are so rotten that they deserve to be dragged to work or school in the back of a red wagon ...a red wagon that travels over every pothole and puddle available.

That said, I was saddened by this e-mail that I received from a rider who claims a bus operator was rude to her child because he yawned with his mouth open as he boarded the bus.  The operator reportedly then proceeded to bully the boy's mother off the bus after she remarked that she was planning to report the incident to the CTA.  I know there are two sides to every story, so bus operators out there, let me know what you think.  In the meanwhile, here's the rider's note:

I am a 40yr old mother of three residing in Brighton Park -I am the Chairperson for my children's elementary Local School Council, I am VP of Local Little League in our park, I go to all my CAPS meetings, I am member of community council and I am actively involved in various activities. I have a college degree, I work in Finance/Accounting and I am a respected member of my community. I have no vehicle of my own so I opt to take the CTA for transportation. It appears to me that hard working families are at the mercy of the CTA when it comes to bad schedules, faulty equipment, high fares and RUDE BUS DRIVERS (not to mention unsafe and wasteful of CTA time & money).

Besides the CTA bus tracker only being useable 7 out of the first 10 days the employees of the CTA have become complacent and abrupt.  There have been several incidents but speaking as a mother and member of the community I don't believe any driver was given license to verbally assault a child or a paying customer -Yes I said CUSTOMER. There is no such thing as customer service anymore.
I pay my taxes, city, state and sales -what right does it give anyone to tell me or my family what to do or not to do on public transportation -including yawning or stepping off a bus.  There are homeless people, gang bangers, fare jumpers etc.. why should myself or my children be treated
so rudely when we must and should be able to ride the city's transportation without being badgered, insulted or accosted by one of its employees?!?  After several complaints I have yet to be contacted by CTA Superviser, Archer Garage, Customer Service, anyone?

Outrageous, and if this is true, let me refer you to my previous item today.  Should CTA go all Starbucks and shut down for refreshed customer service training?  (In shifts, per a rider's astute observation that this could cause a really big transportation problem if all were offline at once.)

"Customer service received (2) emails, and (1) phone call related to this incident on April 22 and April 23rd.  The complaints were forwarded to Archer Garage.  As she indicated to you, she received an email response on April 22, acknowledging that CTA received both a phone call and email from her and letting her know that her complaint would be forwarded to the garage for a response.  The General Manager at Archer contacted the customer today, April 24,  and will interview the operator regarding the complaint."

Posted April 22, 11:25 a.m.

UPDATED:  Hypothetical CTA "shutdowns" as previously spoken of in this blog will hereby be refined to as shutdowns on a rolling basis.  That is, unless riders are willing to rough it for a day for better service.  You be the judge and jury. 

In today's "Going Public" column, I talked about how the CTA really needs to work on its communication skills, a fact underscored by Mayor Daley's red-faced upbraiding of the agency at a Monday press conference about the April 15 subway evacuation.  The CTA, post-incident, has announced some initiatives to improve its progress, including submitting all rail workers to one day of emergency protocol training.

Good idea, but why stop there?  Much respect to all CTA employees, as believe me, I couldn't do most of their jobs...heck, some of them can't do it. 

But aside from the CTA employees we know and have come to love, it wouldn't be horrible to close the CTA down for a day -- sort of like Starbucks did recently -- for a massive re-training of anyone who comes in contact with human beings.  Instead of reading transit maps or getting the latest updates on smart cards, I'd suggest the CTA seminar be about giving great customer service.  And if the reason some employees are ornery is rude bosses who treat them like garbage, which is very likely, send them to the training for two days. UPDATE:  I made a horrible error.  Let's make the shut-downs on a rolling basis to keep the city moving.

If you were charged with developing a CTA Seminar for customer service, what would the itinerary be?  Mine would start with role-play using rude riders (and you know who you are).  If they can deal with that, they can deal with anything on the system.    

Posted April 22, 11:30 a.m.

I got such great feedback from my RedEye story yesterday about bullies, that I thought I would post the terms I created to describe different types of bullying behavior.

Suzy Fox, an associate professor at Loyola's Institute of Human Resources and Employment Relations in Chicago, identified six types of office bullying tactics. RedEye labeled the categories and matched these behaviors with pop culture characters and entertainers.

Do you agree with these characterizations?

>> Raging bully
Protocol: Threatening and intimidating behavior such as verbal threats (yelling or cursing) and non-verbal threats (eye contact and gestures). E-bullies use online media to harass or threaten a worker.
Executed by: Tommy Carcetti, the Baltimore mayor turned Maryland governor, in "The Wire." An opportunistic politico, Carcetti (Aidan Gillen) yells at his subordinates and threatens them if he doesn't get the crime statistics he needs to make a successful run for governor.

>> Mean-ace
Protocol: Demeaning behavior, including insults and put-downs.
Executed by: Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) in "The Devil Wears Prada." She quietly belittles her colleagues, including assistant Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), who never can seem to get Priestly's coffee or errands done right. Even Sachs' wardrobe comes under fire from Priestly.

>> Silent partner
Protocol: Isolation or marginalization, including the silent treatment, excluding an employee from work meetings and systematically failing to return the worker's phone calls or e-mails.
Executed by: Janice Dickinson on "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency." After months of tension and heated arguments, Dickinson ignored and avoided her partner Peter Hamm when she sought a dissolution of their partnership in the third season of the show.

>> >Seeing-red bully
Protocol: Abuse of supervision, including threatening a worker with job loss or demotion, excessively harsh criticism of performance, applying rules and punishments inconsistently and making unreasonable work demands.
Executed by: Montgomery Burns in "The Simpsons." He has fired Homer Simpson numerous times and has made assistant Waylon Smithers peddle him on a tandem bike and clean his denture collection.

>> Tormento
Protocol: Conducting work sabotage, including attacking or failing to defend a worker's plans or proposals and intentionally destroying or sabotaging work materials.
Executed by: Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) on "The Office." He enjoys playing practical jokes on fellow co-worker Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson). Halpert has put the contents of Schrute's desk in a vending machine and encased his stapler in Jell-O.

>> Gabotager
Protocol: Spreading rumors to ruin a reputation and using cyber-bullying techniques to degrade a worker.
Executed by: The doctors of "Grey's Anatomy." They're always whispering about who's Mc-sleeping with whom, who has better cases and who's fighting to stay afloat.

Posted April 21, 1:00 p.m

So, what the heck went wrong with communications during the Blue Line train malfunction, and subsequent evacuation, on April 15? 

Riders who were there in the stalled subway cars and those stuck at stations have sounded off to me about some glitches, including a rather rude employee, but the official word is out now on the CTA's emergency response.

Check out this excerpt from a press release sent out by the CTA:  It demonstrates that both the CTA and Mayor Daley -- initially pretty darn defensive -- are accepting more blame on behalf of the agency and exploring change. 

Mayor Richard M. Daley today challenged leaders of the Chicago Transit Authority to strengthen their focus on providing quality services to the riders of the system, particularly including emergency response procedures which did not work as well as possible during a stalled train emergency April 15 in the Blue Line subway.

"It was a stressful situation for everyone involved – especially the passengers. And to those CTA riders who were on the affected trains, I want to say thank you for your patience and cooperation. The situation was also stressful for police, fire and CTA personnel," Daley said in a City Hall news conference with CTA President Ron Huberman held at CTA headquarters, 567 W. Lake St.

"After learning more about the circumstances surrounding the incident, I directed CTA and other emergency personnel to do an assessment and report their findings to me. The bottom line is we did some things well, but others not as well," the Mayor said.

So who do you blame for the Blue Line bungle?  Vote on this poll and post your comments below:

Posted April 21, 11:30 a.m

The CTA seems to be looking a bit cleaner every day, under the gum-busting, floor-shining regime of Prez Ron Huberman.

Howevah, some kind contributors to the "Going Public" inbox have called my attention to some dirty dealings going on with respect to litter.

Along the Orange Line, a rider suggest we photograph and post litterers who are making the mandarin-shaded line look like a moving trash can.

"I would like to make a suggestion about people leaving their garbage on the Orange line. Maybe we can start taking cell phone pictues of these culprits so they can be seen on the internet. I can just imagine what their homes look like."

I'll second that.  Unless you are under the age of three, you should know better than to throw your craptastic garbage around.  Another rider suspects CTA workers -- which we would need to confirm to be fair-- are making a Garden O' Garbage along the Red Line.

"Just south of the Wilson stop on the Red Line, there is a section of track level with a roof-top garden.  All winter I watched as that garden became a garbage can for CTA employees working in the area.  It was depressing to see a dead garden covered in empty water and soda bottles as I rode past every day.  But one day, when the weather took a turn for the better, I rode past the garden and someone had cleared away all of the empty bottles and trash. I figured that since the garden was obviously being tended to and maintained, people would have the courtesy to leave it alone and it could grow to be something nice to look at."  It's a week later, and either someone is growing plastic bottles in the garden, or it's being used as a trash can again.  This kind of behavior says a lot about the city, it's employees, and it's standards. On a professional level CTA employees understand what it's like to clean up after someone else's mess, but they show no courtesy to others in the same situation.  Apparently they lack the patience to hold onto something until they come to a real trash can. Whether or not that is the case, however, there seems to be an obvious corrolation to the amount of trash on the ground and the number of trash cans near-by. Trash cans are a small but well worth-while investment for the city, but after having the privilege of attending a city council meeting I've realized that something that simple will never get done.

