My favorite type of drivers are the people who chose to bring their car into downtown Chicago and then have the nerve to get impatient/mad at the crowds of pedestrians crossing the street at every intersection.

Pace, I am begging you: please stop swapping drivers on the 307 a block south of the Green Line.

Sometimes you just need to take a day off and visit your happy place (the pier in Evanston).

Amidst everything bad happening, I'm glad I listened to Taylor Swift's new album and heard the lyric "I can make deals with the devil because my dick's bigger."

ICE is directly responsible for creating "warzone" conditions in Chicago that Republicans seem so concerned about.

I had to watch a training video at work about "Using Generative AI Responsibly" in which they said: "AI doesn't always know what's true. If it can't find an answer, it often makes one up." Hey maybe that's a sign that we shouldn't be relying on it...?

I opened YouTube and the first thing it recommended was a new CTA "Ride the Rails" video where you can watch the view from the train driver's front window. So far they've uploaded 2025 versions of the Red and Purple Lines (complete with the rebuilt north side stations). Happy birthday CTA!

I find it incredibly funny that my 66-unit building in the suburb of Forest Park would apparently be considered "too dense" for a property next to a train station within the City of Chicago.

Morning golden hour ☀️🚆

👀

The general negative attitude toward "Disney Adults" has always been weird to me, because why can't we just let people be nerdy over whatever they want? Some folks are really into sports teams, or video games, or trains. But if your obsession happens to be a theme park... 1/

Consistent arrivals every hour should be the bare minimum for regional rail. Frequency is freedom, and I'm glad Metra realizes that people want to take the train on weekends too. (BNSF train pictured, but happy new schedule day for the UP North as well!)

If we're not allowed to speak ill of the dead, imagine the shit storm that will ensue when It Happens.

So no conjuration magic in The Elder Scrolls 6?

Double vaxxed for flu + covid. Fuck you, RFK Jr.

So I'm gonna use my powers of charm to convince a friend to come over? 😏

First trip aboard a sleeper car: complete. I highly recommend the California Zephyr to anyone who is interested! It's a great way to see some of America's beauty, from deserts, to forests, to rocky mountains, and farmland prairies.

BNSF is giving me a warm welcome back to Chicago by running my Amtrak train behind a Metra that is stopping at every local station. 🫠

Taking the long way home. I've been on overnight Amtrak trips before, but this is my first time in a private roomette. Should be interesting! 🚆

I started this morning on the Chicago L, and ended the evening with San Francisco's Muni Metro L line.

My version of "girl math" when it comes to travel: I already paid for my flight and hotel months ago, so by the time I actually go, the trip is basically free, right?! Sure I still need to buy meals when I'm there, but I have to feed myself at home too.

One thing I love about Metra is seeing passengers chit-chatting and cracking jokes with the conductor, especially if they are "regulars" who recognize each other as part of their commute. These are the types of human interactions you don't get when you're stuck in traffic on the highway.

Waiting just 5 minutes for the Blue Line at Jefferson Park reminded me of how awful it is to board a train at a station in a highway median... Curse upon the planners who thought this was an acceptable idea.

The best incentive for going into the office: I have been promised free dinner and drinks after work.

I am back home in the US (unfortunately)

Farthest I've been: N: Inchcolm Island, Scotland -- if all goes as planned tomorrow then this will be surpassed by Aberfoyle, Scotland S: Naples, Florida E: Venice, Italy W: Ruby Beach, Washington

In retrospect, maybe I should've done some research and realized that Edinburgh is ridiculously busy during the month of August because it's festival season. (Yes, I know, I'm a tourist complaining about other tourists.) Still, this is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been to.

I guess every 30 minutes isn't frequent enough for the express service between Glasgow and Edinburgh. This train is packed!

A trip to Scotland wouldn't be complete without some Highland Cows! 🐮

The Glasgow Subway is truly tiny, smaller than the narrowest London Tube trains, but the new vehicles are nice. 🧡

Ready for an adventure 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

I can't wait to ride the Metra Union Pacific Norfolk Southern North Line, Union Pacific Norfolk Southern Northwest Line, and Union Pacific Norfolk Southern West Line.

Can we please start incorporating shorts into "business casual" attire? It's too damn hot for pants. 🥵

Happy new Red Line stations day to all those who celebrate!

I may not always enjoy physically commuting to the office, but something about taking the train downtown makes me feel like a Real Adult™ with important places to be.

Wow I love being responsible for training the new employees and managing their workload when I'm not actually their manager. 🙃

The joys of public transit: you can run into friends at the bar inside the train station and chat over a drink before catching your train. 🍻🚆

The Tower A-2 interlocking remains one of the goofiest pieces of Chicago rail infrastructure. The railroad companies really looked at all these tracks crossing each other at a flat junction next to two separate yards and thought "Yep, this'll do." 🥴

Trains? On a Saturday afternoon? Groundbreaking.

Unless it's Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom, I don't really care about fireworks shows. Even then, I guess I'm more interested in the music and light projections. 🤷‍♂️

At least today is a fake Friday which means I can log out of work early and curl up into the fetal position for the rest of the evening.

We're halfway through 2025, and I've been tracking my trips on public transit: 🚍CTA Bus = 12 🚇CTA Rail = 22 🚆Metra = 62 🚍Pace = 41 Top Stop = Ogilvie & Oak Park (tie, 36) Top Line = UP West (36) Busiest Day = April 26 (8) ...compared to last year, I've been slacking by staying home more often.

I love being gay in Chicago 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️✶✶✶✶

I know the rest of this message is probably supposed to be "...on Sunday June 29th for the Pride Parade." But man, I wish Metra would just add trains to the UP-W.

Embarking on my first weekday express BNSF trip! I'm heading out to a family dinner which will take me to Metra's busiest station outside of downtown: the scenic park-n-ride lots at Route 59. 🚆

All things considered, I'm glad to work for a company that isn't backing down from its pro-LGBTQ stance. Our Q+ Employee Group decorated the break room for Pride Month! We even have an office in Salt Lake City that isn't afraid to participate (given Utah's hostility toward rainbow flags). 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Ten years ago, I never would've thought that I would willingly ride a bike to get groceries on a hot summer morning. Nowadays, it's just a regular Saturday. 🚲

They haven't been strict about it so far, but apparently my job is gonna start pushing for people to come into the office at least twice per week. It'll be fascinating to see how these "return to office" mandates play out next year if we don't get any transit funding...

Chicago could've just been dealing with the transit fiscal cliff. Instead we have to worry about that AND the looming threat of fascism. Neat.

I woke up from a dream where I was trying to take the bus in my former hometown of Spring Hill, Florida... waiting in the heat, on the side of a four-lane road with no sidewalks. Yikes.