On the train to work today, I switched train cars because someone started smoking in my car. The train car I moved to also had someone smoking in it. This is now basically a daily occurrence. Incredible that the CTA has just essentially thrown up their hands and given up.
Yeah, once the pandemic started, I didn’t ride the train regularly again until early 2022, and ever since I can pretty much count on someone smoking unless the car is basically full I’m guessing the CTA doesn’t do anything about it bc they want to avoid escalation and possible violence towards one of their employees, but having to deal with the secondhand smoke so frequently sucks hard
I don’t take the train that often but I’ve fortunately had some better experiences in recent weeks talking the Blue line to/from O’Hare from Avondale or Bucktown, which shocked me. Otherwise I usually take the Brown which has never gotten too bad, but sad to hear it is still really pervasive with the smoking. I had thought it might be turning around a bit
I take the green line every day to and from Oak Park to State/Lake. I’d say that I encounter smoking on my train car at least twice per week. It makes me so angry. And there have been times where there are children on the train and these assholes are still smoking. The CTA absolutely needs to go back to two-person teams working the trains. Someone has to walk the cars. Otherwise, riders are going to stay away. You need to invest in the CTA and give people a reason to ride it. At the moment, riders pretty much know they are on their own when confronting someone smoking or fighting or harassing them on the train. It’s not sustainable.
The 2024 twisted Christmas lineup Dec 10 Cage the elephant/franz Ferdinand/almost Monday Dec 11 All American rejects/the Maine/andrew McMahon/ Dexter and the moon rocks Dec 12 Smashing pumpkins/awolnation/badflower Dec 13 bush/bishop Briggs/palaye royale
love the pumpkins but im set on seeing them for a while, but otherwise yeah all of those are a big no from me.
Might do the AAR day with the family. My dad and brother already like the Rejects and The Maine/Something Corporate have been two of my dad's favorite Riot Fest sets of the past few years so this seems like a no brainer
Was driving out of the west loop earlier and there's a stage on Madison in front of the United Center for some reason? There's a Hawks game tonight so maybe it's pre-entertainment for that?