Local News

CTA Motorman During Mishap: Riders Are 'Stupid'

Motorman In Trouble For Conduct During Blue Line Evacuation

CHICAGO (STNG) ― A CTA motorman who yelled at passengers and called them "stupid" for vacating a subway train that had been trapped underground faces disciplinary proceedings.

The CTA is continuing to review what went wrong Tuesday that caused 1,500 commuters to be stuck in the subway, some for more than two hours.

"We're still doing a review of the situation and going over what worked and what didn't work," said CTA President Ron Huberman. "We're interviewing all of the folks that were on the ground there." He has acknowledged that the CTA didn't communicate properly with customers.

On Tuesday morning, a mechanical problem on a train near Clark and Lake streets led to a four-hour shutdown of a portion of the Blue Line.

After being stuck in the tunnel nearly 40 minutes, frustrated passengers walked off one of four subway trains stopped between Lake Street and Grand Avenue. This caused the CTA to shut off power on the system. The CTA then decided to evacuate.

Customers complained that they didn't get good information from the CTA throughout the ordeal, which caused more passengers to exit trains without waiting for instructions. Passengers on one train complained of a motorman who insulted passengers for leaving, saying they were "stupid."

Asked if the man should be fired, passenger Cassie Mayer, 31, said she thought the larger problem was training.

"When you're in a stressful situation, you're probably going to react badly if you don't know what you should be doing," said Mayer.

Rick Harris, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241, said he "doesn't condone people calling passengers names." But he said Tuesday's events show why more than one employee should be on subway trains.

(Source: Sun-Times News Group Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2008. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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