@!#$% Metra

Metra BNSF line denied me passage with my bike today, even though the website clearly states:

 

For 2011, bicycles are permitted on all weekday trains arriving in Chicago after 9:30 A.M. and leaving Chicago before 3:00 P.M. and after 7:00 P.M., and on all weekend trains, with the following exceptions:
  • All days during Taste of Chicago (June 24 - July 4)
  • Lollapalooza (August 5 - 7)
  • Air & Water Show (August 20 & 21)

The conductor said it was because of "an event," and I'm assuming he was referring to the Jazz Festival.

I'm extra upset because:

-it was pouring rain

-the car was not crowded and i would have been fine in the empty stairwell

-it was 25 minutes late

 

Has this ever happened to anyone else (Metra just deciding to ban bikes without telling anyone)? I commute to the burbs for a new job and I was assuming the bike bans were over for another year...

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Permalink Reply by Adam "Cezar" Jenkins on September 4, 2011 at 5:03am
Like I said, it just pushes people to use cars.
Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on September 4, 2011 at 9:52am

That stinks!  I've occasionally had problems like this.  It happened to me last year during Jazz Fest.  I hoped that the complaints they got from me and other people would have been enough to remedy the problem this year, but apparently some of the conductors still either aren't getting the message or the concept.

 

Send a complaint to Metra, including the date, run # (from the schedule) and other specifics.  Let Active Trans know, too.

Permalink Reply by jen on September 4, 2011 at 12:03pm
Wow really you are upset because a conductor would not hold an entire train up so that you who obviously arrived at the last minute could lock your bike? Sounds a bit self centered. I mean if YOU really needed to get somewhere on time then maybe YOU should arrive early.  Expecting a large transportation company to throw there entire schedule out the window for one passenger really? What is wrong with this generation?

MK said:

I forgot about the Lollapalooza blackout dates and tried to get on an outbound train. "No Bikes" Ok, can I lock it up? "No time."

It'd be nice if you at least gave me a couple seconds to lock it up so I can get where I need to on time.

 

Or maybe they could make announcements on the giant speakers that say "Blackout reminder, no bikes on train" Or if not a blackout "Bike capacity full" or something. 


I concur a lot of conductors seem to give attitude about bikes on trains. One time there was a full car and maybe four or five bikes being shuffled around and the conductor made a remark "Yeah, bikes on trains is a great idea." I can understand the frustration but give me a break will ya?

Permalink Reply by milesperhour on September 4, 2011 at 12:54pm

Permalink Reply by Mark Kenseth on September 4, 2011 at 1:54pm

I was denied a couple times.  A couple years ago when the Air and Water Show took place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, it was the middle of the day on Friday.  The front two cars were packed, but the rest of the train was empty.  It was not a blackout day.  The conductors didn't want to deal with me, and/or they were power-tripping.  It felt like discrimination.  I got back at Metra though.  I bought a ten-ride pass instead of a monthly pass one month and because I knew the conductors pretty well, I never showed my ten-ride pass to them unless they asked.  They just assumed I had my monthly pass.  If I showed them my ten-ride, I made up an excuse of why I didn't have my monthly pass.  I got a few free rides.

Note 1: Most of the time, the conductors were cool with me and even talked to me about my bike.  It was one or two conductors that were probably using bravado to mask their insecurity and seem macho in front of other conductors or passengers.

Note 2: I saw more abuse and annoyances from sports fan riding in to the city for games.  They were loud, rude, and littered their beer and beer cans at times.  Sports game attendees were not given the same lack of respect as the bicyclist in my mind.

Permalink Reply by Adam "Cezar" Jenkins on September 4, 2011 at 3:11pm

You make a hell of an assumption that the person was getting on down town. If you get on at a station, there is not "early". Only on time. 


jen said:

Wow really you are upset because a conductor would not hold an entire train up so that you who obviously arrived at the last minute could lock your bike? Sounds a bit self centered. I mean if YOU really needed to get somewhere on time then maybe YOU should arrive early.  Expecting a large transportation company to throw there entire schedule out the window for one passenger really? What is wrong with this generation?

MK said:

I forgot about the Lollapalooza blackout dates and tried to get on an outbound train. "No Bikes" Ok, can I lock it up? "No time."

It'd be nice if you at least gave me a couple seconds to lock it up so I can get where I need to on time.

 

Or maybe they could make announcements on the giant speakers that say "Blackout reminder, no bikes on train" Or if not a blackout "Bike capacity full" or something. 


I concur a lot of conductors seem to give attitude about bikes on trains. One time there was a full car and maybe four or five bikes being shuffled around and the conductor made a remark "Yeah, bikes on trains is a great idea." I can understand the frustration but give me a break will ya?

