Riders sent in questions by the busload after last week’s “Going Public” unmasked mysteries, including when construction on the Grand Red Line stop will be completed. Check out what else public transit peeps were wondering about, plus other observations about the CTA.
Get trackin’
[No. 72-North] is one of the busier bus routes in the city, especially in the summer, so why no Bus Tracker? Would you mind prying open the CTA’s lockbox on rationale and letting us know. What gives?— Brian Dumonte, 31, Wicker Park
CTA scrubs?
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You should do a story about all the hospital workers I see on the Red Line with their scrubs on. This cannot be sanitary or healthy for the commuters or [their] patients.
— Luke Wrobrew, Streeterville
Coffee stop
I was standing at the stop on Clark and Dearborn by the [7-Eleven] waiting for the No. 145-Wilson/Michigan Express bus. It came up the road around the same time it does every day, at 8:35 a.m. The driver of the bus then flew past me waving, and shortly pulled up alongside the road between Dearborn and State and put her flashers on.
She climbed out of the bus and walked across the street nice and slowly to Starbucks. Being a frequent rider of that bus, I knew another one would not come for another 20 minutes, so I walked to the next stop on State Street. The driver finally came out of Starbucks, coffee in hand, at 8:50 a.m. and picked me up on State.
— Jennifer Beyers, 25, Printers Row
Public transit pervert
While riding the CTA Red Line train from Addison to 87th Street on March 28, I was “exposed” to a seatmate that still makes me cringe at the thought of the situation.
The train on this particular day was fairly crowded, so I didn’t too much mind the guy who sat next to me. As I am attempting to read my book, he was attempting to make small talk. I answered his questions politely, but made it obvious that I was into my book. Around 63rd, I noticed that the guy started to pleasure himself while sitting directly next to me.
I was so thrown off and shocked that he was doing this. I excused myself and he politely put it away and moved so I could leave the seat. I walked to the train door and waited for my stop. I realized later that I should have alerted someone working for CTA that this pervert was on the train. I realize it’s too late for what I should have done. However, I do hope that other people are more aware of the people sitting around them and their surroundings, unlike myself.
— LaTia McPherson, 27, Logan Square