emergency exit

the emergency exit is at the flashing .... light.

Tuesday I got on the L at Damen just before 8am, I think. Things proceded normally until just after Grand Avenue, where the train came to a halt around 08:10. It then got to 08:20, 08:30 .... 08:45 .... ok, this is getting ridiculous .... unintelligible conductor starts saying how we will be moving shortly ... etc ... etc ... yadda .. yadda ...

Around 09:00, people started to get really restless but were generally good natured. 10-15 minutes later, people starting opening doors and walking towards Clark & Lake. This led to the driver yelling at us over the intercom, calling us "STUPID PEOPLE ! IT VERY DANGEROUS !! YOU ARE ALL BEING VERY STUPID !! ... (garble garble ... static ... garble) ". Thanks, Mr. Conductor. I think 4 or 5 people bolted from the cars in back of us (I think I was in the 3rd to last).

Around this time, some blockhead started smoking and a diabetic woman in my car started having issues. People got her some water, an orange and a nutrigrain bar. We hit the blue emergency button but the conductor never responded. There was also a woman who was 9 months pregnant seated right next to me. She was fine, however, and was letting people use her phone as it had a signal (myself included). But, I'm sure the news will latch onto it as some sort of big thing. Shortly before 10, they finally started to evacuate everyone.

We had to go back up the line around 400 feet to the nearest exit. It took about 30-35 minutes from that point to get out of the tunnel. I think the same drunk that was smoking was now taking a leak onto the tracks.

After we emerged, I got on a shuttle bus, got off at Washington & LaSalle and I walked down to Jackson from there.

Time to get to work: 2 hours, 45minutes.

I wish I had my real camera, dammit !

thanks, CTA !
thanks, Tsar Richie !
thanks, Count Blago !
thanks, Ronny H !

You're all doin' a heckuvajob.