During the evening rush hour on Sept. 11, I experienced a particularly appalling situation on the Dan Ryan/Howard “L” going southbound.
I entered the train at the Jackson stop, where I encountered a young male with a 12-foot (at least) yellow python wrapped around his body. He was standing in the doorway where passengers entered and exited the train. I don’t know if other passengers felt threatened, but I certainly had a very uneasy feeling.
I was amazed that this individual was allowed to even enter the train station with a potentially dangerous reptile. The snake could have easily lashed out at anyone entering or exiting the train at any time. This experience only reinforces the fact that the need for heightened security should be a main priority for the CTA. Suppose someone was harmed or the individual began to harass people? He certainly intimidated me with his presence alone. Who would have been there to assist the passengers?
The cutting back of ticket agents in the stations has also created some problems for passengers. We constantly have to fumble for change to add money to our fare cards. There are no security personnel on the platforms to ensure our safety. The “customer service agents” are not security experts. They can only assist you with putting your money into the fare card machine. I feel it is severely unfair and extremely inconsiderate for the CTA to continue to profit at the passengers’ expense.
Not only are we being inconvenienced but we obviously are very unsafe in our everyday “L” rides. What will it take for the CTA to wake up?