It's funny, I have noticed that the laws of litter -- which would earn you the stinkeye on the street -- don't seem to apply on the CTA.  What's the worst litter box on the system?  Let's identify it and try to get it cleaned up.

This week I mentioned the term yupsters, which I define as a 30something with a fancy job title who acts hipsterish on the weekends. Yupsters wear Brooks Brothers during the week and ironic, thrift-store Ts on the weekends while they ride around on their vintage bicycles.

The yupster is a combination of a hipster and a yuppie, short for young upwardly-mobile professional. Yuppie, popularized in the '80s, describes a young financially secure person who is not afraid to flaunt his or her wealth.

But what happens when a yuppie grows up? He or she becomes an arppy, short for asset-rich, penny-poor, according to the UK Daily Mail.

Columnist Amanda Platell writes: "The truth is the Yuppies didn't die, they just traded in their Porsches for property, their freedom for families and their spendthrift habits for school fees."

Platell, a self-proclaimed arppy, details the arppy creed:

>> Gas is an essential, Giorgio Armani is not.

>> Food is fundamental, skiing is not.

>> Sitting around a dinner table with friends today, you are just as likely to be discussing the economy, the credit crunch and the cost of food as you were rising house prices a few years ago.

"After a decade of spending, our wardrobes are full to bursting, our homes are kitted out to perfection," Platell writes. "How many of us couldn't survive happily, glamorously even, on the clothes, car and furniture we already have?"

What do you think of the term arrpy? Do you have a better word for a grown-up yuppie?

Posted April 19, 3:57 p.m

Baseball season is on and popping, and you can see signs of it all over the city, especially as the weather warms up.  White Sox and Cubs hats are cocked to the side almost everywhere you look.  I even spotted a cute puppy wearing pink baseball gear, touting their owner's team of choice.

You can also see the signs of baseball season along the CTA, some of which aren't so positive.

That includes drunken baseball revelers on the trains and buses.  A Red Line rider sent me a hilarious description of some Sox fans' antics onboard a train leaving the Cell.  Here's an excerpt from his e-mail:

"Riders reported that a totally glazed Old Style drinking crew appearing to be DePaul students or of University age proceeded to show total disrespect to the rather packed subway car from Sox Field to Fullerton.  At least two entered the car with open beer cans carrying a 24-pack of Old Style, which they nursed through their trip to Fullerton.  In addition, they sporadically opened beer cans, drank, cussed and otherwise abused the ridership.  They also seemed to have the desire to repeatedly sing "Roxanne" to a crowd unimpressed with the out of tune ballads to other toasted students.  The group seemed to consist of mostly white University aged adults seemed intent on antagonizing others.  They left their Old Style empties in the train car and disembarked at Fullerton around 11:45 p.m.  After embarking, one of the observers reported that an older man in his thirties started clapping in relief that the crew disembarked at Fullerton."

Before you get bent out of shape, Sox fans, I am a South Sider and am not picking on the team on my side o' town.

A few weeks ago, I was crammed into a car with some Cubs fans, some of which did not know the rules of the rails.  They were blocking doors, chanting and engaging in other silly shenanigans on a packed train headed to Wrigely Field.

So my question to you, fans and non-fans: Who acts the biggest fool on the CTA on game day?  Sox fans or Cubs fans?  And don't respond based on your own affiliation.  This isn't going to win anyone a World Series.

Posted April 19, 2:57 p.m

I didn't feel it at all, but apparently we had an earthquake early this morning and everybody's abuzz about it.

Who knew?  I went to bed around 2 a.m., and I admit, I sleep like the dead, so don't judge the impact by my non-reaction. 

In fact, when visiting my sister, Kozi, in Cali, last year, I mistook a pretty decent earthquake for some rude upstairs neighbor moving furniture.  I was quizzical when she said it was an actual quake.

In the Chicago shake-scene: I asked the CTA if anything fell or was otherwise damaged along the system, and apparently, it's all good. Hey, I don't want signs falling on my public transit peeps' heads.

Here's what CTA spokeswoman Wanda Taylor told me:

"There was no damage to any CTA facility or vehicle as a result of this morning's quake."

Were you on the CTA in the wee hours when Chicago got the shakes?  Did you feel it? 

My room rattled for about 10 seconds this morning before 5 a.m. I thought the shakes were caused by the Blue Line, which runs near my bedroom. But it was an earthquake instead.

The quake, which occured in Downstate Illinois, registered a 5.2 on the Richter Scale. There was no damage in my room; nothing fell from the wall; and I was barely inclined to make my way to a doorway. I call this shake an earthquick.

I grew up in Southern California, the epicenter of earthquakes. A lightly shaking room, like I experienced this morning, was NBD, no big deal. I would go to a doorway or crouch under a table. Shakes like these don't even call for my earthquake kit, which morphed into a hurricane kit when I moved to Florida.

These tremors were apparently felt in North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. Maybe it's seisism, but I don't think these fake quakes were cause for alarm.

What do you think? What would you call these tremors?

Posted April 19, 11:45 a.m

Let's take a little bit of an alternate route today, though believe me, I have some good (and bad) service stuff in store for later.

Right now, I want to talk about music to ride to...in short, mass transit-theme music that helps you get through your commute. (Disclaimer: I do not condone or support playing any type of music loudly, so get the right headphones, folks.)

Anywayz, I was thinking about hip-hop, having gotten a hot new CD from J. Live called "Then What Happened?" The production is amazing, and the lyrics are even more killer. I want to add it to my route-and-rail theme music. I also name some other hip-hop artists I like in my bi-monthly column, which today centered on hip-hop music.

But enough about me.  I want to know about you. 

What music do you absolutely need on your player when you're on the bus or the train?  Or better yet, are there songs that remind you of the CTA?  When I'm running for the bus, sometimes I hear Sam and Dave's "Hold On, I'm Coming."

That's right, I went old school on you.

Posted April 18, 5:50 p.m

UPDATE on 4/22 at 2:43 p.m.: Adam Case, who heads up the CTA's Customer Information department, called me this morning after I inquired about the sign.  Case said he considers this a very important issue, and wants to make sure all the bases are covered, so nobody is left in the dark about the service change. He said there are some in Clark and Lake, as well as trains.  He said that the CTA placed placards on buses and rail operators are making manual announcements (maybe you just couldn't hear them too clearly, though).  Case also said the CTA is handing out fliers to riders.  You seeing any of this, riders?  Let me know if you're not, and I'll keep drilling 'em. 

Today, "Going Public" received not one, not two, but four frantic calls regarding the impending shutdown of the 54th Cermak service on the Blue Line, set for April 27.

I blogged about this last month and it is buried in a West Side service release posted on the CTA Web site, but some riders say they weren't made aware of the change.

That is, until they heard some CTA employees chattering about it this morning. Needless to say, they were not happy when I confirmed the news, with a Lawndale rider saying it will now take her two trains and a bus -- versus one train-- to get to work post-April 27.

So why the surprise?

I asked each caller -- each of whom called the RedEye separately -- if they had seen any signage or anything else to indicate that the branch is indeed over before the end of this month.  The resounding response:  Heck no! 

So I put in a call to Adam Case, who heads up Customer Information for the CTA, and asked what was up with the absence of info beyond the press release posted on March 12.   

It appears my scared riders would have had to wait just one day before their panic attacks, as Case told me the CTA is printing a customer alert -- also in Spanish-- which will appear in stations tomorrow.

Beyond that, Case said, the CTA is doing the following:

*Printing promotional material about pink line service in the area to be put up on our trains/buses and at stations next week.

*Purchasing print advertising next week to inform riders.

*Making announcements next week on Blue/Pink Line trains about the change in service.

*Handing out flyers at affected stations all next week about the service change.

Hmmm, still seems a bit late to me, judging from the reactions of riders.  I think the CTA is underestimating the level of outrage because of what they've called low ridership on that branch and the so-called popularity of the Pink Line. 

So, talk to me. 

Did you feel you were informed about the Cermak change? 

Do you have a game plan for when the service shuts down?

Posted April 18, 12:30 p.m

As blog comments keep rolling in about what happened in Tuesday's Blue Line evacuation, one of the more marked and disturbing remarks is about a rail operator who may have called riders "stupid" for taking matters into their own hands and exiting a train. The comment also apparently was captured on video. Watch the first third of the story and hear it for yourself.

So what's up with that operator?  The CTA is in the process of reviewing disciplinary action for the accused employee, according to Rick Harris, president of the union that represents rail operators. I talked to him about the situation to get his reaction as well as to find out what the CTA typically does in situations like these. (The CTA may weigh in later today with their own comment, so stay tuned for an update.)

UPDATE at 1:08 p.m.:  That was fast, huh?  Here's what the CTA had to say about the investigation into Stupid-gate.

"CTA is conducting a thorough investigation into the Blue Line incident.  We did receive some complaints regarding an operator and are investigating those complaints as we would when we receive any type of complaint regarding a CTA employee.

