Can't we set up a train-free time slot?

All of us lucky souls who are fortunate enough to enjoy an eastbound weekday commute have, no doubt, been blessed with a timeout thanks to the Wisconsin Central and Metra trains whether it be at Routes 45 and 176 or Hawley Street. And, if we're truly lucky, we may get another opportunity to relax on the way home!

My eyes get wide, like an anxious child, when I see the gates descend. Then, my emotions build as I wait to see if it's a commuter or freight train. If it's Metra, relief is close at hand. If not, I sit in restless horror to see how many engines will be tugging at the countless box, tank and flat cars.

And, on those occasions when a freight train breaks down, we get the chance to unwind even longer. Staring at the graffiti-ridden box cars and trying to interpret the artist's renderings can be quite entertaining. All the while engines running, kids screaming, cell phones ringing and, of course, the rhythmic thud of "music" blaring from an itty-bitty Corolla, Neon or Sentra with the million-watt stereo and speakers the size of garbage cans bolted down in the trunk.

If you're eastbound on Route 176, you may want to cut through to Route 45 via Greenview or Prairie streets. But, alas, you cannot. For if you do, you'd be breaking the law. A village ordinance, I presume, forbidding a right turn between the hours of 7 and 8:30 a.m. on weekdays. Most people respect the neighborhood and resist the temptation to break the law. Others, well … let's just say that they aren't the kind of folks I'd call friends. Akin to those drivers who can't seem to find the brake pedal when approaching a stop sign.

Here is my thought: If the village can attempt to regulate vehicular traffic at certain times of the day during the week, why can't they do the same with trains? No, not Metra, of course. But, the freighters that seem to go on forever and break down on those days that I leave the office without first making a pit stop. Let's forbid them from crossing our path from 7 to 8:30 a.m. and again from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Jeffrey Issel

Mundelein