Something is going on with Metra. It seems as though at least once a week they have some sort of “mechanical failure” on the line I ride.
I’ve ridden these trains (from various locations throughout the city and suburbs) for more than 15 years, and until this past year I could count on one hand the number of times there was a “failure” that resulted in a delay. Now it happens all the time.
Don (who takes the same line as i do) seems to think it’s been worse since the Union Pacific bought out the Chicago and Northwestern. He’s got a few years of riding the rails on me, but I can see how he could be right. His plan today was to write a nasty letter to those in charge at Metra. I gave him a couple of choice words to throw in.
Then, around 10:00 this morning, the sky turned black. As in “why am I at the office at 1:00 in the morning” black. The sky opened up and it was Armageddon outside– rain, wind, thunder, lightning… It lasted for about a half hour.
By lunchtime, there wasn’t a cloud in the crystal blue sky and it was beautiful. I took and afternoon walk to Starbucks’ down the street (sharing LJD’s lunch hour via cellphone) and soaked up the nice weather.
If everything’s dried out, I’ll take a training ride through the woods when I get home.