Posted June 25 at 3:02 p.m.

Sometimes, even "Going Public" gets called out.  And it happened yesterday, for sure.   While tallying "Rotten Route" votes from my e-mail and this blog, I received a call from a woman who said she was a CTA employee and boy, was she mad and seemingly ready to let me have it.  She said she knows things aren't 100% with the CTA, but it infuriates her to constantly read rider complaints in the RedEye maligning transit agency employees when riders themselves are part of the problem.

"These people need to have a mirror put up to their faces," she told me during the approximately 10-minute conversation.  She pointed out, and rightfully so, that buses do not pull out dirty in the morning and that only happens once riders get in on the equation.  One particular pet peeve, she offered, in response to those who say bus operators are rude:

"We face bad attitudes all the time, especially from the ones who come in from the suburbs and think that $2 buys them the world."  By the time the call ended, I encouraged her to sound off on this blog with more stirring insights, and I hope she takes me up on that offer.  I got an ear full, but felt I learned something too.

Then, today, I got another note from a gentleman who said he is a bus operator.  His e-mail was very humble and I could totally sympathize with his situation, as he appealed to riders to get up on time, use the Internet to plan their routes, and use some restraint when taking out their system-inspired anger on individual employees. 

In closing, he wrote: "Thank you for this opportunity and I wished the best to all customers of Chicago and  others, and remember we will be there for you." 

So do you have empathy for CTA employees? Do the many get a bad rep due to the actions of a few bad apples? Or is the apple cart rotten through and through? CTA employees, we want to hear from you too.

Posted June 2, 8:58 a.m.

Have you ever gotten touched by one of your transit peers in order to help you, or rather their commute, along?

I remember a woman who put her hands on my waist and semi-slid me over while I was standing, in order to make her way off of the Red Line "L."  I thought it was wicked weird, since an "excuse me," would have done the trick, but ah well.  No harm, no foul.

But sometimes a touch is really too much, especially after I read a rider e-mail titled "Ride at Your Own Risk." 

It may make you think twice about being too transit touchy feely:

No rider should EVER put hands on another rider for any reason. Nobody is aware of another rider's physical condition/health risks.  Another boarder placed his two hands on the small of my back and shoved me hard in a failed attempt to push me up the bus steps faster. I was carrying a heavy load and was having a problem boarding. This man severely damaged my spinal cord. It's been a year and a half and I am still not healed and may never be. I am facing spine surgery now. I went from feeling like a forty something to feeling like a seventies something. I was 63 when this occurred in mid October 2006, boarding the CTA bus at the Broadway and Diversey stop around 9:00 PM.

Posted May 29, 8:50 p.m.

There's nothing wrong with a CTA rant.  It helps us blow off CTA steam after a super slow commute, close encounter with an ornery operator, or getting splashed by a subway puddle of who-knows-what. 

But there is no excuse for the race-based rants that occasionally enter the "Going Public" inbox.  They start in the usual fed-up rider format, but then delve into tirades about Latinos doing this, whites doing that, Asians doing this, and blacks doing the other...

Each time, I've tried to explain to the offensive e-mailer that gross generalizations won't do anyone any good.  More importantly, haven't we all realized by now that CTA stupidity is raceless, classless and gender-less? 

Apparently not, as two eagle-eyed riders sent me the same racially charged post from Craig's List.  Though it pained me to read it, it pays to know what some ignorant people are thinking.  That's why I'm sharing it with you.  Check out this foolishness from a poster who sounds like he or she could use some grammar lessons as well as a stint in a racial sensitivity seminar. 

The post is titled "Why do blacks run from one CTA car to another?"

...one hand holding the crotchof His His Baggy Gang Banger Pants He runs from this car to the next Car to the front of the Train to the last car of the Train than He takes a look through the glass of the Train Car (could He be trying to make sure thre are no Police? (He dosent have to worry about doing that! the Police are at Duncan Donuts!) And go ahead folks, feel free to light up a Ciggarette or a joint...the Police dont seem interested in having under cover Detectives on the CTA Trains. The Uniformed Police are a total Joke! all the Uniformed CTA Police do, is Arrest Homeless People for having alcoholic Beverages in there Bags, or Drinking on the Train, or sleeping on the Train. If You go to the 95th Street CTA "end of the Line" stop, between 2:00 and 4:00 You can enjoy watching the brave Private Security Guards of the anti Homeless Squad kick the Homeless off of the train! I's fun to listen to the "spanglish" speaking Lateno Security Guards tell the Homeless "You not supposed to be here!" "You gotta pay again! Do You unner-stan Me?" At least I have a Job and an Apartment. The Homeless Bums that ride the CTA seem for the most part rather well behaved. (smelly yes, but well behaved.) The Criminal element appears to be (generaly) well dressed (in clean looking Gang atire)Young, Male and Black. I have seen vary Young Black Children running from one car to the next (with no Adult) after 12:00 Midnite. Dose the CTA and the Chicago Police Department prefer to ignore the problem because it is overwhemingly BLACK? O.k. now: 1: Criticize My Spelling, punctuation and grammar. 2:Call Me a "Racist" or a "Hater" 3: Flag this Post.