CTA has a progressive disciplinary procedure and should the investigation indicate disciplinary action is warranted, any action taken will follow those procedures and will include consideration of the nature of the violation, and whether or not the operator has previous violations."

Harris, for his part, predicts that it doesn't look good for the operator-gone-wild.  He said the "stupid" remark jarred him from his breakfast as he watched the local news, and has met with a lot of media attention.

"I was sitting at my kitchen table watching Channel 7's coverage of the evacuation," Harris told me. "As they are showing video of it, I heard it clearly: 'Hey, stupid, get back on the train.'"

Harris said he has since confirmed it was one of his members, and though he does not condone the behavior, he believes it can be defended.

"This is proof we need the conductors back on the train," Harris said, hearkening back to the two-person train operation that was completely phased out by 2000 due to budgetary constraints. "It's asking a lot for one guy to evacuate an entire train of a 1,000 or more people."

Harris pointed out that in the post-conductor era, the rail operator is charged with checking out a malfunctioning train, communicating with the Control Center and a chorus of CTA managers demanding to know what's going on-- all while trying to keep riders calm. It's a case, Harris said, where anyone could snap.

While I can concede tempers would flare while trapped in a dark subway tunnel, I asked Harris how he would feel if an emergency occurred on an airplane and a flight attendant called passengers "stupid." It would be unacceptable, right?

"That's right," Harris said, but countered there isn't one flight attendant per flight for let's say 200 passengers.  In my experience, there are at least three or four, so that's about an attendant for every 50 flyers.

Harris said that the operator could face anywhere from a one- to a 29-day suspension for a behavioral infraction. At worst, such as in the case of it getting physical, an operator can be canned.

But Harris feels "fanfare" and footage of the incident could lead to a firing.

"I think they'll go for the jugular this time," Harris said of the CTA.

Should this rogue rail operator be canned for being stuck on stupid during the Blue LIne evacuation? Or is high-level operator irritation a sign that the CTA needs to rethink its staffing on trains?

Posted April 17, 8:00 a.m

"Going Public" is no warmonger, but I can't help but remark on a seeming battle brewing between Brown and Red Liners.  It all started a few weeks ago when a Brown Liner suggested a mixing of the lines, so to speak, in a recent "Hey, CTA!"  as a means of alleviating some Brown Line capacity expansion crunch.  In short, the rider wanted Red Line trains to make some Brown Line stops.  A Red Liner fired back the very next week, saying essentially:

"...it's bad enough Red Line riders have a longer commute because of construction at the Belmont and Fullerton stops, which is aimed at making the Brown Line more efficient...It's unfortunate that, with the Wellington stop closed, the Diversey and Armitage platforms are more crowded, but that's the price Brown Line riders have to pay for fancy new stations, longer trains and a more efficient commute down the line."

Youch!  Direct hit. 

But the battle ain't over, with a rider -- who takes both Lines-- delivering this "calm down" comment: 

"I don't really care if I get "fancy new stations" or "longer trains" as a brown line rider. All I'm asking for is a safe commute and relatively clean trains. It's a pain that everyone has to be inconvenienced due to the construction, but it's not like there's some kind of "contest" going on between the red line and brown line riders to see who has the "better" train line."

That brings me to my question: 

Are Red Liners feeling slighted with all the hoopla about Brown Line capacity expansion and shiny, happy stations with longer trains? 

Are Brown Liners peeved that Red Liners -- at least on the South Side branch-- got station fix-ups and slow zone solutions very recently and still seem to begrudge the Brown a much-needed makeover?

Tell me who's got it worse, Brown or Red, and I'll impartially judge purely on the facts.  (And yes, in the spirit of full disclosure, I am a native South Sider, but I love all my CTA peepz).  Now, have at it!  But keep it clean.

Posted April 16, 2:52 p.m

My fellow RedEye blogger, Tracy Swartz of "Word on the Street" is coming up with words to describe the annoying and harrowing events of yesterday's Blue Line debacle. This is what she does for a living, folks, seriously. She did us a favor by waiting a day until some of the anger dissipated...or well, at least cooled off a half-degree.

You can play too.  I even tried my hand at it.

I came up with a term in an earlier Blue-related blog: "Kruesi-fied," or a term you can use to describe when a CTA President is called on the carpet.  El Presidente Ron Huberman's predescessor, Frank Kruesi, didn't exactly leave the agency on a high note.   

I felt that Huberman might be Kruesi-fied for actions like this one, taken from today's Trib/RedEye story:

After some passengers jumped off and refused to get back on the train, officials shut down power, Huberman said. In a morning press conference, Huberman appeared critical of riders.

"If not for the [riders'] evacuation, we could have restored that service in around 25 minutes," Huberman said.

Say what?  Huberman later backed down from such time-frame comments, the Trib reported, and apologized to riders inconvenienced by the events.

OK, now that we've got the CTA scene set, visit Tracy's Word-creating headquarters and help us term our Blue Line blues. Then, hurry back.  I've got more in store.

Call it a CTAstrophe. Yesterday morning, several hundred CTA passengers evacuated from the Blue Line after a train abruptly shut down.

Yesterday afternoon, RedEye staffers debated what we should call this transit meltdown. One suggestion: Hot train-y mess, born from Project Runway winner Christian Siriano's trademark "hot tranny mess," which Christian used to describe other contestants' design clothes-paux.

Another option: Mess transit, the headline used for today's cover story. I think "mess transit" more aptly describes the overall Chicago public transportation system.

What other terms would you use to describe yesterday's Blue Line shutdown or the CTA in general? How about Blues line? Have a little fun with it, but keep in mind the woes passengers experienced yesterday.

Posted April 16, 1:52 p.m

Are there any train or bus announcements that get under your skin? I am not a fan of the one about "expectant mothers," just because it sounds so darn formal.

It's more casual to just say "pregnant ladies" or "pregnant riders," no?  I also wish the automated recording would say "turn down that damn noise, you obnoxious individual" instead of politely urging riders to be courteous with their personal music-making machines.  A CTA "shut-the-heck-up" wouldn't hurt every now and again.

But my minor beef with bus recordings is not as severe as the needles-under-skin sensation described by a rider who says she knows it's a "small thing to take issue with," but she's got a cringe-inducing issue with the transit agency:

"The scripts that CTA officials are providing train operators with is appalling. Every time I hear a conductor say "watch your step as you alight the train," I cringe a little. Aren't there writers at the CTA who understand proper English grammar? It's "alight from" the train, not "alight the train." To alight means "to encounter something accidentally," whereas "alight from" means "to dismount." How lazy do you have to be to neglect script proofing?! Every rider in the city hears this crap!

Dayum, she told you, CTA!

What do you think, riders?

Does that CTA "script" need a grammar check? Or is there an announcement -- automated or otherwise -- that annoys you for one reason or another? (I'm guessing today the hated announcement would be "We're stuck in a Blue Line train in the subway, so settle in, it's going to be about two hours." )

Posted April 16, 12:20 p.m

I've got a special place in my heart for riders who provide me with photographic proof of CTA snafus.  We all know that some riders are exaggerating the ills of the agency, so it's great to illustrate the issues when they happen, so the CTA can solve them.

Hey, we're not hating on the CTA....we're trying to uplift the system.  (Wow, talking like that, I might get an invitation to the pulpit of public transit like G-Rod.) 

But anyhoo, I received this photo file from a rider and thought I would share it, especially as some are telling me that bus-tracker just makes it easier for you to bide the bunch.  Check out what I am told are images of the No.9-Ashland and X9-Ashland Express buses headed northbound near the intersection of Ashland Avenue and Lake Streets.

Personally, I want to see bunching disappear as much as anyone, but how much hope do we have with traffic patterns, an aging bus fleet and some apparent operational inefficiencies? 

Let's predict when bunching will stop.  I'll go with 2010...around the time that buses are given the gift of flight.

What are your guesses for the end of buses traveling in herds like "Rawhide"?  And keep the pics coming! 

Attention, ladies! Paris Hilton is on the prowl for a new bestie, according to the Huffington Post.

The word bestie seems to be replacing BFF as the term used to refer to best buds or someone you regard with high esteem.

Ken Paves is Jessica Simpson's bestie hairstylist, according to a Yahoo blog.

Personally, I welcome the shift to bestie because BFF is soooooooo tired. Even MSNBC threw it down in a story about the relationship between Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey and presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Other words that could replace BFF: bosom buddies, gal pals, chumpanions and honfidants. The relationship that Paris is looking for could also be termed a bra-mance.

Bestie or BFF, which do you prefer?

Posted April 16, 11:05 a.m

Yesterday was a bad, bad day for the CTA.  So bad, in fact, that I almost (emphasis on the "almost") felt a bit sorry for the  agency. 

Mind you, my heart truly goes out to the riders trapped and delayed by this fiasco, but I'll bet you CTA headquarters was on Orange Alert -- or maybe that should be Blue Alert -- all day.

After a string of positive news -- bus-tracker launch, new digital advertising deal for the stations-- they get a smackdown of Blue Line blues...and on the day they have to shell out a million-plus to a rider injured during a Blue Line derailment from '06. 

All together now:  Ouch!

I know a number of riders -- and you can see their comments from yesterday -- wanted to drink the CTA's milkshake a la Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood."  CTA President Ron Huberman's statement that the delay might have been lengthened by some rider's "self-evacuation" didn't help the cause, I warrant you that.

