Alone on the CTA
An interesting side note: as I was taking this photo, I looked around and realized I was totally alone. No one else was in the train car with me, and it was a bit surreal.
Posts Tagged "cta"
Lonely Commute
This morning though – on my whole way in, it was a ghost town. Barely anyone at the local Stabucks. Barely anyone on the Metra downtown. And barely anyone on the CTA platform.
I learned later that school was cancelled again today for most of Chicago, meaning that a lot of parents probably had to stay home as well. So overall, fewer people downtown.
Winter Commute
Waiting for the train, it was definitely cold and slightly uncomfortable. By Chicago standards, this was not anything remarkable. But by my standards, it was annoying.
Expect me to grumble for a while here, about needing to commute in to work. It’s going to take some getting used to. So mix that amount of time with how much I like to grumble.
Commuting Win, Commuting Fail: Metra + CTA
If you imagine the CTA lines around the Loop as a clock: I was expecting to travel Clockwise, exiting at 3:00. Instead, I was actually traveling counter-clockwise (because we were “operating like a Brown Line train”), exiting at 9:00.
So I had a bit of walking to do. Ah well, more exercise.
An Unexpected Crowd
Today was a bit different, as I got in earlier than normal… and snagged a spot on one of the lower levels (I usually park higher up in the garage). On walking to the car, I was surprised to see a small crowd on the other side of the parking lot windows.
Ford Kids in Chicago, 2023 (Part One): Scavenger Hunt Across the City, Mission to Mars Escape Room, Ethiopian Dinner at Demera, Blue Man Group
The big day is here! We’ve got the Ford kids for another Day in Chicago, with a lot of big plans this time around.
We had a blast last year (and in all honesty probably tried to pack too much in). This year, we didn’t quite learn our lesson, as we also had a pretty busy day in mind.
Alone on the Bus
As I was making my way to the Metra stop downtown, during the last two stops I realized that I was completely alone on the bus. There were definitely fewer people out and about today, and this added to the slightly “out of the ordinary” feeling I had today.
Halfway There
On my way to work, I stopped at Wabash and Randolph and caught some CTA workers painting the El tracks overhead. At first glance, all I caught was the crane in the middle of the street… but after a few moments, I realized the entire structure was in a state of flux: half painted, half unpainted.
CTA Blue Line Trains Without Power at Logan Square
This morning, on our way to work, Liz and I ran into a delay on the Blue Line. Normally, these aren’t any big deal (delays happen all the time, and the lines usually pick up fairly quickly). But today was different. In addition to the platform being packed, both the North and South-bound trains were sitting at the Logan Square stop… and both trains looked to be completely devoid of power.
The CTA is Watching?
Not sure when I first spotted these, but I’m now seeing a lot of cameras mounted on the ceilings on the CTA. At least, that’s my guess as to what these guys are. Maybe they also provide info as to how densely packed each car is, to help determine when to run trains as “express” trains.
Everybody Takes the CTA to Work (Even the Living Statue, Covered in Silver Paint)
Sitting down on the inbound Blue Line train this morning, I looked up and happened to see this guy. Just a regular dude, taking the CTA in to his day job. Just a regular dude, covered head to toe in silver paint.
The Worst Underage Drinking Ad I’ve Ever Seen
Spotted this “Underage Drinking” ad on the CTA yesterday, on my way in to work. I had to stare at it a good while to make sure the whole thing wasn’t a joke. The longer I looked at it, the funnier it got.
Commuting to Work: Every Day is a Train Ride
Monotony plays its tricks on the senses, and I found myself on the CTA Blue Line an older version of that kid, a little immune to the world going by. On seeing these large windows, it made me remember what it was like to be enamored with the world, and reminded me I should pay a little more attention on my daily commute.
Millenium Falcon T-Shirt
As we were heading up, I spotted this guy across the way wearing my red Millenium Falcon t-shirt. It’s kind of odd seeing someone else with the same clothes that you have, and the fact that this shirt is bright red with a huge Star Wars blueprint on it… well, it kind of sticks out.
Lonely Shoes
Walking home from work, I spotted a pair of lonely shoes in the tunnel near the Jackson Blue/Red stop. It seemed such an unusual spot to encounter such a thing – and I immediately began to wonder whether they were intentionally thrown away, or somehow forgotten.
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