Bikes on trains: Conductors perspective

Ive looked through a few of the topics on this matter and thought I'd give my 2c from a different viewpoint, that toolbag from the kingdom of jerk off, a Metra conductor. Have 15 years in and it was oh so nice for the first 9 not to have to deal with this but as we all know, that ended a few years back and the geniuses at Metra who came with the plan as usual half assed it and left us , the operating employee, holding the bag for it. While they are at home every weekend, they leave it to us to enforce the policy, rules and regs that go along with being able to bring bikes on board, a policy that  to this day many riders have zero clue about the proper way of doing. Of course the people who read this forum dont fall into this category at all, you are all respectful and abide by what the conductor says every time you ride Im sure. Bikes in general are a pain to have on the train, whether or not there is room for them. To this day, my estimate is that 60% of the people STILL get on without a way to secure their bike to the bottom rail like theyre supposed to, then want to fight with me about letting them ride anyway. Main reason we are such sticklers for this? If for some reason that bike is unsecured and something happens where the train moves suddenly, derails, goes through a crossover, etc and it breaks loose and hits little Tommy sitting with his Mom across the aisle and hurts him, management and Tommys Mom arent going to come after you the bike rider. Nope, theyre going to come after me, the conductor and first thing theyre going to ask / tell me is why didnt you make sure those bikes were tied down? Boom, Im out of a job when Tommys Mom sues and Im not putting my families future at risk because some doofus doesnt carry around a bungee or chain. Next, relinquishing your seat or being asked to leave the train when the train becomes too crowded IS a possibility and a risk you take when you bring your bike on board. Ive had so many arguments over this its not even funny. People seem to think once theyre on, thats it and they cant be asked to leave when we need the space. Sorry, but we can do that and Im not making a family of 5 stand up for 30 plus miles just so you can bring your bike on. Next up, reaching max capacity . Certain trains can take up to 15 bikes but we dont have to take that many. If the bikes that are on board are clogging the aisle making walking by them unsafe, Im going to cut off the bikes right there and no more will be allowed to board. So when you try to get on halfway down the line and I tell you we're full, its my decision and its final. I usually get the "cmon man you can take 1 more" stance and Im not going to compromise the safety of the other passengers no matter how much people beg and plead. Youve all seen how crowded those trains are especially on weekends, and when I have to move 4 people from their seats when you get on 1 stop out of Ogilve / Union so you can bring your bike on, its a pain, I dont like my job to be a pain, I like it to run smooth. Bikes in general cause the train not to run so smooth because of all the baggage that goes along with it. Just keep that in mind next time you think the conductor is being a jerk to some rider about their bike. NONE and I mean none of the conductors I know like having them on board m we are being forced to do it because some dopes at the top thought it would be a good idea and forced it on us without really creating a way to make it palatable for us and for you the rider. For that I dont fault you I fault them but they leave us to clean up the mess . Thanks for reading, Flame away.

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Permalink Reply by WillG on July 11, 2013 at 6:08am

Steve, Yeah, I get that you guys have to deal with a lot of idiots on the train, bikers and otherwise. I've seen all sorts of crazy shit on Metra and I've been happy to have the conductors around more often than I've been unhappy. I think what really gets my goat is how most conductors, in my experience, are just total dicks about the bikes. Why is this, I mean really, why? I think we all understand the basic safety principles behind securing the bikes and I don't think that any intelligent person here is going to argue that point. But, why is this little rule not enforced across the entire array of large, bulky, heavy, objects that passengers can and do bring onto he trains? The conductors seem to ignore the strollers, coolers, lawn chairs, guitar cases, scooters, wheelchairs, walkers, and suitcases!? 

An absolutely astonishing situation I've witnessed is a conductor being a complete asshole (UP-NW line), I mean just a real dick, to a cyclist about taking up too much room when there were NUMEROUS GIANT suitcases (and perhaps an unfolded up stroller) on the exact same car, crammed into the space RIGHT NEXT to the bike. I actually felt like it was a giant joke. Is this done simply because it CAN be done, per the Metra rules?

Permalink Reply by WillG on July 11, 2013 at 6:13am

Steve Taylor said:

Theres nothing passive aggresive [sic] about my rant here I do not like having bikes on my trains, it was an ill conceived program with poor implementation and conceptualization.

Well, never mind really I guess, that about answers the question I asked above. This whole thing appears less about the rules and more about Steve not liking bikes?