In fact, I thought he was in danger of being Kruesi-fied.  ('Memba that fella?)

That's why I felt it might lift our collective spirits to hear a positive piece of CTA feedback...to get at least a bit of the warm fuzzies about service gone right. Check out this kind letter about No.151-Sheridan and No.124-Navy Pier service from a rider who lives in a Oswego. 

He said he has been treated nothing but nice as a result of foot surgery that required him to use crutches:

"Every driver has gone out of their way to make sure I got on and off the bus safely. Several have gotten out of their seat to assist me, and one grabbed me by the belt when I lost my balance getting off the bus, or I would have fallen out. I have also observed the drivers making sure that other passengers got off at the correct stop. Since I sit in the seat closet to the driver, I have often engaged in conversations with them, and have found that they are personable and friendly. Driving those huge buses in downtown rush hour traffic seems to be very stressful, but the drivers always seemed to remain calm and in control."

Awwww, isn't that sweet?  Bask in the glow of it for a few minutes.  Because the rest of what I've got cooking in the "Going Public" inbox ain't warm or fuzzy in the least.  Stay tuned...

The Huffington Post is reporting that Cindy McCain, wife of presidential candidate John McCain, lifted recipes from the Food Network and posted them on McCain's campaign Web site.

"What will they call it?," writes David Weiner of the Huffington Post. "Farfallegate? The Rosemary Chicken Dome Scandal? Perhaps something with the ubiquitous Rachael Ray in it."

I believe this scandal should be called recipionage. (h/t Kyra Kyles.)

McCain's high-whisk behavior, which has since been removed from the McCain site, according to The Huffington Post, comes on the heels of Jessica Seinfeld's alleged vegetable plagiarism.

A cookbook author accused Seinfeld of recipetty theft for her cookbook "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food." The Seinfelds say the author's charge is an unfare accusation.

What would you call these alleged capers?

The "Juno" DVD hits stores today, so I thought I'd take a look at some of the phrases that made the movie popular.

Like some critics, I found "Juno" to be overwritten, especially the first 20 minutes. The movie seemed to hit its stride after Juno's friend Leah uttered, "honest to blog?"

I live in Wicker Park, Hipstertown USA, and have yet to hear a yupster, a 30something with a fancy job title who acts hipsterish on the weekends, call another yupster "homeskillet."

But I did witness a runner wear Paulie Bleeker gear -- a maroon hoodie, gold shorts, a gold sweatband and orange Tic-Tacs -- at the Shamrock Shuffle. Honest to blog.

>> Bren (Juno's stepmom): Oh, you think you're so special because you get to play Picture Pages up there? Well, my five year old daughter could do that and let me tell you, she's not the brightest bulb in the tanning bed. So why don't you go back to night school in Mantino and learn a real trade.

>> Juno MacGuff: No, it's Morgan Freeman. Do you have any bones that need collecting?

>> Leah (Juno's friend): It's probably just a food baby. Did you have a big lunch?

>> Juno: No, this is not a food baby all right? I've taken like three pregnancy tests, and I'm forshizz up the spout.

>> Leah: Oh my GOD. ... Phuket, Thailand!

>> Rollo (convenience store worker): That ain't no Etch-a-Sketch. This is one doodle that can't be un-did, homeskillet.

>> Paulie Bleeker: You're being really immature... You have no reason to be mad at me, I mean, you know, you broke MY heart. I should be royally ticked off at you. I should be really cheesed off, I shouldn't want to talk to you anymore.

>> Juno: Yeah, I'm a legend. You know, they call me the cautionary whale.

>> Juno: As far as boyfriends go, Paulie Bleeker is totally boss. He is the cheese to my macaroni. And, I know that people are supposed to fall in love before they reproduce, but... I guess normalcy isn't really our style.

The quotes come from imdb.com. Did I miss a favorite line of yours from "Juno"?

Posted April 15, 11:47 a.m

Posted April 15, 11:27 a.m

A Wicker Park rider, Jim O'Brien, asked me to give him a call at work to talk about his experience in a train behind the one that stalled near the Clark and Lake stop early this morning. O'Brien, who said he got to the Damen station at 7:50 a.m. and arrived at work at 10 a.m. due to the Blue Line bottleneck, said the mood on the train, and even during the eventual evacuation, was relatively calm, but he raised some interesting points that tend to crop up during these events. I plan to ask the CTA about this, but here goes:

(1) Evacuation Route: O'Brien said as he and others walked on a narrow, approximately two-foot catwalk out of the train, he saw a door to the street that he felt could have been used.

(2) Unclear Communications: He also said (and how tired are we of this?) that the operator's initial instructions were garbled and unclear, though he said CTA workers did come by and give direct instructions on how to get out later in the ordeal.

(3) Lowered Expectations O'Brien attributed some of the calm to resignation that these snafus will happen on the CTA. We all know that incidents will occur with the CTA operating so many trains and buses, many of which are aging and in need of replacement, but it's sad to hear that some riders appeared completely unsurprised by this big honking deal. Stay posted, as I try to find out what's up with some of these issues.

Posted April 15, 10:59 a.m

"Going Public" is talking to riders who were stuck on the Blue Line this morning, either on or behind the stopped train. Were you there today? Or were you otherwise inconvenienced by this event? How did the CTA communicate with you about the incident.  Tell me about it, and keep checking in for updates about this event.

After weeks of shot-fueled, silicone-laden catfights, Bret Michaels chose Chicago actress Ambre Lake to be his "Rock of Love" in Sunday's episode of the hit VH1 series.

One of Bret's trademark sayings is "hi-yo," which he exclaims when he gets turned on by one of the contestants for his heart.

Others use it after they zing somebody.

I'm not sure the exact origin of hi-yo, but I know it was a common saying on "The Lone Ranger."

When the Lone Ranger mounted his stallion Silver, he yelled "Hi-yo Silver, away!"

Seems pretty fitting for "Rock of Love," huh? Though Michaels is a Lone Ranger no more.

Posted April 14, 3:40 p.m

I took a brief hiatus from public transportation last week while on vacay, so maybe I was unusually thin- skinned, but I wanted to throttle a guy on the Red Line today.  This fella was sitting next to what I can only presume was his girlfriend, cleaning under his fingernails with (get this) his fingernails, and making a loud clicking sound as he did so.  She tried to stop him, but he resisted her efforts and clicked even louder. 

That sound is second only in annoyance factor to someone scraping two knives together.  Yeesh!  Ever heard of a nail brush, clown?  Just when I was thinking he was the biggest nuisance in the car, two men board with a Chihuahua.  That's fine, as CTA rules allow small animals to be brought on trains and buses as long as they are in a non-cumbersome carrier. 

Too bad, the Dog Mommy decided to hold the carrier in one hand while allowing the dog to stand on a seat.  At one point, the dog may have licked the seat cushion.  Niiice.   

At this point, I opted to stare out of the window and ignore the dog-on-seat, fingernail-click-in-ear action going on around me.  Seriously, I realize there are way bigger problems in the world, but what makes people behave so rudely on the rails?  What's the rudest act you've ever seen? 

Last Thursday's Whoville feature in the RedEye highlighted the '80s Australian band Men at Work, not to be confused with '80s sensation Men Without Hats.

In their song "Land Down Under," Men at Work sings: "I come from a land down under/Where beer does flow and men chunder/Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?/You better run, you better take cover."

Chunder is an Australian word that means "to vomit." It's supposedly derived from "watch under," which was shouted by ship passengers before they vomited over the railings.

Since there are many words that involve puking, I've created a vomitometer of eight words to describe the extent to which one yaks. Which words did I miss? Did I go out of order? Here's an extensive sicktionary.

>> yurple: Unintentionally burping up food in your mouth.
>> spit up: Most common in babies or in drunk people fighting off vomiting.
>> retch: To try to vomit.
>> upchuck: Food comes up and out; part of the popular phrase "What's up Chuck?"
>> barf: An expression of disgust; to throw up enough to fill the contents of a barf bag, but no more.
>> chunder: The Australian word for vomit.
>> blow chunks: To actually throw up chunks of food; to think an item or event is terrible. That book "blew chunks."
>> ralph: To vomit enough to fill up the contents of a toilet bowl. Of Old English origin, the name means wolf counsel. Springfield's presidential candidate, resident paste-eater and accidental class clown.

It took me forever to get out of bed this morning and get ready for work. I don't blame last night's barflying. I blame the day of the week.

I think I have a Case of the Mondays, a term coined in "Office Space" to describe the drag of starting the work week.

The "Office Space" protagonist, Peter Gibbons, expresses to his co-workers one Monday that he feels like he's going to lose it. "Uh-oh. Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays," a female temp replies.

A waiter at Chotchkie's (T.G.I. Faux-day's) says the same thing.

My friend Mike and I are avid "Office Space" fans. He pretty much knows the movie by heart, which would make him an "Office Space" cowboy. But I am a mere "Office Space" cadet because I can only recall my favorite quotes.

Because it's Monday, and I need a pick-me-up, please post your favorite quotes or scenes from "Office Space." I promise not to jump to any conclusions.

Posted April 14, 11:00 a.m

So, did you think you were saving the planet by riding the rails?  A study I just received from the Cato Institute begs to differ.

