chicago transit, part 1

As part of the trip to Notre Dame, we explored Chicago and with it, the Chicago Transit system. The experience on the “L” included some random incidents.
After we landed, almost 90 minutes late, at O’Hare, we were going to meet Vanessa, our host, at Wrigley’s Field. We knew that we had to take the Blue Line from O’Hare to the Addison stop. From there, we would get on a bus to the actual field. As planned, we exited at the Addison Blue Line station. We realize that frankly, we weren’t exactly sure which way to take the bus. We had a good idea, but checking something like that isn’t a bad thing.
We ask the station operator in the booth. An old gentleman, maybe 70 years old, steps out and tells us that “we’re way way off”. He tells us that we need to continue on the Blue Line until the loop, transfer to the Red and head out to 35th street.
Since it was our first trip to Chicago, we didn’t argue. We relayed a change in plans- to meet downtown to save time- to Vanessa and headed back on the Blue Line.
After meeting up, we shared our story with Vanessa with me adding in that I had no idea how I was so off with determining the right stops.
“We got off at Addison and were told we were at the wrong stop.”
“Wrigley Field is on Addison! I was waiting for you on Addison.”
“What?”
We looked into the situation further. Wrigley Field is on Addison. U.S. Cellular Field (White Sox Field) is just off the Sox-35th Stop of the Red Line.
Did he hear us wrong? Or was it something to do with the rivalry between the Cubs and the White Sox? Who knows but just a taste of what was standard for our dealings with the Chicago Transit Authority.

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