Q&A
What kind of music? Who's putting it together?
The audio program will have a soul theme, but will stray into other related genres that have been a part of Chicago's culture and past.The music playlist for this private event is being put together generously by Kristine of Planet Earth Chicago. (Not only is she awesome, but she knows her soul, blues, and much, much more!)
What inspired this tour?
There are a few historic 'L' tours that go on throughout the year, including some really great ones that have been done by Chicago-L.org and the Chicago History Museum. Your host had an idea though, to try and turn it into an event. Music, food, and Chicago go together better than peas and carrots, you know.
What does the admission cover?
Chartering a train from CTA costs money. The fee covers the cost of the train from CTA (which includes paying for the time CTA employees will spend making this happen), tour materials and preparation, and provided amenities. Almost all of your ticket is going right to CTA.
A fringe benefit is that this tour will boost your popularity and social skills. Being able to start a sentence with "Did you know that, in 1894, the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad..." is a great way to break the ice at a loud bar, and practically guarantees you'll be the life of every party you attend.
Oh, and you get soft drinks and snacks too, thanks to our sponsor Chicagoist.com!
What's with the after-party?
After this private event, I'm going to want to go out for a beer. Everyone is invited to join me at Holiday Club, who has been notified to be prepared for a potential crowd.
Holiday isn't offering anything specific to us, your food and/or drink will cost the same as it would for any customer. I just thought it'd be a good place to go afterward, being just on the next block from the station we'll be ending at.
What else should you know?
Some of the stations we're visiting, including our starting and ending points, are not wheelchair-accessible. If you wish to join on the tour and have special needs or mobility issues, please send us an e-mail and we'll let you know if/how well we can accommodate you. We do want everyone to be able to enjoy this event.
Non-commercial photography is allowed on CTA and thus on this tour. Please be considerate when taking photographs, and be sure not to interfere with or bother regular CTA passengers in the process. If a CTA employee asks you not to take pictures somewhere, please just respect their request. Also, be sure to have your flash off if taking a photo of the front of a train (you really don't want to blind a train operator, even for a second).
On that note, please yield to regular CTA customers who are trying to catch their trains. We don't want to get in anyone's way.
Also, here are some simple rules:
- When told it's time to get back to the train platform, please do so quickly and in an orderly manner. The train will not wait and potentially hold up regular CTA trains.
- Keep your belongings with you at all times, as you may not end up in the same car every time you re-board the train.
- Do not cross from car to car while the train is in motion.
- Smoking, littering, and alcoholic beverages are prohibited on the train. (After the tour, this host is going to need a beer. You should all come with.)
- Do not leave any trash, food crumbs, etc. Also, be very careful not to spill any beverages. The tour host is held responsible for the condition of the train at the end of the day.
Tony Coppoletta, an I.T. consultant and public transit advocate and enthusiast, is the sole organizer and host of this tour.
Tony makes regular contributions to the overall transit discussion and resources online, and has given training presentations to volunteer docents at the Chicago History Museum. He also has co-hosted a similar private event through the Chicago History Museum and volunteers as a Chicago Greeter (a free program by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs) giving tours to visitors of the city.
Contact tony@coppoletta.net.
What's CTA's involvement?
CTA is providing a train and train crew for the tour. Otherwise, this is organized as a completely private event, paid for by the organizer and participants.