The institute, which touts itself as a a nonpartisan public policy research foundation, explored the topic of whether billions spent on rail transit nationwide are helping reduce greenhouse gases.

Here's a sample of their findings, and below I'll link you to the full report:

...Cato senior fellow Randal O'Toole demonstrates that rail transit is ineffective at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. "While most rail transit uses less energy than buses, rail transit does not operate in a vacuum: transit agencies supplement it with extensive feeder bus operations," O'Toole writes. "Those feeder buses tend to have low ridership, so they have high energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile. The result is that, when new transit lines open, the system as a whole can end up consuming more energy, per passenger mile, than it did before." 

Only a handful of rail systems are more environmentally friendly than a Toyota Prius, and most use more energy per passenger mile than the average automobile," O'Toole notes. He suggests that technological solutions to emissions are more promising and more cost-effective than expensive rail projects. Using biodiesel fuel, for example, "costs less than 10 cents per pound of CO2 saved, making it more than 25 times as cost-effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions as light rail.

O'Toole recommends that instead of pursuing costly rail projects, cities should look at proven alternatives. These include powering buses with alternative fuels, increasing the concentration of buses on heavily used routes, building new roads, implementing tolls, coordinating traffic signals, and encouraging drivers to purchases more fuel-efficient cars.

Interesting.  Check out more deets from the report and tell me what you think:  Does this mean that Red Line extensions, Circle Line and other CTA rail projects could actually be bad for our enviro-friendly city?  How could we get a greener transit system going?

UPDATE: RedEye's eco-friendly blogger Supriya Doshi takes on the Cato Institute's study in Practically Green.

Posted April 14, 8:59 a.m

OK, you caught me.  "Going Public" took a break last week and ran off to killer Cali to hang out with my younger sister, Kozi, and my mother.  I shopped a lot, ate way too much (big ups to the shrimp and crawfish at "The Boiling Crab" in Little Saigon), and I even went to the O.C.  Sadly, "Hills" fans, I didn't look up L.C., Heidi or Spencer.

But what I did look into was transit in Los Angeles.

I've ridden buses in L.A., which I call Orange Crush, due to their mandarin shade, and I just wasn't as impressed as I was by rides on the NY and D.C. systems. The buses appear to run more sparsely in L.A. and even inspired a carjack justification monologue from Ludacris in the critically acclaimed "Crash." 

But I couldn't help but notice that L.A. transit got props from the American Public Transit Association, or APTA, as advertised on the tops of buses I saw.  I looked into it, and found the transit was named the best in the nation by APTA in '06, according to their Web site.  I'll look into this more, but it appears the buses are still riding off this success.

I wish native or former resident Angelenos would let me know what's so hot about the Orange Crush. I've heard a lot about positive public transit from D.C. and New York riders, but not so much from the Los Angeles crowd.  Did I miss something? My ride wasn't so hot, but I'd love to hear whose was...

Earlier this week, I embarked on a new shameless self-promotion: Twitter.

I set up a Twitter page, http://twitter.com//tracyswartz, as another form of interaction with my blogarazzi (blog readers). Twitter is the social networking and micro-blogging service where Twitterers send "updates" up to 140 characters long via SMS, IM or a Web-based application.

But I'm a mere Twitterling. I don't know very much about this tool, so I enlisted colleague TracySwartz, writer of iPhone, Therefore I Blog, who kindly provided a list of twitioms.

>> Tweet: Sending a Twitter message. Like an IM, but more Twitterlicious.

>> Twaffic: When your Twitter message takes too long to post because the site is overwhelmed with Twitterers.

>> Re-Tweet: When someone else tweets what you've tweeted - useful to spread your message to a wide audience and should always be acknowledge with a Twank you very much.

>> DM: Direct Message. Private Tweet.

>> Tweet-up: Face-to-face meeting of Tweeters.

>> Tweet-a-holic: Someone who is always Tweeting.

>> Twis: Never 'dis someone on Twitter. That's Twerrible.

>> Twoogle: Twitter's version of Google, where you search for something among fellow Twitterers.

>> Twurl: Taking a long Web address and shortening it for easy Twitter posting.

>> Twemes: Twitter themes. Allows you to see what everyone is talking about at any given moment.

>> Twitting time: Serves dual purpose -- either time to stop Twittering or start it up.

>> Heard on the Tweet: Twitter gossip.

>> Drunk Twittering: You've heard of drunk dialing, right?

What do you think? Any Twittercisms? If you're on Twitter, follow me and I'll follow you. Then fill up my Twitter box.

Every once and a while I'll Google my name to see who has posted my articles and commented on them in the blogosphere.

Many of the results are stories I wrote in college and beyond. But I typically run across hits for two or three other people named Tracy Swartz.

There's Tracy Swartz, the domestic gourdess, whose catch phrase for tracyswartz.com is "Let me help you pass on a smile." She sells gourd art.

Then there's Tracy Swartz, an optometrist for the Wang Institute. She also has been spotlighted in publications.

I don't keep track of the other Tracy Swartzs, but there are some people who keep track of their digital counterparts, called Google twins or Googlegängers.

Sam Blackman, a pediatric oncologist in Philadelphia, told the New York Times that he regularly checks up on other Sam Blackmans. He said he even feels a connection to his virtual double.

"I'm like 'Oh! Sam Blackman got married,'" Blackman said. "I felt like I should send a card or check his registry on Amazon."

Googlegänger, a person with your name who shows up when you Google yourself, was a top contender in 2007 for "word of the year" by the American Dialect Society.

Do you know your Googlegänger? What are some things your Google twin is known for?

Coupling is the act of blending two celebrity couples' names together to form one super celebrity word.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are Brangelina. Their family is Clangelina.

Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z, who were rumored to have recently tied the knot, could be Zeyonce, BZ or TMZ favorite BeJay. Any children they have could be called JayBs.

This week, Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz announced they are engaged. Coupling possibilities include: Ashlete, Wenson, Pimpson, Ashlentz.

Do you have a better Ashlee-Pete or Beyonce-Jay name? Submit them to me, and I'll pick a winner, who will get a prize.

It's an age-old tale: woman gets hungry, woman opens bag of Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips, woman discovers one of the chips looks like her naughty bits, woman tries to score on eBay.

A Wisconsin woman is selling a Sun Chip that looks strikingly similar to a woman's flower. Bidding for the Vajayjay Sun Chip, which has been mounted, is currently at $9.50.

Vajayjay was coined on Grey's Anatomy in 2006 when Dr. Miranda Bailey was in labor and told a male intern "Stop looking at my vajayjay," according to the New York Times.

The word got its biggest endorsement from Oprah Winfrey, who asked her audience, "I think vajayjay is a nice word, don’t you?," the Times reported.

Is there another nice word for vajayjay you prefer?

Posted April 10, 8:59 a.m

Riders, we like to call the CTA on the carpet, so how about unloading on some legislators?

In our oil-addicted nation, it would behoove us to put public transit on our priority list and make sure we have ways to get around beyond four-wheeled gas guzzlers. (Hey, I've got a guzzler too, so don't take offense.)

But back to letting legislators know we need more and better public transit, here's a prime opportunity that even comes with a prize.  Big shout-out to Brian Imus of Illinois Public Interest Research Group who sent me a note alerting me to this video contest on the US PIRG site:

Are you tired of being stuck in traffic? Shouldn’t we have better options? In the last decade, people went from spending 18 hours per year stuck in rush hour traffic delays to a whopping 38 hours. And as we all know, time spent stuck in traffic is time you never get back. We want you to create your most persuasive video about why we need more and better public transportation. What’s your vision of a 21st century transit system? We'll use the winning videos to help decision-makers imagine a better future. Your video will be a critical part of an effort to educate city councils, legislatures across the country, and lawmakers in Washington, D.C. The winner will receive a $500 prize, and will be featured on our Web site. Runners-up will win $250, $150, and honorable mentions will receive a one-year membership to U.S. PIRG. Entries are due by July 4, 2008.

So what would you put in your video?  Don't give away the whole concept, wanna-be CTA Scorseses, but a little hint would help. 

Posted April 8, 11 p.m.

Gayelle, the combination of gay and elle (female), is the new black in lesbian culture.

The women who coined the word said they hope gayelle replaces lesbian, an antiquated term that they feel has taken a derogatory meaning.

They write: "A suitable replacement is necessary for positive language and the healthy self-esteem of the gay-female-population. ... Lesbian does not sound cheerful and fun, nor does it mean merry, like the word gay does; rather, it sounds more like loner, loser, and less. Gay females deserve more, not less."

The term gayelle may sound familiar because it's not a new word. There are already several uses for gayelle in popular culture.

>> Gayelle: A television channel that serves Trinidad & Tobago.

>> Gayelle: A cockfighting arena or a ring used for stick-fighting.

The latter definition seems ironic because I wouldn't think to use a word reserved for cockfights in a lesbian setting.

If you're not a fan of lesbian or gayelle, what positive words do you or would you use to describe a gay female? How about lebanese or lesbatron?

Posted April 9, 10:00 a.m

Whoa!  The "Going Public" inbox, plus "Hey, CTA!" is filled to the gills with riders debating whether women should be given special treatment on the CTA when it comes to seats. 