How about introducing option #4? Ban this obnoxious Archie Bunker from further written communication as well as riding the rails and routes. 

The CTA is a mass transit  melting pot, making it a bigger shame that people insist on bringing their ignorance onboard along with their overstuffed backpacks.

Posted May 8, 11:57 a.m.

It's no great surprise that Google is a to-die-for tool when it comes to finding useless information.  Just a few clicks and you can find old friends, obscure song lyrics, or the fate of that high school biology teacher who gave you a C- for refusing to dissect that frog. 

You can even use it for travel, and a little while back, the CTA signed on with Google Transit in an attempt to make travel easier.  But it's not exactly working out for everyone.  Here's a comment from a rider who isn't too ga ga over Google when it comes to CTA directions.

Alan Ferguson of Andersonville writes:

Please bring back the old trip planner on the website or improve the one from [Google].
1. It doesn't give you the option of trains only or buses only.
It gives you two or three ways to get somewhere but what if both options aren't viable? I don't want to take three buses when I could take a train. I tried to piece together my own schedule but the PDF train and bus schedules don't give exact times when the trains or buses arrive/leave. Even if you don't want to give exact times, give approximate times ... Something, anything. Not this "Every 7 to 10 minutes" business. Let me get my slide rule and my graphing calculator so I can figure multiples of 8 for when I will arrive at a certain station or when I need to get to a certain station.
It's a massive headache to try to get the Google planner to do what you want. The old one was really easy and user friendly so please bring it back.

So what's the verdict, riders?  Is Google helpful for your CTA travels? If so, give our Andersonville friend your best tip on how to get around using these techno tools.

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 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 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 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. 

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 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?

Posted March 27 1:01 p.m

Since the City of Chicago has pretty much stomped out ciggies all over the public way and in restaurants, I find it funny that I still see -- and get reports -- of people holding smoke-outs on the CTA. I've even heard this about transit employees.

Why on earth would you think it's cool to smoke in an enclosed space, such as the train or bus, and inflict your habits on others? Even the most diehard smokers would have to realize how ridiculous that is.

That said, here's the latest report of CTA smoking from a rider who signed off "Just Want to Breathe":

Hello: I was on the Train once and this old man was smoking on the train. I buzzed the button to let the operator know after I had left that train and went to the next train. Why in the world did the operator stop the train and come to the car that the call came from and ask did someone call about someone smoking on the train. I told her the man was on the other train smoking, she had to smell it and see him she walked right through the same train that I walked through the doors and got off of so that I could breath. I want be letting them know anything else, not when they want to let everyone know that I am a trick and that my call was delaying everyone for work. I'll simply just go to another car so I can breathe. Also, why don't CTA enforce their laws about people smoking on their property at the 95Th street Red Line. They have a little police station there. They have cameras and can see everything. They have an blind eye when it comes to people selling and smoking cigarettes around the perimeter of the station where we are trying to get on the busses. I've had to turn around and tell someone don't blow that smoke on me, I just washed my hair and I want to breathe. I dare you to come to 95Th and stand on the side where the #34 and #119 is at, that spot is the worst when it comes to smoking.

To "Going Public," the second worst part of this story is how the operator allegedly handled it. Is this person trying to encourage a CTA version of the ignorant "Stop Snitching" campaign? Sound off peepz, do you see a lot of smoking on the CTA? Is that security office at 95th Street a waste of space?

What do you propose we do about this?

Posted March 21- 4:04 p.m

When I saw this ridiculous snow, some call it "snizzle," falling from the sky today, I was sad for many reasons. First, it is supposed to be spring. I've lived in Chicago most of my life, but believe me, it's in spite of, not because, of the weather. Second, precipitation will only encourage CTA sludge.

This is that nasty stuff that clouds bus windows, sometimes making people (okay, me) miss their stop because they can't see out.

CTA sludge also drips from the "L" tracks down onto unsuspecting riders below, (OK, me again). I cannot wait for warmer, drier weather because it will help me better tolerate bus and train waits, plus stamp out that ooey, gooey sludge.

