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CTA Blue Line from O' Hare to Downtown Chicago questions

PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 9:12 pm
by aviationwiz
This question applies for anyone who's been to Chicago and taken the Blue Line Train that runs from O' Hare to Downtown Chicago.

Here's my question. How safe is it? Is it mostly businsessmen and other acceptable people, or are there a lot of gang-type people or other hooligans? Safe enough for a white teenager travelling alone?

For the record, I'm talking about during broad daylight, in the afternoon, not at night or anything, and no, I'm not the type to provoke fights or anything like that.

PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 10:04 pm
by Ian
Yes, you're perfectly safe. Just don't do anything dumb like counting a stack of $100 bills or something.

PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 10:08 pm
by MonteLDS
almost any major transist system is safe. just dont do anything stupid

PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 10:28 pm
by Ian
Avi, my sister lives down there. If you want I can have her come and protect you while you're on the train. :wink:

PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 11:29 pm
by CowboySlim
Hey, Wiz, I lived in Chicago. You will be OK.

OTH, that, as many fixed rail public transportation lines, was built on the false premise that business men would stay in downtown Chicago hotels and schlep their luggage back and forth on the trains.

WRONG! They stay at the business hotels that then were built surrounding the airport or take rental cars to their hotels.

95% of the train riders that go to the airport are airport workers.

Slim
Who wise to the ways of the elected liars that tax him to provide essentially free services to the end users.

PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 11:32 pm
by CowboySlim
Oh yeah, Wiz, I moved away in '62.
That was back when I used to visit my aunt and uncle in SLP, Minn.
They lived at 2941 Dakota.

10-4?

PostPosted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 12:05 am
by aviationwiz
Roger that, I know where that is, pretty close to my school.

Hopefully I can convince my parents to let me fly down alone, my friends want to take Amtrak, and I, of course, want to fly. Especially being Amtrak is 8 hours each way, prone to more delays, and only slightly less expensive.

PostPosted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 12:17 am
by CowboySlim
10-4, I used to take the train between MPLS and Chicago in the '50s.

Except then it wasn't the Amtrak.
It was the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Pacific RR and the train was the Hiawatha, or
the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy RR and the train was the Zephyr.

They had real dining cars and we would have roast beef dinners cooked on board and white tablecloths with real flowers.

Had real club cars with bartenders and ............

Wooo..woooo, all aboaaaarrrrdddddd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hear the train a'comin', it's comin' 'round the bend.
it's the Orange Blossom Special, bringin' my baby home,
wooooo.....woooooo

I'd make a compilation/mix CD of Box Car Willie train songs to play on the trip.

Furthermore, you'll need a new handle: RailroadWiz :P