It all started with a letter from a Brown Line rider in last week's "Hey, CTA!," who was trying to bring CTA chivalry back.

Here's a snippet:

"Every day I leave the train somewhat speechless; sometimes angry, sometimes dumbfounded, usually a little ashamed. Ashamed for all of the men on the train who sit there while women, women of all ages, races, shapes and sizes, married, single, professional, and even pregnant women, stand."

Now, here's what a rider with an opposing outlook had to say:

Where's the CTA chivalry? Well, from one of the guys who just does happen to give up his seat when necessary, there was a huge, -  huge fight for "equal rights" a few years back - so I must put this to you ... you cannot take the good, without taking the bad. More women are in better positions, more women are getting better pay (the best this economy can do) and more young women are graduating; Therefore, more women will have to stand up. You made the call - you deal with the answer ... or should I say "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

Personally, I give up my seat for older people, even when I'm not in priority seating, though there are no rules that say I should.  I do the same for women with small children, especially when they seem to be on the verge of separation. 

I always think it's sweet when the gents allow me to have their seats, but I by no means expect it. 

I am a 25-year-old freemale who is apparently fighting off spinstersdom.

"Modern women are turning their backs on marriage in droves, with single women now outnumbering their wedded sisters for the first time in 85 years," according to an Australian newspaper.

The survey, conducted by marketing company Pacific Micromarketing, uses the phrases SPUD (single person urban dwelling) and freemale (unmarried woman) to describe the current solo trend.

I don't mind the term SPUD so much, but I'm not a fan of freemale. Just because you're not married, don't mean you're free of males. See: "Sex and the City" and any movie of the week on "Lifetime."

Unmarried men get the label bachelor, while single women are old maids, spinsters, singletons, singlettes, gold misses, cat ladies, recluses and now freemales.

Is there an expiration date on marriage for a woman as some people like to think? At what age do you get downgraded from bachelorette to spinster? What other singlette terms would you like to see expire?

When Illinois Sen. Barack Obama was chatting with female factory workers in Pennsylvania last week, he called one of the workers "sweetie," according to U.S. News and World Report.

Bonnie Erbe of "U.S. News" called Obama's actions "a paternalistic way to address a woman if there ever was one. ... This was Obama trying to relate to working-class women in a way that went directly south."

Now I've only been called sweetie a few times in my life. My mom uses the term when she has to break bad news or if I'm feeling bad. I've also heard some construction workers yell it to get my attention.

I think a man calling a woman who is not his wife, girlfriend or essentially sweetheart "sweetie" is derogatory. I think sweetie is right up there with sweetcheeks, babycakes, muffin, pumpkin, sugar and boo as terms that male strangers should avoid calling women.

Save sweetie as a pet name for your lover. Or go with schmoopie, unless you're worried your friends might yurple (throw up a little in their mouths).

What do you think? Should Obama have called a female worker sweetie?

Posted April 7, 9: 00 a.m

So today marks the first official first day of expanded next bus-tracking.  Huzzah!  For now, it's limited to 14 routes if you include the No.20-Madison, which served as the test pilot. 

Here's who's now on the lucky list of other bus-trackers:

No. 35-35th; No. 39-Pershing ;No. 43-43rd; No. 49-Western; No.X49-Western Express; No. 54B-South Cicero; No. 55A-55th/Austin; No. 55N-55th/Narrangansett; No. 62-Archer; No. 62H-Archer/Harlem; No. 63W-West 63rd; No. 94-South California; No. 165-West 65th

So how is it?  Test it using your Internet-enabled device by going to ctabustracker.com.  Fire up your iPhones, crank your Crackberries, or do a locator on your laptop. 

Then post and let me know whether you think this is a good use of transit technology. 

Posted April 4, 11:36 a.m

An interesting topic is being discussed in the comments below one of the prior posts about a rail operator who allegedly cursed at customers through the intercom, and it seems to contain the idea of systemic CTA "bad attitude." 

In short, the theory of some riders seems to be that a negative attitude toward customers and dysfunction may now be engrained in CTA culture to the point that despite the best efforts of its new leadership, nothing much will change.  I've seen the same theory applied in why some riders say they will not join CTA's Mystery Shopper program, which aims to have riders give honest opinions to affect change in the transit agency's performance.

I'm not one to support generalizations, as I've met CTA personnel who were very kind and concerned with customers.  On the other hand, it's true that corporate or agency culture can be very hard to change.

How much hope do you have for the CTA turning around its operations and attitude?

Posted April 3, 2:17 p.m

Here's a service update, courtesy of CTA, regarding Blue Line service this weekend.  Check it out (below) and plan your travel accordingly.  Don't end up like my buddy, Tracy Swartz, and blogster supreme who kindly shared her Blue Line shuttle experiences with us in a previous post.

  Blue Line Service from Jefferson Park to Cumberland Temporarily Suspended this Weekend for Slow Zone Work Work to eliminate slow zones on the O’Hare branch of the Blue Line resumes this weekend.

Rail service between the Jefferson Park and Cumberland Blue Line stations will be temporarily suspended from 9 p.m. Friday, April 4 to 3 a.m. Monday, in order to replace deteriorated rail ties, tie plates and spikes. 

Bus shuttles will operate as a substitute for rail service between the Jefferson Park, Harlem and Cumberland stations. Extra travel time is advisable.

Crews completed the first phase of Blue Line slow zone elimination work at the end of December. Work to replace deteriorated rail ties, tie plates and spikes was completed along roughly 22,500 feet of track resulting in faster, smoother rides for customers traveling between the Jefferson Park and Harlem stations.

The work is part of an aggressive plan to eliminate slow zones on the O’Hare branch of the Blue Line and redesign the tracks to allow trains to reach speeds above 60 mph.

Posted April 3, 1:33 p.m

This just in... a pedestrian struck and killed by a CTA bus this morning on Chicago's South Side, authorities told the Tribune.  More details:

http://redeye.chicagotribune.com/red-cta-bus-accidentapr04,0,223029.story

With help from The Swamp, the political blog from the Chicago Tribune's Washington bureau, here's my list of the 10 top terms evoked this election season. Do you agree or disagree with the ranking? What are some other election terms that are popular?

10. Jeremiad: An angry or mournful sermon that calls for repentance. Evoked in the Jeremiah Wright flap. H/T: Swamp.

9. Swiftboating: When an opposition group launches a smear campaign that the target feels is unfair or untrue. H/T: Swamp.

8. Red-phone: Hillary Clinton's famous television ad that asked if the Batphone rings, which candidate is best prepared to take the crisis call? The ad, which played on national security concerns, helped focus voter attention on the candidates' resumes.

7. Superdelegate: America's VIPs. This group of dignitaries may help decide who gets the Democratic nomination for president. Their influence could be compared to the influence of the judges on "Dancing with the Stars." Besides votes from the public, judges' scores play a prominent role in who wins DWTS.

6. Huckaboom: The surge in popularity Mike Huckabee experienced late in 2007, thanks in part to an ad featuring manimal Chuck Norris. The boom eventually faded and the former Arkansas governor exited the race in March 2008.

5. Fred Man Walking: Used to describe Fred Thompson's lackluster campaign. Thompson dropped out the race in January.

4. Billary: The one-two Clinton punch. Used to describe the presence of both Hillary Clinton and her hubby, former President Bill Clinton, on the campaign trail.

3. McBush: The Democratic Party's way of labeling Republican nominee John McCain's election a third Bush term. H/T: Swamp.

2. Obamatopoeia: Words, such as Omentum, to describe Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's campaign success. Obamania describes the Barack craze. In their Encyclopedia Baracktannica, Slate Obamafied several terms including Barackstar and Baracktoberfest (parties and rallies leading up to the general election).

1. Change: Usually a verb in its transformative mode, it became all-purpose noun, adjective and mantra. On the trail, candidates said they were "of change" or they would "bring change." The Onion finally got the last laugh with its Obama-inspired headline: "Black Man Asks Nation for Change." H/T: Swamp.

Other words I'd like to see gain prominence:

>> McCane: Used to describe McCain's senior status. If he won the presidency, he would be 72 at inauguration

>> Omance: Oprah's everlasting affection for a presidential candidate, specifically Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. Oprah has helped raise money for Obama and featured him on her wildly popular talk show, based in Chicago.

Posted April 2, 9:33 p.m

CTA folks, you know I've got your back.  But I have to take a little detour to deal with a Metra issue.  I got a message from a Metra rider who said that the transit agency may be imitating its CTA sibling (historically, anyway) when it comes to clunky communications.

Here's the note to which my Chicago Tribune transportation colleague Richard Wronski was kind enough to follow up with Metra about once I alerted him to it at about 11:30 a.m. today:

"Yesterday morning, before the rush hour commute, a pedestrian appears to have committed suicide on the Union Pacific North Line Metra tracks.  While this is a tragic event, I want to inquire about the communications provided by Metra to the riding public.

I am one of many hundreds of passengers that commute into the city and switch to another line to get to my final destination.  After hearing the news early and realizing that there would be some delays, I rode the Northwest line into OTC.  Once there, I questioned several Metra employees about the prospects for getting a North line train that would stop at my destination.  I was assured by each separate employee that the 7:25 North bound train was leaving on time and that we would at least make it to the Clybourn stop.  I figured that at worst, I would have to find an alternative to riding the rest of the way north from Clybourn.  I made sure to ask the specific question about arriving at Clybourn and was assured that we would make it to that station.  However, as you can imagine, things did not go as stated.