Give me your sludge report? Where and when have you been dripped on? Got a picture of an icky spot? Let me know.

Posted March 20 - 2:15 p.m

Okay, let me start by saying that I do not believe all bus operators are evil and to subscribe to that is to insult hardworking men and women who take a lot of grief -- and even a punch or two -- on the job. That said, there is no excuse for what a RedEye colleague witnessed last night while waiting for a bus in Wrigleyville.

To summarize, a bus operator refused to move a bus up a few feet in order to allow a wheelchair-bound rider to get onboard, this after passing her up at the bus shelter and almost penning her in. The rider -- who refused assistance from my colleague -- then had to get out of her wheelchair and slowly push the chair up to where the bus stopped.  Thankfully, this incident -- and the operator-- was reported to ctahelp@transitchicago.com.

But that still doesn't address the issue: Why on earth would anyone be so cruel, or at best, clueless? I've spoken to the CTA in the past about the plight of physically disabled riders and believe me, rudeness is not confined to operators, though this is the second such story of operator outrageousness that I've heard about in the last month.

Let's turn the topic to riders who need a clue. I''ve been on a bus where riders refused to get out of the priority area in order to let someone in a wheelchair onboard. It is within your riders' rights, according to the CTA, which can only suggest -- not order-- consideration for the physically disabled.

I know we all value our CTA space, but come on? Are people really this heartless? Have you seen bus/rail operators or other public transit patrons disrespecting or ignoring the needs of the so-called "priority" riders?  Maybe they need a ticket, like the blockheads who park in designated handicapped spaces.

Posted March 19 - 2:29 p.m

A rider named Rick wrote to me to unload about the unsanitary nature of trains and buses, but this time around, it wasn't a rant against the CTA's janitorial efforts. Rick wrote:

"It disgusts me to witness pigs riding the El, and spitting sunflower seeds, eating food and throwing wrappers on the floor, writing on doors and walls. It's bad enough that the things smell like urine already. Is it too much to ask that people pick up after themselves? I think that perhaps a good solution would be to have one "pig pen" car on each train so decent people can ride without being subjected to these kinds of disgusting slobs. And the pigs would be able to ride in the company of other disgusting pigs, and the CTA could concentrate their efforts on cleaning the pig pens. A win win."

So what's up, CTA citizens? Is there any way to stop the CTA from being a pig pen? Would you like to see more enforcement of anti-eating ordinances on the system? You know, just in case the agency balks at establishing a formal "pig pen" car.

Posted March 18 - 6:16 p.m

Following up on today's "Going Public" column about claimed positive changes in bus garages, a rider came up with something she'd like to see on the system.  Here's an e-mail from Debra Berry, who referenced the 74th Street garage I featured.

"A supervisor or someone needs to watch the way bus drivers that turn into the 74th Street garage passing up passengers on Green Line El stop. Two buses approaching 63rd street at 7:05 pm, the first bus picked up passengers on 63rd, the bus behind this one had a sign that read X9 Ashland Express; before this driver (bus #6048) pulled off the sign was changed to NOT IN SERVICE. That is a bunch of BULL. It is unfair to the driver in front of this bus to pick up all these passengers after waiting for 20-25 minutes. Get some team work."

Got that, garage folks?  Riders, are your bus beefs?

Posted March 17 - 4:47 p.m

So, come April 27, the 54th Cermak branch of the Blue Line is no more. The CTA claims that low ridership, plus rider love of the pretty in Pink Line, did it in.

For more details on this service stoppage, check out my earlier blog entry called "Passion of the Pink."

But CTA, say what you will, rider Linda Annicks is not buying. That's why her impassioned e-mail is the "reader letter of the day."  Drum roll, please:

I would like to make a comment on the story that was printed today about the CTA “trimming the Blue Line." Let me say, that ever since this "great new line" started running, nothing has been running smoothly. The Pink line is constantly bogged with problems.

At least once a month it's down due to track failure and the inbound trains have to be rerouted to the blue line tracks then we have to transfer onto the Forest Park Line. Outbound is just as bad, once you're in the Loop you can't go anywhere because the Loop tracks are down and you get 4 Orange Line trains before you see 1 Pink Line train. How frustrating.

The CTA says that rider ship is low on the Blue Line, well sure it's going to look that way. How silly, it’s almost comical that the CTA spokeswoman, Noelle Gaffney, says that the Blue Line carries about 10 riders per car as opposed to an average of 30 riders on the Pink line per car. They keep 8 rail cars on the Blue Line- Why? They rarely keep to the posted schedule. People can never figure out what time the Blue Line will get to their station.