Permalink Reply by Megan H on September 9, 2011 at 12:52am
A month or so ago, I was on a crowded UP North afternoon train headed toward downtown. There were already several bikes on the car I was in and the conductor told a woman with a gigantor stroller that she was going to have to fold it, and she was putting up a big fight, screaming, calling the conductor names, etc. That's the first time I've seen a Metra conductor come down on a stroller, and I admit I felt a little smug about it.

Adam "Cezar" Jenkins said:

Listen to all these Metra apologists. The conductor didn't want to deal with it, plain and simple.

 

The Metra policy is half-assed. Leaving it up to discretion is horrible. I don't see them leaving up to discretion if they take on those huge strollers?!? I've seen them stacked up to the ceiling.

 

This is what drives (no pun intended) people to get cars. I can put my bike on the back of my car and drive it whenever it pleases me. People will only depend on transportation alternatives, if they can _depend_ on them. Not hope that they are accommodating that day.

Permalink Reply by MK on October 16, 2011 at 7:50am
Just saw this. Actually I was 20 minutes early. This was at Western Ave. There are two platforms and there were announcements made to switch platforms twice. This involves two sets of 20-30 stairs and back and forth. I had plenty of time to lock up my bike, I had just forgotten about the blackout. Sorry, I just thought an announcement would've been helpful.

jen said:
Wow really you are upset because a conductor would not hold an entire train up so that you who obviously arrived at the last minute could lock your bike? Sounds a bit self centered. I mean if YOU really needed to get somewhere on time then maybe YOU should arrive early.  Expecting a large transportation company to throw there entire schedule out the window for one passenger really? What is wrong with this generation?

MK said:

I forgot about the Lollapalooza blackout dates and tried to get on an outbound train. "No Bikes" Ok, can I lock it up? "No time."

It'd be nice if you at least gave me a couple seconds to lock it up so I can get where I need to on time.

 

Or maybe they could make announcements on the giant speakers that say "Blackout reminder, no bikes on train" Or if not a blackout "Bike capacity full" or something. 


I concur a lot of conductors seem to give attitude about bikes on trains. One time there was a full car and maybe four or five bikes being shuffled around and the conductor made a remark "Yeah, bikes on trains is a great idea." I can understand the frustration but give me a break will ya?

Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on October 16, 2011 at 1:23pm
I do think they should have better signage at the stations and media attention during blackouts.
Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on October 17, 2011 at 1:41am
I agree.

Julie Hochstadter said:
I do think they should have better signage at the stations and media attention during blackouts.
Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on October 17, 2011 at 2:29am
On the whole, Metra does a pretty lousy job of communication, in general.  They don't have a train tracker phone app, so it's impossible to know whether your train is running on time or is 20 minutes late, unless you're already on the platform straining to hear the garbled announcements.  I've been unlucky enough to stand on the platform, only to have the train arrive on the opposite track because of track work--then I have to wait yet another hour and hope they haven't switched back to the normal track by then.  The CTA usually has customer service reps on platforms when something unusual is happening--such as the northbound trains at Howard switching platforms for track work--but I've never seen a Metra customer rep or even the ticket seller from the station house on the platform directing passengers to the correct waiting spot.  Riders aren't really on Metra's radar.
Permalink Reply by dan brown on October 17, 2011 at 2:49am

I agree with these comments below. I don't want to start a city vs. suburban thing; but on the whole; I have found that CTA employees are cooler about accommodating folks in general (bikes on busses, etc.)and METRA conducters really have an attitude towards city dwellers and cyclists in general. I have been hassled before because my bike was not 'secured properly' in the METRA car; only to show the trainman / conducter that I used a bungee cord to attach it to the seat rail. Once I forget the bungee and used a belt and the guy acted like he was doing me a huge favor by "letting the rule slide". c'mon guys...get a life. without making a sweeping generalization here : but judging by the looks of some

of those conducters; I sensed a little bit of some kind of attitude towards me for just trying to follow the rules.

 

DB

Thunder Snow said:

On the whole, Metra does a pretty lousy job of communication, in general.  They don't have a train tracker phone app, so it's impossible to know whether your train is running on time or is 20 minutes late, unless you're already on the platform straining to hear the garbled announcements.  I've been unlucky enough to stand on the platform, only to have the train arrive on the opposite track because of track work--then I have to wait yet another hour and hope they haven't switched back to the normal track by then.  The CTA usually has customer service reps on platforms when something unusual is happening--such as the northbound trains at Howard switching platforms for track work--but I've never seen a Metra customer rep or even the ticket seller from the station house on the platform directing passengers to the correct waiting spot.  Riders aren't really on Metra's radar.

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