Humanize the Earth!

Change to AboutUs.org

I gave notice today that I’m leaving my job of 6+ years to join AboutUs.org full-time, one week per month on-site in Portland, OR and the rest of the time telecommuting from Chicago.  Yay!

Metra’s bikes on trains program is a fraud

The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation tells us to … visit the Metra website for details about the program including rules and regulations, [and] blackout dates … which would be fine if Metra would tell the truth. Yesterday, I followed the CBF instructions, and visited the Metra Bikes on Trains page specifically looking for blackout dates. This what I found:

Bicycles are permitted on all weekday trains arriving in Chicago after 9:30 AM and leaving Chicago before 3:00 PM and after 7:00 PM, and on all weekend trains, with the following exceptions:

• Blues Fest (June 7 - 10)
• All days during Taste of Chicago (June 29 - July 8)
• Independence Eve Fireworks (July 3)
• Venetian Night (July 28)
• Air & Water Show (August 18 & 19)
• Jazz Fest (August 30 - September 2)

Great, I thought. August 4th isn’t listed. So I went to Ogilvy Transportation Center and attempted to board a UPN train at 2:35pm. The conductor told me “No Bikes on Trains this weekend.” When I asked why not, he said “Lollapalloza, Cubs game, Bears game.” When I told him that I just checked the Metra website and this weekend wasn’t listed as a blackout weekend he said, “Too bad.”

If I cannot count on the information on the Metra website, why would I ever use this program again? I have places to go and have to be able to count on the means to do so. If there’s a chance there is a stealth blackout, that means I cross Metra off my list of options for getting where I need to go. This program is useless!

Today, I’m going to Wilmette again. Will I try Metra? No way!