CTA Pink Line

The employees in the Dunkin’ Donuts are always friendly and welcoming, even when I don’t order anything. I find the pink line to be the cleanest of all the lines leading in and out of the city, possibly because it doesn’t service any of the two baseball stadiums or extend into the far south side. My stop is normally Pilsen, but I sometimes find myself riding the line for over an hour while I respond to group conversations on GChat («human body is not designed to shit in a chair,» «It’s basically for our posture,» «Yes. Elevate your legs, you get more of a squat, so you poop more completely.») A new study shows more young people are suffering strokes and no one knows why. I like to walk from cart to cart as the train’s moving, and after about four or five carts I walk into one and see an elderly black man sitting down and holding the hand pole. He doesn’t have a shirt on, and his frail body jiggles and trembles with each jostle from the tracks. He never turns to look at me. We’re the only two people on the train, so I take out my phone. I switch the camera to face me and proceed to take off my shirt, walk it over to him. I take the seat next to him and now we’re both onscreen, him slack jacked and looking wide eyed at his reflection in the phone like a monkey playing with a mirror. I tell him the shirt’s his and he runs it through his hands reverently before bursting into tears and babbling Oh Lawd thank you Jesus oh Lawd thank you. The doors pull open and I kiss him on the forehead and then jump off even though it’s not my stop. I quickly post the video and stare at my phone until the likes begin to trickle in, the red notification bubbles with a 1, changes to a 2, the number suddenly doubles, people begin sharing the video and then their friends share it, more likes quickly amassing, just gushing into my feed, and when people share it they caption the video with things like «Faith in humanity: restored,» «Love,» «This will get you through another day.» I’m feeling optimistic, standing alone and shivering on the Polk stop platform. The close proximity to Rush University Medical center makes the Polk stop an excellent public transportation option for those seeking medical attention without paying garage parking fees. Both canopies on either side of the tracks are well lit, with heated lamps during the winter, except instead of the heat grills radiating a bright orange glow, right now the grills are metallic and lifeless. There’s the long faint hiss from the street below, the sound of a car speeding on wet pavement.

I ride this train to work everyday. I switch from the red line which is always dirty, smells of piss, and there is always someone sleeping across several seats. I have never seen this on the pink line. Also, this station is more modern and is kept up clean for the most part. The CTA worker here is very nice and says good morning to everyone. There is also a Dunkin Donuts at this stop which is convienant.

This is the convenient Pink line station off of Polk. My friend lives off of Ashland and Harrison by the Eisenhower and I always thought it was close to the red line. I guess this is closer and much more convenient.
Nice small stop with a Dunkin Donuts. Catch the quick and normally quiet pink line to the loop.

This Pink Line stop is nestled between Rush and UIC hospitals. Inside, you’ve got your standard heated areas and benches up by the platform, elevator, stairs, and escalators, as well as a Dunkin Donuts, which is open on weekdays. Just outside, you can catch the #157 bus down Taylor Street to Little Italy (or all the way up to Streeterville), or the #7 bus along Harrison. There are several paid parking options nearby, including a lot next to the stop on Paulina and Polk, if you need to park and ride into the city.

My artery, literally. I don’t own a car, and work is on the pink line, with the stop just a block from my house. I sit on pink 10 times a week. Before it was Blue, but Pink helps to split the different lines apart and makes it easier to get to work on the west town track. Generally a very safe line, lots of students, hospital workers keep things quiet and responsible, but there always will be characters. I love how 90% of the south-​bound train exits at Polk, seems to be the last stop for most people since it is located right in the heart of the medical district. Pink was also the first to go modern (with the new trains and different seating arrangements). Thank goodness for Pink or I would be paying ridiculous amounts of cash for a seat in a car or slow bus.

Now I don’t know what is it with me being on a train and always finding something crazy happening. On my way home from Stroger hospital, I hopped on the Pink line to find out I was sitting next to two crack heads that kept asking me and the other CTA passengers if we wanted a pair of old rundown shoes because they were free. Then they continued starring at the floor, smiling, and cracking a laugh here and there. One the bright side, this train runs on schedule and once I found $ 5 underneath the seat: D which I decided to give as tip to the barista people that made good coffee.

Its the Chicago L, sometimes its fast, sometimes its slow. It usually has a funky smell, but gets you to the loop from university village in due time. The view of downtown is great at night, but it can get a bit sketchy after 11 PM.