While we did leave the station on time, the train was halted apparently 200 yards from the Clybourn stop and announcements were made by the Metra train personnel that "We are waiting for other train traffic to clear" before proceeding into the Clybourn station and "We apologize for any inconvenience".  This announcement was repeated about every 1/4 hour for about 90 minutes while we watched train after train pass us by going into the city from both the North & Northwest lines.  At last an announcement was made around 8:45 that we would be moving at about 9:15.  This was then followed by the great news that the train we were on would be an express train going to Highland Park.  The next train would be express to Waukegan.  The third train would be a local stopping at all stations going north.

Had my fellow passengers on the 7:25 and I been made aware that it was even possible that we would not be allowed to reach the Clybourn station, we would have taken the opportunity to utilize alternative means to get to work.  From the OTC we can walk to buses, walk to CTA Brown & Red lines or take a cab.  Any of these would have been preferable to standing on an unmoving train for 2 hours.

While the train personnel on board communicated what little information they had, the overall communication scheme from Metra is often abysmal.  I fully realize that the release of the tracks for train usage was under the control of the Chicago Police & Fire departments and they were not going to release said tracks until they had completed their investigations.  At the least, Metra could communicate that to their passengers prior to allowing them to get trapped by their other regulations.  If there is a possibility that the train cannot reach the next station, don’t allow it to leave.  Once we are out of a station, it is very difficult to gain permission to reverse direction and return to the previous station.  I also understand why you would not want to allow passengers to de-train in a location other than a station platform for safety reasons.  I’m just asking that they try to prevent passengers from getting stuck in the train equivalent of the middle of nowhere.

A most useful piece of information came from a conductor on the North line just this morning.  He indicated that any time there is a fatality on the tracks, he allows at least 4 hours before service will return to normal.  2-3 hours for the authorities to investigate and cleanup and 1-2 hours for service recovery - getting all current passengers to their destinations and getting all equipment into its required location.  Just posting that to all passengers would be an improvement.

Richard has said he will do his best to follow up and post an update in comments here, so stay tuned. Let's see how long it takes from Wednesday afternoon's query to get a reply. Check the time....9:37 p.m. and nothing yet, according to Richard.

"I felt like I got thrown under the bus for it." -- Chicago chef Valerie Bolon on the blini dish that ousted her from "Top Chef."

"But Booker fits better in a locker room where Muhammad practically had strained his rotator cuff throwing Bears quarterbacks under the bus." -- Chicago Bears writer David Haugh on Marty Booker and Muhsin Muhammad.

"If Obama can throw his pastor under the bus, what will he do to LGBTQ voters on his way to the White House?" -- Rev. Irene Monroe in a Windy City Times column about Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's race speech and Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

From sports stars to cheffersons to politicos, everyone's under the bus, a phrase used to describe scapegoats, patsies and anyone else who bears the blame for others. The term was thrust into the spotlight last month after Obama's historic race speech.

Newsweek tried to figure out who's to blame for "under the bus", and found "the phrase suggests a degree of intimacy between the blamer and the blamed," which is why the public and pundits used the phrase so much in describing Obama's actions toward his former pastor. Some say Obama threw Wright under the bus, while others said he didn't.

William Safire, who wrote "Safire's Political Dictionary," told Newsweek the phrase harkens back to Cyndi Lauper, who threw her critics "under the bus" after her debut album "She's So Unusual" was released in 1983.

From Newsweek: "But [Safire] suspects that the phrase has deeper roots in minor-league baseball, where players are almost always bused to away games. In fact, its original meaning could be have been quite literal: be on time for the bus, or you will be thrown underneath it, into the storage bays. He says the metaphor has also been used as a way to say 'get with it, or 'get lost,' as in 'you're either on the bus, or you're under it.' He isn't quite sure when the meaning of the phrase crystallized into the act of 'summarily and decisively rejecting someone.'"

Newsweek suggested that "under the bus" should be thrown under the bus. What do you think? Are there other phrases you would like to throw under the bus?

Posted April 2, 3:33 p.m

'Memba last week when I mentioned an incident on March 26 in which a rider, Leigh Parker, boarded a southbound Red Line train at Bryn Mawr only to sit in a dark car all the way to the Loop? 

Well, the CTA got back to me about the incident which they had been trying to track down without a run number, and here's what one of their spokesfolks, Sheila Gregory, had to say.  (Resist the urge to look at your calendar and/or watch.  Yes, it is a week later, but we have to give them points for unearthing and dealing with this issue.)  Here's your official Mass Transit Mea Culpa, plus a rather intricate explanation of what happened.

First off, we would like to apologize to the passengers riding in the last four cars of the train. It should not have been allowed to enter the subway without working interior lights. If the interior lights couldn’t be restored quickly, then customers should have been asked to either board another train at Fullerton, or move into the cars in front where the interior lights were working.

After checking with our rail operations staff, it was found that the interior lights were on in the first four cars and not on in the last four cars of this train. The problem occurred because of the way the train was configured – it had been operating as a four car train, and then another four car train was added for the morning rush. The lights should have come on automatically when the last four cars were added, but a problem with the electrical relay prevented the lights from coming on in the last four cars.

A passenger advised the operator via the passenger intercom unit. The operator tried to correct the problem but was unable to restore the lights. A supervisor was dispatched to intercept the train and was able to restore the interior lights on the last four cars, unfortunately the fix did not occur until after the train exited the subway.

Any other CTA mysteries you want to get to the bottom of?  Got questions on another kind of public transit protocol (dark station, medical emergency on a train) or are you wondering about how you saw a CTA emergency handled?

I knew I was back home in Florida the moment I stepped off the plane last week and spotted my first pair of jorts, jean shorts.

Jorts are huge in Florida, especially among Gator fans like myself. And jorts aren't just for men -- Jennifer Aniston, who was recently in Florida filming "Marley & Me," was photographed wearing cut-off jorts.

Here's some other typical Florida fashion eye candy I recently spotted:

>> mandals: Like Jesus, serious walkers prefer mandals over flip-flops. Mandalites also tend to wear socks with their mandals, sometimes because of foot odor problems.

>> chaingang: Florida's slowest drivers love to wear glasses with chains. Though their glasses are always attached in some way to their bodies, the chaingang will spend hours hunting for their eyewear and solicit search help from friends and neighbors.

>> wolf T-shirts: Now, I'm not talking about the ironic, hipster T-shirts found in "Urban Outfitters" near the Chuck Klosterman novels and "Family Guy" pint glasses. These are T-shirts worn by people who truly love wolves and other furry animals.

>> trampstamps: A favorite among Florida college freshmen and high schoolers who secretly get the tats during concert weekends. I'm not completely opposed to the trampstamp, which is located on a girl's lower back, but they are so ubiquitous on Florida beaches I just wish Floridians could find a new target.

What are some of your favorite Spring Break fashion faux pause?

Posted April 2, 12:19 p.m

Just the other day, I was on a bus when a young woman brought a big honking stroller onboard along with one adorable baby who occupied it. The bus was crowded and it was clear that other riders wanted her to fold it, but it was bedecked with so many bags and dangling toys, I doubted she could. She seemed overwhelmed and at least a bit embarrassed as dozens of eyes rolled skyward at her presence.

As a proud godmother and occasional Other People's Babies-toter, I do feel for the plight of those traveling with kids, but other riders are fed up with CTA Mama Drama. Take for example, this e-mail from a rider named Eric.

I have another problem with the buses that is not being talked about. It is when these young women want to bring their baby strollers onto the bus and cram up the aisles. This is getting to be a problem for me. It makes it hard for other passengers to get on and off the bus and those strollers block the aisles. I wish somebody would let the CTA know that there must be another alternative for mothers cramming up the bus like that.

Oh, this issue is being talked about, Eric. Right now, in fact.

Moms, let us know, how easy is it to fold those strollers? Are there any who have discovered viable alternatives, i.e. slings, other carriers? Riders who aren't traveling with kids, are you sick of the strollers?

Is there anything the CTA could do to improve "strolling on the CTA?"

Posted April 2, 11:44 a.m

You don't have to be a word nerd to love Scrabulous, an online Scrabble game available on Facebook that's popular with Generation Text.

I'm an occasional Scrabulous player, but when I play against my one sparring buddy, I break out all the words of prey.

Still, I'm not as hardcore as Iain Morgan, a music producer in London who told the New York Times last month he is playing 25 games of Scrabulous at the same time.

Morgan created the Facebook group called "Help, I’m a Scrabulous Addict" to show support for the online version of the Scrabble game, which has drawn ire from Hasbro, which sells the board game in North America, and Mattel, which markets the board game everywhere else, according to the Times.

Scrabulous, the online version of the game, attracts more than 700,000 players a day and nearly three million registered users, the Times reports.

So it's a Scrabulous life for many. If you dabble in Scrabble or you're psychoScrabble, check out these Scrabulous accessories:

>> Word to your wedding: Miss Hummingbird, who blogs for Wedding Bee, recently discussed possibly throwing a Scrabble-themed wedding.

