jotsheet

It’s quite common at the Belmont stop for people to get on the wrong train. The Red Line is always on the inside track, but the Brown and Purple Lines share the outside track. Usually, it’s a problem with Brown Line riders, whose train comes about 4x as often as the Purple Line. Being dumb Brown Line people (yes, I live off the Brown Line), they assume the train is theirs, not checking to see whether it’s a Purple.

Sometimes, however, it’s not sheer rider stupidity; sometimes the trains are actually mismarked. The operator puts the wrong sign up. Ridiculous, yes, but it happens.

Well, if you’re an avid CTA fan like me, you can always tell the train by the lights on the front. This was something I subconsciously realized a few years ago, always being able to pick out the northbound Purple by its two white lights, but there’s an actual system.

Of course, if you’re reading this post, and if you have any awareness of the lights, chances are you’re not going to get on the wrong train, anyhow.

Share This