Train rides and sports fans

We often take the train when we go to downtown Chicago. There's a lot of advantages -- no traffic, less expensive than parking in the Loop, more relaxing. It can also be a study of people. If there's a Blackhawks game, the train is full of fans in Blackhawks wear, often with beers in hand. Same thing if there's a Cubs game. The sports fans are generally really loud, but upbeat. Sometimes after a concert, we're on a very quiet car where everyone is looking at their opera or symphony programs.

Yesterday going into Chicago on the train, we stopped at one of the stations for an unusually long time. We could see the conductor just standing on the platform. Finally, two burly policemen boarded the train and went into the train car adjacent to ours. After a few minutes, they left, just the two of them. We never found out what the problem was.

A few years ago, however, we had a more entertaining delay when rising the train back out to the suburbs. I think we were going home after seeing a concert, but Once again, we stopped at one of the stations for a long time. This happened to be a day when there was both a Cubs game and a Sox game. Two fans, one of each team, had a difference of opinion that became loud and physical in one of the train cars, and the train stopped to call in the police. After several minutes, we all saw the two culprits being led away in handcuffs by the local police. One young man in a Cubs hat and the other in a Sox hat.

The Northwest line into Chicago - cross-section of humanity and a swirling vortex of emotions.