Permalink Reply by Steve Taylor on July 11, 2013 at 6:31am

My best guess and personal opinion is because they werent allowed on trains when many of us were hired so it became a new thing and one more thing we are responsible for in addition to everything else. It was foisted on us , with no real plan or extra space made to accommodate them. It was more, just deal with it from management. If youve been a rider for any length of time you know that the trains have just become busier and busier with more people riding , especially on weekends. All the extra people plus having to deal with the bikes, having to move people out of their seats to accommodate the bikes , collect the fares , make sure theyre properly secured, is something we didnt have to deal with for years and now we do.  Now many will say , too bad  I have to do more at my job than I used to do too, suck it up. Sure you go ahead and do the extra work but are you really happy about being forced to do it? As far as the extra crap people bring on, Im right with you. All the suitcases, strollers ( always nice to see the dirty looks I get  when I tell Mom that the stroller HAS to be folded once its on board, another thing Metra does a piss poor job of letting people know about) , the coolers , chairs etc, Id love to tell people they cant bring that crap on board but I cant. They're not disallowed , theres never been any rules or restrictions placed on them so theres not much we can do about them. I know that seems unfair and it probably is. If you were to petition Metra about it, I'll be first in line to sign it . They have put restrictions on bikes so I guess yes, its one of the few things we have a say about . I know the presentation on how we could / do handle could probably be a little less harsh sometimes and yes the bikers do bear a lot of the frustration from the train crew ( myself included) unjustly sometimes. ( Close as youll get to an apology from me :)   )

Permalink Reply by WillG on July 11, 2013 at 6:35am

Thanks Steve, sorry I got crabby there. Appreciate the response. I do not envy your job.

Steve Taylor said:

My best guess and personal opinion is because they werent allowed on trains when many of us were hired so it became a new thing and one more thing we are responsible for in addition to everything else. It was foisted on us , with no real plan or extra space made to accommodate them. It was more, just deal with it from management. If youve been a rider for any length of time you know that the trains have just become busier and busier with more people riding , especially on weekends. All the extra people plus having to deal with the bikes, having to move people out of their seats to accommodate the bikes , collect the fares , make sure theyre properly secured, is something we didnt have to deal with for years and now we do.  Now many will say , too bad  I have to do more at my job than I used to do too, suck it up. Sure you go ahead and do the extra work but are you really happy about being forced to do it? As far as the extra crap people bring on, Im right with you. All the suitcases, strollers ( always nice to see the dirty looks I get  when I tell Mom that the stroller HAS to be folded once its on board, another thing Metra does a piss poor job of letting people know about) , the coolers , chairs etc, Id love to tell people they cant bring that crap on board but I cant. They're not disallowed , theres never been any rules or restrictions placed on them so theres not much we can do about them. I know that seems unfair and it probably is. If you were to petition Metra about it, I'll be first in line to sign it . They have put restrictions on bikes so I guess yes, its one of the few things we have a say about . I know the presentation on how we could / do handle could probably be a little less harsh sometimes and yes the bikers do bear a lot of the frustration from the train crew ( myself included) unjustly sometimes. ( Close as youll get to an apology from me :)   )

Permalink Reply by Rich S on July 11, 2013 at 7:10am

I've had nothing but good experiences from Metra conductors.  I've always had a bungee and just been nice to them.  Last fall there was a group of us that picked up the Metra at Flossmoor and the conductor was nice enough to open a car for us since the cars up front were crowded.  

Which leads me to my question.  Steve, are you aware of any instances where a conductor denied a biker boarding even when there were train cars that could still be opened?  I've noticed that conductors are sometimes very reluctant to open additional cars.  It's understandable because there's more train to manage but I would write to complain if I was denied boarding a train that still had dark cars.  

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on July 11, 2013 at 8:10am

I would write to complain if I was denied boarding a train that still had dark cars. 

That's happened to me many, many times on the Rock Island, especially last year and this year on weekends.  There is often one more ADA car that doesn't get opened - not adjacent to the cars that are already open. 

Permalink Reply by igz on July 11, 2013 at 9:36am

by now, im sure you guys know i will chime in on a Metra conversation.  i have been a reverse commuter for nearly 5 years.  i ride the milwaukee west line, usually the 2205 one the way out, the 2244 on the way in.

first, let me say, Steven, i know your job isnt easy when it comes to idiots and newbies. second, please use the return key every once in a while. (i know, i should use the shift key every once in a while).

i can honestly say that the conductors on this train have always been awesome, except for one mean lady that was moved to the 2207 (i know because i see her when im late).  they have always been courteous to me and others, to people with or without bikes.  the only time they havent - is when dealing with an idiot or a newbie.

newbies screw it up for us regulars, too. things like putting bikes in order of offboarding the train. knowing how to arrange your pedals/cranksets to provide the most compact space, to rest the bike on the backs of the seats and not the kick stand, to in fact use a bungee and not lock everyones bikes together.  ive gotten into it verbally with a few folks that just dont seem to get it. but i do offer assistance with an obvious newb. as far as the idiots go, you just cant cure stupid.  i was stupid for trying to cure it once.  never again.

