Metra unprepared for summer crowds

On Wednesday, Aug. 6, my wife, daughter and two grandchildren under 7 years were headed to the Field Museum in downtown Chicago.

We waited at the Mount Prospect station for train 640, scheduled to leave at 10:37 a.m. The train was 18 minutes late.

When it arrived, it had only five cars. When the doors opened, the train was already packed with passengers in the doorways, and there was barely standing room on all levels of all cars.

We were jammed in the doorway of the car for the next eight stops with tons of people getting on and virtually none leaving. Then at Irving Park, the Cub fans got off and we finally got a seat.

The major problem was not simply the uncomfortable ride, but the tremendous safety hazard. A security guard stood in the stairwell for the entire ride, unable to help anyone if needed. A young teenager became faint and was helped by other passengers with water and towels; the conductors were helpless. Children were herded and cried in fear of the crowds. No tickets were collected from Mount Prospect to Ogilvie, all revenue lost.

The security guard said the train should have had five more cars for safety purposes.

A bright sunny summer day, an afternoon Cub game, and the greatest big city in the world to be experienced by excited vacationing families; what was Metra thinking?

Passenger safety must never be compromised. This is not Olympic class transportation.

Tony Jannotta

Arlington Heights