foxinsnow's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- riding on the Chicago Transit Authority as a woman Here in Chicago, we call our train system the "El" (short for elevated.) But we call the whole thing the El, even the branches of it that are underground. As a woman riding the El, you have to be very careful not to look too atractive, and to keep your nose buried in a book or your head plugged into headphones at all times (I find a book works better, because it kills any possibility for eye contact). Otherwise you will get stared at/talked to/hit on/otherwise sexually harassed by any number of shady men. Make no mistake: these men come in all shapes, colors, sizes, modes of dress, and economic class. When I'm riding the El, ALL MEN ARE GUILTY UNLESS PROVEN INNOCENT. This is especially true of the Red Line (the line that runs north/south across the city), which is known for displays of public masturbation and pick-pocketing. Today for my ride on the El, I am wearing a Le Tigre t-shirt, baggy jeans, sneakers, and a black hoodie. Hopefully I won't be spending much time on the Red Line (just from Belmont to Clark/Division) if I take the Purple Line Express (the Purple Line normally only runs through Wilmette and Evanston, suburbs just north of Chicago, but sometimes during each day it runs down to the Loop, ie downtown Chicago.) The Purple Line is a lot less sketchy than the Red Line, probably because it doesn't run through poor neighborhoods. (While sexual harassers on the El do come from all economic classes, men who live in poor neigborhoods are the most typical offenders.) 1:33 p.m. - 2004-08-26 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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