The CTA wants the Blue Line to fail, they want people to stop using it, they encourage us to NOT use it by bombarding the Blue Line with issues. On the Pink line they try to cram “the world” into 4 rail cars that they force us to use, during the peak rush hours. What sense does that make? Don't you think it would have been logical to reduce the number of cars on the Blue line and to increase the number of cars on the Pink line?

I see all these "official" CTA people standing on the Polk station with their clip boards trying to count the number of people in the rail cars. What a joke. Even if you want to wait for a Blue line train it could take 40 minutes before you ever see one. In the meantime you get all paranoid about being late so you have to jump on the Pink line because you just let 3 Pink Line trains go by you and still no Blue line so you figure it's Pink or nothing. I drop my kids off at school on 19th & Ashland & walk to the 18th street station on days when they have classes. When I don't have to drive the kids to school, I use the California stop. I work on Clark & Monroe. On the Blue Line it would take me 10 minutes to get from the 18th street station or 20 minutes from the California stop to get to the Monroe stop, where I walk one block to get to work.

Fantastic - I love that! On the Pink line it takes me 10 minutes to get to Clark & Lake from 18th Street and 20 minutes from the California stop to Clark & Lake. I then have to walk from Clark & Lake to Monroe Street. If I continue on the train to the Quincy stop which leaves me 1 block from my building I have to stay on the train another 10 minutes. In theory, it shouldn't take that long but people always have issues getting on or off quickly or we're waiting for signals. Again, why they think that the Pink line is so great is beyond me. Instead of coming to their own conclusions they should ask the people who RIDE the train what they want.

Any more thoughts on the Pink, peeps? I'm here for you, so give it to me straight.

Posted March 17 - 12:02 p.m

"Going Public" was on the receiving end of an inbox full of moral outrage after G-Rod mandated that seniors get a free ride as part of the doomsday fix.  Students, in particular, wrote in arguing that they too deserve that kind of big break. Hey, they're eating Ramen out of Dixie cups, folks!

So, I'm curious: Today was the first day of senior-ride-free fun, so was the system indeed overrun with older folks exerting their newfound powers? If so, did you non-seniors try to take up the priority seating in protest or were you gracious about the new world order?

Be honest, I won't tell your grandparents what you did.

Posted by Christina Antonopoulos 11:15 a.m., Nov. 12

I can name a few dozen, or hundred, of my worst CTA experiences… a day. I’ve condensed my list, however, to bring you my five most terrible CTA experiences. Read on and feel free to share the worst of your worst.

5) The Peeper - This person is about as bad as the passenger who wants to share his life story with you on the plane. Said person has nothing to do but look over your shoulder to read your paper, homework or magazine. Hello, the RedEye is free-get your own! The Peeper also ruined a crossword puzzle for me, shouting out an answer: Salmonella! S-A-L-M-O-N-E-L-L-A.. It fits!

4) The Drunk - Late one night, I saw an inebriated girl throw up on the floor of the train, and I’m pretty sure on one of her friends’ shoes. Her mostly alcohol-based puke was so watery, that as the train rocked the puke ran up and down the grooves in the floor spanning the whole length of the car. Gross. So gross I almost spewed myself.

3) The Announcements - These are either muffled by the trains or are a cacophony of incoherent noise, rendering any announcement completely ineffective. And there’s no repeating. Remember Charlie Brown’s teacher?

2) The Delays - A few years back, I took my cousin who was visiting from Greece to Venetian night. We never made it, because the train suddenly stopped and the electricity shut off. As we were slow-roasted in the car without AC for about 30 minutes, the conductor announced (I actually heard it this time) that the train in front of us had derailed.

Almost to Howard, we all walked the tracks back to South Blvd, with no means to Venetian night. That night single-handedly convinced my cousin that even Greek public transportation is better than America’s.

1) The Cold Seat - A chilly seat is a chilly seat. But at 7:20 a.m., the chilly seat torpedoes you down to Dante’s final circle of hell. The chilly seat is No. 1 on my list, after I once realized that my chilly seat never warmed up because it was, in fact, wet.

I like to think it was harmless water or perhaps tea, but the yellow-stained white pants I wore that day were promptly quarantined.

Posted by RedEye - 2:50 p.m., Monday, Aug. 27, 2007

RedEye lets you talk...we just hope the CTA is listening.

Posted: 2:30 p.m. – April 6

Don't want to write about the CTA? Then talk about it and let your feelings pour out. Listen to this group of people who called our hotline at (312) 222-3069 to share their thoughts about the CTA.