John Loftus wrote to "Going Public" with a suggestion about elected officials. Should officials be required to ride the CTA?

"Just one simple law would transform the CTA into an efficient, comfortable and safe way to travel in Chicago: Every elected and/or appointed official in the city of Chicago, who earns more than $20,000 per year, MUST use the CTA as their SOLE means of transportation, from the day that they take office, or assume their position.

Things would change fast."

Reporter Lee Vivanco told "Going Public" about a bad bus experience yesterday. In 2003, the CTA implemented an "open" stoller pilot program on buses and trains.

"I was riding the No. 146 bus when three moms with strollers got on. One mom folded the stroller and had her two kids sit in seats but the other two moms parked their strollers in the space where the handicap seats fold up.

Still, the bus driver wouldn't get going on the route. Apparently, the driver told the moms they had to get the strollers out of the way or fold them. What a hassle!

So one struggled with no help from the driver to lift a stroller and put it on the ledge where you swipe your CTA card. The other mom didn't want to deal with it so just got off the bus.

I could see the driver's point if the bus was packed but it was only half full. I felt bad for the moms."

Metra is banning alcohol on its trains Saturday and Sunday for St. Patrick's Day revelry, spokesman Michael Gillis told "Going Public." There also will be extra security on board the trains. Will you ride the Metra for St. Patrick's Day festivities?

Metra typically allows alcohol on its trains except during big events and festivals such as the Taste of Chicago, according to its Web site.

The traditional South Side Irish Parade in Beverly has been canceled this year but there will be block parties instead, the Tribune reports.

Beverly is serviced by the Rock Island District line.

Andrew Flechtner asked "Going Public" about a farecard problem on the Brown Line. The CTA response is below. The layoffs that took effect last month hit bus drivers, rail operators and bus mechanics.

"Recently the Sacramento auxiliary exit on the Francisco Brown Line stop has not been non-functioning for those who enter with a farecard (works for touch cards). It has been like that for the past few days. Did the job cuts include repair workers as well? This seems like a long time for such a major malfunction."

The CTA responded: "The CTA was aware of issues with the fare equipment on Feb. 23, but they were fixed by the end of the day and crews checked the machines on the 24th, 25th and 26th and the machines were functioning properly. The CTA sent personnel to check the fare equipment again last week and there were no problems.

If a customer notices problems with any CTA fare equipment they are encouraged to tell the Customer Assistant at the station or contact the agency directly at 1-888-YOUR CTA or via e-mail at feedback@transitchicago.com."

Via Twitter, Jessi Moth told "Going Public" that in February she saw multiple Red Line trains that had at least one broken door. "GP" asked the CTA about problems with Red Line doors. Late last year, a woman said her stroller was caught in a set of Red Line doors.

The CTA responded: "On the contrary, there has been a decrease in the number of door defects on the Red Line. 
 
In 2008, CTA replaced the sensitive edges on all rail cars in its fleet and have reduced the number of instances of door problems to three percent of all mechanical problems affecting rail cars. However, cold weather can lead to door malfunctions.
 
It is important to remember that like automobiles, CTA's buses and trains have mechanical components that can be impacted by severe weather."

In today's "Going Public" column, "GP" wrote about seeing purple graffiti on the No. 143 bus from Sheridan and Briar Place to Congress and Michigan. Below is a photo of the graffiti.

In a tour of the Skokie Shop last year, CTA president Rich Rodriguez showed "GP" how graffiti can be removed by pealing away the covering on the window.

No word what happened to this bus, which was marked a No. 2 Hyde Park Express.

For last week's column, "Going Public" rode the No. 51-51st Street bus, which travels between the Kedzie Orange Line and the 47th Street Red Line stops. "GP" noticed outside the 47th Street Red Line station is a Bus Tracker kiosk, which lets riders know the timing of buses that serve that station.

"GP" asked the CTA if any other stations have this feature. Below is the CTA response.

The CTA responded: "In January 2008 the CTA installed digital displays at the 47th Street Red Line station to test the displays for durability, placement and customer feedback. One of the screens is a display outside of the station that displays Bus Tracker information.

Currently, the 47th Street station is the only CTA rail station with a display outside of the station displaying Bus Tracker information. There are currently over 90 digital displays at a total of 17 stations."

A rider wrote to "Going Public" this morning about a bad bus experience. Information about the bus and its driver has been redacted. The letter continues after the jump. Bus drivers are required to lower the lift for anyone who needs it as not all disabilites are visible.

"This morning I boarded the No. 66 bus at State Street behind a man with disabilities using a walker. The man could not find his bus pass quickly enough for the bus driver who yelled back at him 'DO YOU HAVE YOUR FARE YET' to which the man answered, 'I am looking for it.' 

The bus driver would not drive away, letting a few stop lights go by. A very nice young lady used her Chicago Card and swiped it paying for the man's fare and that's when the bus driver finally pulled away.

The bus driver, as you can well imagine, did not thank her, but the disabled man did and kept looking for his bus pass. He kept apologizing for not finding it fast enough, even after the young lady had paid his fare.

The man with the walker got off on Superior and Fairbanks and the bus driver did not lower the bus for him to get off.

This man had difficulties walking (hence the walker) and also had Parkinsons-like tremors, which can make holding on to things difficult, i.e. the handles of his walker, looking for his fare card, walking, etc...