Some people would say the city is out of control. Traveling north and south on N. Broadway, residents of, and visitors to, Edgewater and beyond will notice many games in transportation. They are also acts which are crimes. Some of these acts are committed by drivers of autos, some are committed by riders on the bus, and some are committed by bus drivers themselves. Following are some examples.
Red light runs.
Many drivers simply run the red lights on Broadway. In fact, the other night, three of us observing the traffic saw drivers play this particular game seven times in a row. Here is how it works: you are driving north or southbound on N. Broadway. The light turns yellow. You continue at your current rate of speed – or accelerate – and you go through the intersection, ignoring the fact the light is red when you pass through. The light may even be red before you get to the intersection. Nobody sees you, so this means you did not break the law. There are no police, there are no cameras, and there are no citizens observing. However, there might be a few journalism students taking note of your game.
Red light turns.
This game is similar to the previous one, but it involves a marked increase in speed. As you approach the intersection and the light turns yellow (or is already turning red) you accelerate drastically. With your turn signal flashing, you are the last car going through the intersection and you are turning, usually going so fast your tires squeal. Because your turn signal is on, you are turning, and you are going very fast, there is no crime. It is simply a game. Nobody sees you.
Red light jumpers.
This game happens almost always at night. There are no police officers nearby, so this can be considered a game – not a crime. When driving either on N. Broadway or one of the side streets, you come up to the intersection and stop. Seeing there are no cars coming through the intersection, you simply accelerate and go about your business. It is as if the light is a stop sign, just that the intersection is better lit. It does not matter if there are cars stopped next to you or across from you. Drivers of those cars do not see you, this being a game. Nobody reports you.
Don the drag.
A very common sight is the drag race – mostly at night. Two or more vehicles simply race. There are two types. The first is the synchro drag race. This means the drivers are stopped and wait until the light turns green. Then they go as fast as they can. Stopping for the next red light is optional, and usually not observed. This is why – if you are walking on Rosemont and cross N. Broadway, you must spin your head completely around all the time you are crossing the street.
The second type is free form – the drivers may drive on the wrong side of the street, drive around a slower or stopped vehicle on both sides as they race – or just suddenly decide to race – with no warning. This is the most exciting type because it is the most deadly. One does not know if there will be a car coming around a slow-moving truck. Speeds? It is safe to say the vehicles racing by will be going 50, 60, or 70 miles an hour. Passing slower cars is another exciting part of the game.
If you are walking, you will never get out of the way and will be either smashed flat like a pancake or thrown up into the air, landing only after all the vehicles have passed.
Herd the walkers.
Another game played by some drivers is to drive over the crosswalk, even though the pedestrians have the right of way on the green line to cross. The pedestrians always have the right of way when in dispute with an auto. The driver honks and chases the walking citizens with the front of their car, and they rev the engine and speed off, almost running down the walkers to show that the driver is in a hurry and can get people to obey them by bullying. Most pedestrians do not want to be run over by an auto. The driver perhaps gets points for the game: 10 points for getting them to walk faster, 20 points for getting them to scream, 30 points for getting them to drop their groceries or child into the path of the car.
Child protest on the bus.
One of the most common crimes on the bus currently is getting onto the bus and only after paying and getting to their seats do the riders put their masks on. In fact, they often have to be reminded to do so. “Do you have a mask, sir?” is a common question yelled by the driver. “Please put your mask on and over your nose, people!” is a reminder from the driver. Many riders will have the mask on half way, but like children protesting, will not put the mask on all the way. Feigning sleep, hearing problems, or the lack of understanding when people speak in English, the riders smile, read, look out the window or act like they do not know where they are. When they get off the bus later, they still have not put their mask on completely.
Simple protest on the bus.
In this game, the riders get on the bus with no intention whatsoever of putting a mask on. They may even take a mask from the box, put it in their pocket, and go to find a seat. Even when the driver yells for them to please put a mask on, they ignore the request. They journey the entire ride, mask-free.
Correct the driver protest.
Some riders not wearing masks will start a huge argument about the lack of a law regarding the use of masks on the bus and will not wear a mask. When they get onto the bus, they announce they will not be wearing a mask because it is nonsense to think people will blindly “obey the man” and put one on. “They cannot control us and they cannot ever tell me what to do!” is a common refrain of these people. The game can include yelling at others, threatening them, telling people to stand up for their rights, and any number of other claims, warnings, and announcements. The anger and frustration driving this response to rules related to COVID-19 is understandable. However, the protests do not frighten the virus – in any variation or version.
Violent protest on the bus.
In this game, the riders not wearing their mask warn everybody on the bus of the imminent harm coming to all. The riders will knock out unconscious any bus driver telling them what to do, will shoot any rider looking at them or taking their photo, will kill any rider who has the nerve to voice an opinion. There may be points awarded within this game player’s mind based on the reaction. Scaring the other riders is a joyful experience. The more riders who get off at the next stop, the more points.
Warn the driver of Armageddon.
In this game, and this can even be large teenagers playing, the riders with no masks on will warn the driver of the impending beating soon to happen. The rider explains that the driver may get kicked in the face, shot, killed, bludgeoned, beaten, punched, and anything else that comes into the mind of the person yelling. Because points are given for the more violent and disgusting threats, it is good for the rider to go all out in the threats. Also standard is the repeated warning that they have issued when they got on, not paying their fare, not wearing a mask, and not yielding to any other basic rule. Often, the rider will scream something like this when they exit (the front) of the bus: “Next time do what I say or I’ll drag you out of the bus and beat you on the sidewalk until you are dead.”
Bus driver games.
Sometimes it is not a rider who is playing games. Regarding games on the Broadway 36 bus, at 11:30 in the morning on July 18, the relief driver getting on board was not wearing a mask. He got on the bus with no mask, and he did not put one on. This, in violation of the rules. As he drove down Broadway southbound, he was eating and drinking. This, also in violation of the rules. One might ask what sort of example this sets for all of the riders. The driver is doing whatever he wants – meaning the rules are just part of a game – and he does not feel there are any consequences of what he does.
There are no CTA supervisors on the bus. There are no police officers on the bus. The driver can do whatever he wants during this game, and nothing will happen to him if he violates the rules. Nobody is there who can tell the world what happened.
As with all the games, the bus driver games can go on because nobody is watching the drivers. This is a city that is becoming out of control. People do, say, and play however they want. There is nobody holding them accountable. There is no reason to hope for anything better, or lawful, or civilized.
Or am I being too negative?