AboutAaron Metz Expertise Ask me anything- I can answer a wide spectrum of questions about Chicago- from its history and culture to standard tourist questions about where to go and what to do.
Experience I'm a native, born and raised, and I've lived on the North, South, and West sides (I've even spent a good deal of time on the little known "East" side). I paid my way through college working in the Chicago tourism industry, and I studied Chicago while in college as well- my classes focused on immigration and contemporary Chicago, but touched on all aspects of its history. I live and work in the city, and I continue to actively explore it. I've been all over the world, and Chicago continues to fascinate me. I have an uncommonly broad understanding of the city (and, to an extent, the suburbs), and I can point a person in the right direction for answers or opinions if there's something I'm too steeped in.
Publications The Daily Illini, The Spanner (Ireland)
Education/Credentials b.s. in English with a minor in history, U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Past/Present Clients I'm a network administrator by trade.....no longer a writer...
Question How safe are the red, blue, brown, ect. lines? My family is going to be coming into Midway and staying downtown. They will also be going other places in the city such as Wrigley Field. I have been on and used the trains many times in the past, but it has been ten years ago. In the past I did not have a car and had no problem on the trains. I am debating on renting a car or just using the trains. I have a teenage and twenty two year old son along with my wife traveling together. They will spend about a week there and would use the trains as their main source of transportation. How safe is this, or is it?
Thanks,
Allan
Answer Hello Allan,
The transit system is very safe (I use the El/Subway almost every day, at all hours). Though I couldn't dig up data, I know the crime rate on the CTA is lower than the rate elsewhere, and that is likely attributable to a few factors- there are regular police patrols on the trains and in the stations, there are conductors on all trains, there are almost always a lot of people on the trains, and penalties for crimes committed on the transit system are significantly higher than if they're committed elsewhere (I think this is common practice in cities with extensive transit systems- it's very important that the citizenry have faith in the safety of public transit). I did find crime stats for the city in general (http://www.city-data.com/city/Chicago-Illinois.html) and saw that crime in general has, as it has in most urban areas, dipped precipitously in the last ten years. In my 20 + years of riding the trains, the worst I've ever seen are loud drunks on the red line after a Cubs or Sox game (and they're harmless)
You'd be perfectly safe taking the orange line into downtown from Midway, and getting to and from Wrigley on the red, etc. The trains are well used by everyone and, even during the wee hours, it's rare to ever find yourself alone in a rail car with a scary looking person or anything...just regular people, coming and going at all hours.
If you have a concern about visiting a particularly "out of the way" location via the subway or anything, feel free to ask a follow up question and I'll be happy to weigh in.