Endless possibilities are the name of the game: Scrabble rings, key rings, cakes and a guestbook should appeal to letterheads.

>> Scrabble T-shirts. (Essentially words on a shirt.)

>> Chocolate squares.

Are you addicted to online Scrabble? Think you can take on the word nerd in Scrabulous?

Posted April 1, 4:41 p.m

On Facebook, I once wanted to add a potentially promising application called "Oh No You Didn't," that allows you to call out your buds on foolish actions online and in real life.  I changed my mind once I saw the accompanying illustration with some attitudinal, seemingly black woman with a 'do rag on her head and her finger wagging in the air.  If you are familliar with my other column that runs in the RedEye on alternating Fridays, you know I don't go for that.

But that stereotypical siren, or at least her "oh-no-you-didn't" might be needed in response to this ignorance observed on a Red Line train, as reported by a rider who goes by Burkay:

Among my friends, I am usually the most appreciative of CTA's service. I always argue that instead of complaining all the time we should help CTA personnel to improve the service by keeping the cars clean, etc. However, today something that even I cannot forgive happened on the Red Line. Shortly after we stopped at one of the subway stations (I believe it was Chicago and St), the operator made this announcement: "People in front of the third car. Get your asses into the train." First, I thought I must have misheard, but after a quick exchange with the other riders on the car we all came to the sad realization that the operator actually used that expression. (I might be wrong about the exact wording for the speakers of CTA trains are not famous for their high quality sound).

My intention is not to point fingers to anyone specific, therefore I will not disclose the run number of the train. However, I am really disappointed of CTA as an institution. They should educate their personnel about the proper ways of addressing the customers, and they should do it now. Modernizing stations and buses is all but futile when there are people in CTA to whom even the basics of social interaction are completely unknown. And Kyra, we CTA riders really appreciate what you are doing.

First, thanks to Burkay for letting us know about this. Second, what on earth is going on if Burkay's interpretation of the announcement is accurate? It may be annoying to watch riders mill about by the doors and not allow each other onboard or offboard, but to curse at them? Ridiculous.  Maybe this was some April Fools joke gone goofy...

Either way, it begs the question: Have you observed any outrageous behavior such as this by riders, rail/bus operators? Let's give them an "oh-no-you-didn't," sans head scarf and stereotypical salutation.

Posted April 1, 1:17 p.m ((UPDATED))

As of 5:23 p.m: Customer information guru Adam Case of the CTA let me know that an old PDF with Red Line slow zones from 2007 has been swapped out for the new info on transitchicago.com, in response to a rider complaint I received earlier today.  (See below for original post.) Plus, Case offered this tidbit of info via e-mail. 

"In addition to this signage at all Red Line stations, we're also using mobile sandwich boards at the affected stations to inform all passengers when construction is underway. We're continuing to work to improve how we communicate with all of our customers, so the feedback is much appreciated."

The CTA seems to have made communication a big focus, with new, nicer clear color-coded signage and e-mail alerts sent to riders. They even have a spanking new site that looks a lot better than its public transit predecessor.

But rider Jeff Howard was sorta seeing red when he checked that spiffy site for an update on Red Line slow zone progress. He sent me the following e-mail asking me to dig into the issue.

Here's what jolted Jeff.

Since CTA is all about keeping customers informed, I noticed a major communication problem on their website. When you go to the link for the Red Line slow zone project (http://transitchicago.com/news/motion/szep.html) and click on the pdf about the project, you get very outdated information that talks about the project ending in December 2007 (attached).

Since you're (i.e. the media) really the only one CTA seems to care about (the little people like us just get the runaround), you may be able to get them going.

The PDF, which I link to above, is outdated so I contacted CTA's Chief of Customer Communications Adam Case, whom I have always found very professional and responsive.

True to form, he got back to me within 20 minutes, which is uber-fast for the CTA.      

Case said that the Red Line slow zone document in question will be updated by the end of the day, but explained that Red Line signage out on the system since March 5, was accurate and up-to-date.  The PDF was reflective of what had been on the system prior to that refresh.

I'll check back later to see if the document has been updated to keep Case honest.  In the meantime, tell me what you think of the CTA's online makeover. I noticed they filled in the previously glaringly blank space ""From the Chairman & the President," but is there more you'd like the transit agency to post? Do you find the site informational, engaging or confusing?

I first moved to Manhattan four years ago (partly) for a boy. (I know, how "Felicity.") Mostly, though, I was a 21-year-old recent graduate who needed direction in my career and New York seemed like a writer's city.

Or so it seemed in "Sex and the City." Knowing very little about New York, I moved into a two bedroom apartment in Washington Heights in the summer of 2004. I accepted the temporary sublet over the phone from a Craigslist ad. I figured anything in Manhattan would suffice. As the summer wore on, I grew to appreciate the security guard who watched the door around the clock.

My first job in the city was not New York glamorous. I temped for the New York Post, running errands and opening mail to the tune of $7 an hour. By the time autumn began, I had landed a job working on Newsday's Web site, and I moved into a one bedroom apartment in Park Slope.

The Brooklyn apartment seemed like paradise compared to my Washington Heights digs. It cost $1100 a month, there was no air conditioning and cucarachas were frequent guests.

I commuted daily from Brooklyn to Long Island for a 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift that extended into the weekend. I enjoyed my job but the travelling wore me down. It wasn't a "Sex and the City" lifestyle -- Cosmos and Manolos were replaced with Stellas and Diesel sneakers.

But I've always been intrigued to hear of the 20somethings that say they have made it work Carrie-style. (At least in their head.)

For example, Julia Allison, a New York relationship blogger formerly from the Chicago suburbs, recently told the New York Times she's a modern-day version of Carrie Bradshaw.

“If Carrie Bradshaw were coming to New York today,” Allison told the TImes with no hint of self-consciousness, “she would be me.”

Allison talks of the recent birthday party she threw where "women wore outfits that would make any 'Sex and the City' costume designer proud." Though she struts around Manhattan in Steve Maddens more often than Manolos, Allison said she has partied at Bungalow 8 and other haute-spots.

But her Carrietale lifestyle has drawn criticism from Jezebel, Gawker and other blogs, whose writers have come to call women like Allison "Scary Sadshaws."

In a Jezebel post, writer Anna describes why she hates Scary Sadshaws:

"These ladies worship at the altar of Manolo Blahnik, regard writer Candace Bushnell as some sort of saint, and, of course, take instruction from a certain HBO series that bore no similarity to how life is lived by the majority of single women.

Scary Sadshaws are NYC's version of the stars of Girls Gone Wild, except that Patrick McMullan is their Joe Francis, and they substitute luxury goods for bare breasts. In my mind, they were not only ruining New York, but ruining what it means to be a serious young woman with ambition in the turn-of-the-century America. They were ruining everything for all of us."

In a few short weeks, Millennials across America will be breaking out the martini glasses to celebrate the May 30 release of the "Sex and the City Movie." But how hot will Carrie fever get? Will you or your friends be Very Carrie or Wary Carrie? In Illinois, would we call these girls Prairie Carries?

Posted April 1 11:01 a.m

"Going Public" stopped by the Southport stop Monday to see if it lived up to the post-hiatus hype and scoped out progress on the rest of the Brown Line project.

Southport
If MTV were to make a reality show about the Southport renovations, it would be called "Pimp My Platform." A glance at the renovated area reveals the same modern steel and wooden touches evident at other stops, including Francisco, which was re-opened last year around this time.

My favorite features at Southport—aside from longer platforms to accommodate longer trains and an elevator for enhanced handicapped accessibility—are the heated standing areas, only outdone by the steel-and-wooden benches sprinkled throughout the platform. Too bad the CTA seating's functionality is no match for its futuristic good looks. All of the benches are out in the open, save for a few, which are ensconced in rounded enclosures. This is fine on a sunny spring day when riders can enjoy the sights and sounds around the Brown, but not so much on a day like Monday, when it rained heavily and the waterlogged benches were more like bucket seats.

A much better addition to Southport: wider stairways to street level, which could keep riders from colliding or cramping each other en route to the "L."

Francisco
Seeing the brand-new stop made me nostalgic for an old friend, Francisco, so I paid the platform a visit to make sure it wasn't going to public transit pot. The platform, which was litter-free, still looks brand-new, and I love those adorable toadstool-like structures at the stop, though some riders have said benches would be better.

I feel that eye-catching artwork is always a plus for CTA stations, as long as it is cost-effective. Too bad some other "artist" added to the public transit portfolio, tagging one of the benches.

Damen
As the CTA signs inside "L" cars clearly communicate, Damen still is under construction, hence the hard hat icon next to the station's name. Still, the status of the stop, shuttered temporarily last November, is a constant question in my inbox. "Going Public" tried to get some CTA scoop on whether Damen is closer to completion. After all, some of the Brown Line stops have re-opened early. I sought to soothe rider angst, as I often get excited e-mails when construction appears to be under way and notes of concern if it appears to be an off day for hard-hatted workers. The good news is that the work is on schedule, according to CTA spokeswoman Sheila Gregory. The bad news is that the schedule says the work will take a year. "If anything should change as we get closer to the completion of construction, we will let riders know," Gregory said.