The Ride

My apologies for not posting anything on the blog for the past few weeks. I was out of the country. On my way back in, I got stuck overnight at JFK Airport in New York.

My flight to Chicago got canceled last night because of bad weather. Because I wanted to avoid the hassle of trying to find a hotel close to the airport (not to mention the cost), I decided to sleep at JFK.

As I massage the massive crick in my neck (from curling up on a row of chairs at the gate), I can't say it was a wise choice.

But the airline didn't leave me much choice, since Delta doesn't provide hotel vouchers for weather-related delays. The airport also didn't roll out any cots for the dozens of people whose flights to Minneapolis, Boston and Detroit were also canceled.

Basically, Delta just booked us on flights for this morning and told us to fend for ourselves. So much for the friendly skies.

In any case, sleeping in the airport was an interesting experience, if only for the unique people-watching opportunities. But I'm not looking forward to doing it again, since I found myself trying to sleep with one eye open to make sure my bags were OK. Needless to say, I'm running on fumes today.

Enough about me. How did you fare during the holiday travel season?

Posted by Monifa Thomas at 03:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The massive reconstruction project on the Dan Ryan Expy. is scheduled to be complete by the end of the month, if the weather cooperates. That's great news for drivers who have spent the last 18 and a half months fighting traffic on the expressway, dealing with parking restrictions on the alternate routes or trying to get around using public transit.

So what's been your coping strategy to deal with construction on the Dan Ryan? Are you leaving for work at different times, taking alternate routes or just cursing the Illinois Department of Transportation for ruining your life? I'm especially interested in hearing from business owners along alternates such as Stony Island and Ashland, since I'm sure those rush-hour parking restrictions aren't helping the bottom line.

Posted by Monifa Thomas at 02:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Every year, the Illinois Department of Transportation puts out a list of the 10 intersections that have had the most accidents. The same names usually appear on that list year after year, with a few exceptions. For instance, the junction of Roselle Road and Route 72 in Hoffman Estates has been in the top five for the past three years, coming in first place for fender benders in 2004.

Which intersections would make your list for being the most accident-prone, based on your experience? Are there any that should be redesigned to make them safer for drivers and pedestrians?

Posted by Monifa Thomas at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Six people in the past two years have been banned from all or part of the city's transit system because they committed unlawful acts on CTA property. See today's The Ride.

If you made the rules, what kind of behavior would merit someone losing his or her riding privileges?

Continue reading "Who should get kicked off public transit?" »

Posted by Monifa Thomas at 08:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (33) | TrackBacks (0)

Borrowing a page from my hometown newspaper, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, I thought I'd create a space on my blog where transit riders can speak their mind about the CTA, Metra and Pace.

Continue reading "Need to vent?" »

Posted by Monifa Thomas at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (21) | TrackBacks (0)