Adventures on the CTA: Hood Operation

Tonight I experienced something like no other - - the #12 bus! Wow. This bus is like stepping into a space ship straight into the land of ghetto, hood operations! First off, my bus driver (though he was really friendly) smelled like cigarettes, wait...loose squares...yes! He smelled like loose squares and lollipops! Now, this is a strange combo but he was sucking on a lollipop as I boarded the bus...and he had probably finished smoking a few loose squares so it made a bit of sense. The ride was going well until we pulled up to the train. That's where things took a hood turn. I thought that my many rides on the #3 and #4 (which service the South Side) had prepared me for the eccentric personalities on the bus -- not so much. I didn't know if we were at the train station or doing a pickup at 26th & California (for my non-Chicago folks that's where the cook county jail is). Busses that travel to the West side are no joke. The folks on there are so rough they make you want to clutch your purse and looks straight forward. Maybe I'm being tough on them...but when people openly smoke joints at the bus stop, talk about their PO's (parole officers) and how their "court cases have them fucked up" it makes you question why you really took the bus instead of just driving - - or maybe that's just me. Moving along, I was thrilled when my stop came up and flew off the bus. All in all, it was a unique experience. I really didn't believe that the bus could be so hood...Folks, we really must do better!