Chicago - A message from the station manager

The [Thursday] Papers

By Steve Rhodes

We were promised jetpacks, not hyperloops.


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More like hype on a loop.


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“There are two standard, rage-inducing ways to reach O’Hare International Airport from downtown Chicago,” the New York Times reports.
“You can ride the L, a sluggish crawl on a train that meanders through neighborhoods and down the middle of an expressway.
“Or you can attempt driving on the expressway itself, which tends to be clogged with traffic and even slower.”
Really, New York Times?
I’ve taken the El (“El” is Beachwood style) to O’Hare innumerable times and not once has it been a “sluggish crawl.” It’s been an El ride. It’s fine.
It also hardly “meanders” through neighborhoods. It’s pretty much a straight shot!
I also don’t get why the fact that the Blue Line travels down the middle of an expressway is a problem. It’s actually pretty cool – and is designed to avoid having to . . . meander through neighborhoods.
Try it sometime.
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The vast majority of my rides to O’Hare, by the way, have been traveling on assignment. So, you know, for business. Breaking business. Not once did I feel rage.
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I’ve also taken cabs to the airport and, more frequently, driven there. You know what? It’s never been slower than the El – sometimes faster – even though, yes expressways tend to be “clogged” with traffic. Avoid rush hour, to be sure. Big deal.
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Now, the El in just about every other direction on every line – that’s a different story. That’s rage-inducing.
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In fact, the El to O’Hare is just about the most speedy leg of the entire system!
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Of all the transportation problems in this city, getting to O’Hare faster – particularly from downtown – is not even close to the top 100.
Can we please question the premise that this is even an issue, apart from maybe a few spoiled richies who could just take a company helicopter or travel in a luxurious limo and get some work done along the way?
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You know where the fantastical plans of Elon Musk would make sense? On the way to Peotone.
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New on the Beachwood today . . .
The New Pot King Of Chicago . . .
. . . is our very own Mike Luce.
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Challenging The Media’s Distorted Images Of Incarceration . . .
. . . in Demystifying The Big House, the latest from SIU Press.
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World Cup Politics: Fascism, Fixed Matches & FIFA
The ugly side of the beautiful game.
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Report Reveals Rampant Wage Theft Among Top U.S. Corporations
“Our findings make it clear that wage theft goes far beyond sweatshops, fast-food outlets, and retailers. It is built into the business model of a substantial portion of Corporate America,”
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ChicagoGram


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ChicagoTube
Chicago Dinners (Original Mix).

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BeachBook
What Real Business News Should Look Like.

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Remembering The Triple Lindy, Y’all.

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TweetWood
A sampling.


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The Beachwood Tronc Line: Hyperlooped.

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Posted on June 14, 2018