Blind / Not Blind

The Red Line has no shortage of strange characters, homeless people, and solicitors riding up and down the el tracks that span the length of the city, and some of these folks frequent the rail cars so often that -- for better or for worse -- they become familiar sights. I was actually excited to see one such character during my ride downtown today, it was the guy I call Blind/Not Blind. B/NB guy carries a red plastic Solo cup, and passes from car to car as the train hurtles through the subways.

The spiel he gives to riders in each car is something along the lines of: "Don't be afraid of me because I'm different. I'm just blind. I won't hurt you, but I sure would appreciate it if you could help me out", etc. The thing that gives his act away is, when some poor sap of a commuter (come to think of it, most of his donors are probably tourists) reinforces his bad behavior by dropping some change into his cup (which is essentially rewarding him for soliciting) he replies "Thank you, sir" or "Thank you, ma'am". However, I've never seen anybody actually speak to him; if he really was blind, I don't think his gender-specific "thank yous" would be so accurate.

The worst part about the beggars in this city is that many of them aren't really homeless; I've seen guys touching up their "Will work for food" signs with a brand new package of Sharpies as they're comfortably riding the Metra into the city. There's a guy with a suitcase who sits outside the Old Navy on State Street who is "stranded" and has been trying to get "home for the holidays" for about six years now ... And the guy with a bunch of loose change in the tuba who stands in front of Orchestra Hall didn't really get that instrument from the orchestra -- trust me. I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't feed the pigeons and don't pay the beggars. If you really want to help the homeless, donate to charities like the Salvation Army, where your money will really be "doing the most good".

But back to B/NB ... I heard his spiel before I actually saw him, but the best part about it was that he wasn't blind today; he was just hungry -- seriously! "Don't be afraid of me because I'm different. I'm just hungry. I won't hurt you, but I sure would appreciate it if you could help me out ... Thank you, sir. Thank you, ma'am." Then, thinking we commuters were none the wiser, he opened the door that's supposed to remain closed while the train is moving, and disappeared into the next rail car to start his spiel all over again.

Lions and Olympians and Bears, Oh My!

I'm sure the whole world knows by now that Chicago will not be hosting the 2016 Olympics. It's all anybody in this city has been able to talk about this weekend, and every time someone voices their opinion on this topic, it seems like they're striving to take an even stronger stance than the person interviewed before them. While I agree with those who say they're more upset about they way things went down (with Chicago being eliminated in the first round of voting) than they are about the fact that we lost the bid, I feel like I'm in the minority by admitting that I'm rather ambivalent about the whole thing. I don't feel the need to point fingers at the president or Mayor Daley (well, maybe a little bit at the mayor) or even Oprah on why the decision turned out the way it did; it's been decided, the decision is final, and there's nothing more we can do about it.

Don't get me wrong -- I think it would have been cool to bring a world-class event like the Summer Olympics to the windy city, but it's even cooler that the Olympics will be held in Rio; it would be hard for even the finest American city (which Chicago is!) to compete with the historic bid of an idyllic South American paradise. I'm not at all bothered by the traffic nightmares that I won't be dealing with seven years from now, although I hope some of the mass transit improvements they proposed as part of the bid will still be implemented ... I'm not holding my breath, though.

I woke up this morning to yet another reporter trying to put a new spin on (what is, by now) an old story. He was reporting live from the Belmont el stop, asking commuters if the Bears' "big win" yesterday helped them feel better about having been snubbed by the International Olympic Committee. I listened groggily as people got all philosophical and waxed poetic on the topic, then it slowly dawned on me: the Bears played the Detroit Lions yesterday ... now, I don't really follow football, but ... doesn't everybody beat the Lions? Why is that a big deal, and why would that make me (or anyone) feel better?!?

If I felt strongly about either topic -- one way or the other -- I might have felt worse if the Bears had lost to the Lions, but the win isn't really all that newsworthy. They were supposed to beat the Lions. I decided that the reporter was just looking for an excuse to play the Bears' catchy theme song, and turned off the radio. I still don't know what football has to do with the Olympics, but I did enjoy the fight song, which even I will admit is a fun and lighthearted way to start a Monday!