Just turnstyle jumping, as Ald. Shiller once claimed about the high crime rate at the Wilson el? Nope, one Uptown entrepreneur is using the CTA to bring his victims right to him.
Late Sunday night, someone sat on the Wilson platform, waited until a southbound train opened its doors, jumped right in, pointed a gun and got an iPhone. Then he jumped off the train before it could take off. (Read all about it in the Sun-Times.)
Sounds like a station that needs to wait five years before it's considered for renovation, right? And certainly news like this is going to bring people flocking to shop at Wilson Yard, right?
Here's the good news, Ald. Shiller -- all those parking structures and parking lots you want to build within a block or two of the "crustiest station in Chicago"? News like this will help ensure that everyone drives.
Sounds like a station that needs to wait five years before it's considered for renovation, right?
ReplyDeleteOr a station in need of at least one security guard. Where the heck are those guys with the dogs when they're needed? I see them all the time at the train station inside the Thompson Center at 5:30, probably one of the least likely times and places they're needed. But at 10:30 at night on the Wilson stop? Nada. They're getting paid by the CTA, right? What's the deployment strategy?
With the CTA facing a massive budget hole (our collective Council think tank really f'd up the jacking up of transfer tax idea to help fund CTA .., oh, and TIFs, oh .. sales taxes, too ... oh, and gross mismanagement and incompetence), the only thing that CTA can deploy, currently, are excuses.
ReplyDeleteAnd - make of this as you will, according to my drill sergeant in basic training, the effective range of an "excuse" = 0 meters.
Anyway - I had friends swing by over the weekend and met them at my front door with cab fare so that they didn't have to risk the Wilson stop.
Though - according to the office of our local official, there's no reason to get bent out of shape over crime since it happens in big cities and .. honestly, what do we expect "elected" officials to do about crime?
Actually, again per the office of our local "elected official", the best thing that we can do to prevent being victims of crime is to move.
Maybe to a nice college campus, somewhere, sweetie.
I have lived in Uptown for close to two years and it has continually gone downhill.
ReplyDeleteI may have to take this advice:
"Actually, again per the office of our local "elected official", the best thing that we can do to prevent being victims of crime is to move."
I wish I could feel safe walking to and from my train stop.
LBDaCook
or, you could stick around long enough to help vote her out of office.
ReplyDeletethere are plenty of GOOD Uptown people who can't afford to leave Uptown. let's hope everyone can unite together.
ReplyDeleteI remember when the Guardian Angels were a presence around the 'L'and I for one was glad to see them. I say we ask them back. Here is Miguel's # 312-217-7245.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to defend Schiller, but I don't think this is necessarily an Uptown problem. Sadley El platform robberies are more common and wide spread than you may think.
ReplyDelete