Monday, November 11, 2013

What I'd Like to Say to Chicago Commuters

1. If you're going to throw up, please aim in the OTHER direction.

2. No, your purse does NOT need its own seat. So move it before I sit on YOU. 

3. The "No Smoking" signs on the train and the subway platforms really do mean that you shouldn't smoke. It does NOT mean you should stand right beside the sign and light up.

4. I get that you love your death metal music. I prefer Miley, Britney, and Ke$ha, but I know that not everyone likes them. That's why I don't BLAST my music at a volume so loud that it would make Chicago commuters want to tackle me. So could you please turn it down?

5. Just because I happen to glance in your direction for a millisecond, that does not mean I am inviting you to come over and hit on me/convert me to your cult/expose yourself to me.

6. During rush hour, the trains are often late and end up becoming even more crowded with commuters. I know that you don't want to have to wait for the next train, because who knows when (or if) it'll show up? But if you see a train that's so crowded that people are literally spilling out of it, the logical thing to do is to just wait for the next train, rather than squeeze yourself onto it and then scream at people to move back.

7. If you want to see a bunch of Chicago commuters EXPLODE at the same time, scream at them for not making room for you when the train is so crowded that it's impossible for them to move, let alone make room for you.

8. It's okay if you want to talk on your cell phone, as long as you're quiet about it. But do realize we can hear everything you say, including all the details of your latest breakup/what's going on in your family/why you hate your job (and your boss just might be on the train at the same time).

9. A lot of people cut in front of each other in order to get on the train first. That's something that will never change. But I do wish that people would stop shoving each other in order to get on the train first, because otherwise a certain neurotic workaholic just might end up pulling people's hair in response.

10. It's important and necessary to floss. It's NOT necessary to floss when you're sitting right next to me on the train.

I have to take buses and trains to get to school, the Loop, Grant Park, the lake, and my favorite neighborhoods, like Chinatown, Boystown, Wicker Park, and Greektown. I also have to do a lot of walking just to get to the grocery store, my favorite coffee shop, the bookstore, and basically any place that sells candy (because I really am that addicted to sugar), just like the other locals. I spend hours commuting every week, and it can be very tiring and stressful. I usually read a book or listen to music to pass the time, but sometimes even Taylor Swift and Katy Perry aren't enough to make the commute more bearable. It's one of the things you just have to deal with when you're a city dweller, I guess.

But on the other hand, being a Chicago commuter makes me feel like a true local who can travel confidently (usually) from one end of the city to the other. I look around at the other commuters and I feel like I'm part of a community, even if the community members occasionally yell and shove each other just to get a seat. Although the tiny Midwestern town where I grew up will always be home, at the same time I never truly felt like I belonged there. I always felt out of place, which is one of the reasons I became a loner and started reading and writing so much; books (including my own stories) gave me the chance to escape.

But Chicago really does feel like home, and I feel like I really do belong here. I've always figured that my time here had an expiration date, because once I do finish graduate school, I'll have to go wherever the jobs are. That means I might end up living in a small town again, and that's okay. But Chicago will always be home to me.

What about you? What is it about your hometown that makes you feel like you belong, or is there another place that you feel more at home in?

14 comments:

  1. It sounds like you have an interesting and challenging commute. British people are so polite we might still be letting each other go first onto the bus when it pulls out without either of us. (At least in my neck of the woods - major cities have their own rules!)

    It's cool you feel so at home though. I live in a small town where most people know each other by sight. It's nice to say hello to everyone I meet sometimes.

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    1. Hi Annalisa,
      When I lived in a small town, I could only imagine what it would be like to live in a big city where I'd walk into a room and not automatically know the majority of the people there. Sometimes the familiarity was nice; it was comforting, in a way.
      I wish that there were more polite Chicago commuters. I try to be polite most of the time, except when people shove me/yell at me/cut in front of me. Then I have to fight the urge to pull their hair.

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  2. Oh my gosh, I'm sorry but all this post makes me think is that I never want to live in a city! Lol. At least it's all good for writing ideas, right? ;)

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    1. Hi Rachel,
      Actually, even though commuting makes me feel like a local, sometimes it also makes me want to move to a place without public transportation. At least in a car I wouldn't have to share space with a bunch of strangers, unless you count all the other cars on the streets. :) And yes, I'd say commuting is good for writing. I took a writing class once where the teacher suggested bringing a journal along on the train, because it provides a lot of opportunities for people-watching.

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  3. I recently wrote a very similar blog post for the commuters in Oslo, where I live: http://accordingtojulie.wordpress.com/2013/10/02/melding-til-mine-medpassasjerer/
    It's in Norwegian, but I asked them please stop putting their bags on my shoulders (when I have a seat and they do not), screaming at their friends across the aisle (when they actually could have sat next to each other) and attempting small talk with me when I am reading AND listening to music.
    (Also, I just started reading your blog, but I really like it.)

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    1. Hi Julie,
      Thanks! I'm going to check out your blog too. I know from personal experience that when I leave comments on wordpress blogs, for some reason my comments always end up linking to my e-mail account. So I'll have to put down an e-mail address that I no longer use (the account is closed); just wanted to give you the heads up in advance.
      Anyway, I don't like it either when people try to make small talk with me when I'm reading a book or listening to music. The ones who do that to you might be trying to flirt with you; that's been the case with me, but unfortunately, it's never guys that I want to flirt with.

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  4. I'm happy to hear that Chicago feels like home to you. I admire anyone who can get around the city so easily. I've to plot it all out before heading in from the suburbs and then I'm always nervous until I get where I'm going . I've got a fondness for public transportation, but right now I'm lucky enough to get to use it at times when its not so crowded. I remember the rush hour days on the Metra trains though, ay yi yi.

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    1. Hi Nicki,
      Sorry about my late response; I've been so wrapped up in my dissertation lately. Anyway, I like the Metra better than the El because the Metra is usually cleaner; I sympathize with you on the rush hour days, though, because I've heard it can get really jam-packed.
      I used to get nervous about traveling around the city too, especially when I first moved here. I kept getting lost all the time. But one good thing about that is I ended up visiting interesting neighborhoods that I might not have gone to otherwise.

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  5. I'm coming to Chicago in January. Think I'll take cabs. :) My hometown (not where I live now) is all about the ocean. I could sit staring at it for hours every day.

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    1. Hi Leslie,
      You're lucky that that you lived near the ocean; I imagine it would definitely be beautiful and I'd want to stare at it too. When I first moved to Chicago, I used to spend hours sitting by the lake, just watching the water and thinking about everything. Every once in a while (when it's warm out), I still like to sit by the lake. It's very peaceful.

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  6. Oy, I think I'm glad I don't have to take public transportation much! I love the mountains of my home. I hike in them, drive through the canyons, have picnics with my family...they're an important part of my life!

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    1. Hi Shallee,
      I think it'd be fun to be able to go hiking and have picnics whenever you want. Technically, I could have picnics in Grant Park or one of the other parks, but only during the brief warm season in Chicago.

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  7. #2 happens all the time on my train...

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    1. Hi Deniz,
      I hate it when #2 happens, especially when the train is really crowded and the person acts like he/she doesn't notice. I always make them move their bags so I can sit down.

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