Comments on: Snowy CTA Night with Coalition for the Homeless http://www.chicagocarless.com/2008/12/28/snowy-cta-night-with-coalition-for-the-homeless/ My life is an open blog... Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:44:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: It’s 10 O’Clock, Do You Know Who Your City Is? http://www.chicagocarless.com/2008/12/28/snowy-cta-night-with-coalition-for-the-homeless/comment-page-1/#comment-1785 It’s 10 O’Clock, Do You Know Who Your City Is? Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:08:31 +0000 http://www.chicagocarless.com/?p=428#comment-1785 [...] Snowy CTA Night with Coalition for the Homeless [...] [...] Snowy CTA Night with Coalition for the Homeless [...]

]]> By: paula http://www.chicagocarless.com/2008/12/28/snowy-cta-night-with-coalition-for-the-homeless/comment-page-1/#comment-1614 paula Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:56:32 +0000 http://www.chicagocarless.com/?p=428#comment-1614 I just wanted to say that I really appreciate the work you're doing, including the field-monitoring, coming up with effective and low-cost ways to hopefully improve the situation for all involved, and writing about the issues. Interestingly, I found the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless website and could not find a list of homeless shelters in Chicago. Then I googled and yahoo searched "Illinois state-funded homeless shelter" and also could not find a list anywhere near the top. I'd like to think all of us -- CTA riders included -- could add a degree of helpfulness to our compassion if we had useful information to share. I just wanted to say that I really appreciate the work you’re doing, including the field-monitoring, coming up with effective and low-cost ways to hopefully improve the situation for all involved, and writing about the issues.

Interestingly, I found the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless website and could not find a list of homeless shelters in Chicago. Then I googled and yahoo searched “Illinois state-funded homeless shelter” and also could not find a list anywhere near the top.

I’d like to think all of us — CTA riders included — could add a degree of helpfulness to our compassion if we had useful information to share.

]]> By: Mike Doyle http://www.chicagocarless.com/2008/12/28/snowy-cta-night-with-coalition-for-the-homeless/comment-page-1/#comment-1593 Mike Doyle Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:31:25 +0000 http://www.chicagocarless.com/?p=428#comment-1593 How well the CTA runs trains isn't the point here. That homeless riders ride them, however, is. By approaching homeless riders to throw them out of the system, the CTA is already doing "outreach work"--just of a rather uninspired sort. Certainly, other agencies should be there to help people out before they turn to riding the rails as an overnight option, but someone has to take responsibility once they get there. Obviously the city's own homeless outreach teams aren't enough. So the problem remains on the CTA and the CTA has a responsibility to handle it. Whether they choose to handle it with compassion or in a mean-spirited manner is their decision. I'm asking them to live up to higher expectations. How well the CTA runs trains isn’t the point here. That homeless riders ride them, however, is. By approaching homeless riders to throw them out of the system, the CTA is already doing “outreach work”–just of a rather uninspired sort.

Certainly, other agencies should be there to help people out before they turn to riding the rails as an overnight option, but someone has to take responsibility once they get there. Obviously the city’s own homeless outreach teams aren’t enough. So the problem remains on the CTA and the CTA has a responsibility to handle it.

Whether they choose to handle it with compassion or in a mean-spirited manner is their decision. I’m asking them to live up to higher expectations.

]]> By: Chris http://www.chicagocarless.com/2008/12/28/snowy-cta-night-with-coalition-for-the-homeless/comment-page-1/#comment-1591 Chris Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:09:25 +0000 http://www.chicagocarless.com/?p=428#comment-1591 The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless taking the initiative to create the cards seems like a good start, but I worry that you're making the CTA become a de facto outreach agency. They can barely run the trains as it is. Perhaps there are other government- funded / charitable agencies that deal with social service issues that can intervene at some point in their lives before endless riding of the trains becomes an issue -- and, yes, it's an issue for other riders. The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless taking the initiative to create the cards seems like a good start, but I worry that you’re making the CTA become a de facto outreach agency. They can barely run the trains as it is. Perhaps there are other government- funded / charitable agencies that deal with social service issues that can intervene at some point in their lives before endless riding of the trains becomes an issue — and, yes, it’s an issue for other riders.

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