Metra Delay
Arrived at Millennium Station to a pretty big crowd of people. Everyone was gathered at the top of the stairs (that lead to the platforms), milling about.
Posts Tagged "metra"
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.
Metra Signs
As a side note: I have no idea what this machine is, in front of the sign. It looks fairly basic, but somehow seems to warrant not one but two padlocks?
Off the Rail
Spotted this, on my way home. There’s a part of my commute that involves walking down a set of stairs, down to Lower Michigan. It’s a bit grungy, but gets you in to Millennium Station through one of the less frequented entrances (at the track level).
Working at the Metra Train Car Wash
Today, the train slowed and I noticed out of the corner of my eyes that there was an actual train car being washed. The light was reflecting off the window something awful, but I got a few seconds of the process on video.
Metra/Ventra Woes
Other riders in my train were experiencing the same thing. And it slowly dawned on everyone that our ability to “pay” for our tickets was compromised. We heard an announcement talking about the app issues, and everyone basically got to ride the train for free.
What struck me was that this was like a mini-Y2K event for Metra/Ventra. The February 1 timeline resulted in a significant before/after shift, and perhaps they could have done a bit more QA before the big day.
Do Not Use
While waiting to disembark at Millennium Station… I was looking down, and noticed this outlet.
Or should I say: this forbidden outlet. Which is off limits to us “norms,” but apparently is only good for the conductors.
Riding Home Alone
On the way home, I found myself one of the few (only?) passengers in my Metra car. Not just the one I was in, but the adjoining section to boot.
Congratulations, Jereline Williams
Waiting for the Metra train in to the city, I spotted this sign on the side of a car that was going the opposite direction as me.
Pandemic Reminder
There was a very big shift that happened in March of that year. And I guess this small Metra pass is a tangible representation of that particular time. The pass has long expired, of course. But I think I’ll likely hold onto it, regardless. It still has some small bit of value to me, even after all this time.
Waiting at the Edge of the Millennium (Station)
On the way in to work yesterday, I happened to be sitting in the frontmost car. We were stopped for a long while, just as we were entering Millennium Station. In fact, we were stopped so long… I decided to amble over to the front window, just to take a peek at the station.
I Wonder What That’s For
Spotted this small little switch/box, on the side of the Metra train that arrives across from our platform each morning. There’s a predictable cadence to the trains that show up before ours (an express whooshes by, the South Shore stops, and this guy pulls up across the way).
So Nice I Did So Nice I Did It Twice
Unless you’re familiar with the piece, the video probably just seems like a lot of gibberish. And I guess it is, mostly. But I like trying to listen for the overlap, and like imagining the robotic voices are actually performing for us.
Not in a Rush
Most days, I tend to be worried about getting to work on time. But after the talk, I hung back a little and opted to wait until others got off the train. I was fighting muscle memory in some aspects, but it also felt like the right thing to do.