a conductor is one person that has to deal with a lot of different personalities, different types of riders, different experience levels, people who try to not pay, lie about where they got on/getting off, people that think they make their own rules or can disregard existing ones - etc, etc, etc, all the while trying to keep people safe and keep the train running on time.

my line is lenient with the bike policy for the most part - allowing more bikes on each car than is allowed. BUT, this is to accommodate (i think) that 15 bikes are allowed per ENTIRE train. so, whats happening is 15 bikes are in 2 cars instead of the 3 available, because the last car is closed off (WHY!!!!). and this sometimes causes delays - it takes time to cram these bikes in, line them up, tie them down, adjust everything - repeat.  that is not inherently our fault, its the concept of causation that misaligned. open that car and you save the problem of cramming, of delays, of offering enough room for strollers and baggage, etc.

black out dates - well thats another issue. im taking photos of the empty cars on my reverse commutes. ill write another letter to metra after friday.

as far as not getting on the train - only happened twice in the nearly 5 years. the medina tournament this year (not communicated at all), and some major delay for switch problems or the like - it was faster to ride home the 20 miles instead of waiting in wood dale with no where to go till who knows when.

Steven, thank you for dealing with us, riders both with and without bikes. but this is your job afterall. at will employment i assume.  this shit comes with the territory. im sure many of us, if not all, side with you that there is a major break in communication from the top down to the conductors and the riders. there seems to be a disconnect that not all bikes on the train are just recreational use. many people that have them daily rely on the bikes to assist in getting the rest of the way to the destination, whether its home or work. i used to drive.  sure, driving is an option - if i want to be in car for an hour and a half to travel 18 miles in stop and go traffic. but why would i do that when a reliable alternative service is available?  metra is that service, it does allow bikes for purposes of reverse commuting minus a blackout date or two or three, and it does allow regional recreation via train and bike. if you simply dont like it, this isnt the gig for you. but let me say it clear, i appreciate and respect my conductors (except for that one mean racist lady). i have used my belt to secure my bike when i lost my bungee. and i have helped fellow yet newb cyclists get their shit together loading and unloading the bike - and thats not even my job, thats just courtesy.

Permalink Reply by millenial removing Bernie tattoo on July 11, 2013 at 3:39pm



Rich S said:

Which leads me to my question.  Steve, are you aware of any instances where a conductor denied a biker boarding even when there were train cars that could still be opened?  I've noticed that conductors are sometimes very reluctant to open additional cars.  It's understandable because there's more train to manage but I would write to complain if I was denied boarding a train that still had dark cars.  

I've seen this happen on the BNSF.  I was going out to Aurora and they only opened one handicapped car on the entire train.  When that one got filled, they began turning away riders.  If an actual handicapped person got on, a lot of bikers would have been SOL.

Permalink Reply by igz on July 11, 2013 at 4:43pm
that wasn't a flame. just observations and experience.

h' 1.0 said:

I keep waiting for the flame.

Was that it?

Permalink Reply by Jeff Blumenthal on July 12, 2013 at 12:39am

The few times I've done the bike on train have been fine.  My Senior Cyclers and Gourmet Group uses the train option on several outings each year without incident.  Yes, I have many bungee cords and usually wind up being the go to guy for securing bikes. We try to be at the station well before departure so that no one has to be moved.  I do, however, see your point, especially on weekend runs when ALL the trains are crowded.

Permalink Reply by Brandon Stein on July 12, 2013 at 12:49am

I'd just like to add that far too often there's some guy with a beer just chilling in the area reserved for bikes.  And as they pile up he'll continue to sit there drinking and the conductor won't ask him to move.  There are plenty of other seats that the individual could be politely asked to move into, but instead cyclists have to jumble bikes together, out of order from when the owners will get off.  Then everyone has to get up and play musical chairs with the bikes so someone can retrieve their bike and get off the train.  Obviously our beer drinking friend isn't going to see this post on the Chainlink, but I think it would be wise for conductors to ask individuals such as these to keep that area clear for bikes if there are  reasonable number of seats where they could otherwise sit.

Permalink Reply by Nick W on July 12, 2013 at 1:18am

If you have a spare tube, you can unfurl it and use that as a make-shift bungee to secure your bike. Done it several times. Just hook it around the seatpost, through the back wheel, down tube and seat rail. Voila!

Haddon said:

For a bit I lived in the South Suburbs and biked to a night shift job from downtown and never had a problem though the hours I went the trains were thinly occupied.

As I have never heard a single bad Metra bike story I honestly think there will be a shortage of flaming here. While we are at it what covers "properly attached?"  I used a cable lock but will a bungee cord do it? But there was something about not locking it?  (in case the bike needed to be moved in an emergency) 

Could you enlighten us if you would please. Thanks

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