# Metra Conductor robbed



## Metra Electric Rider (Feb 16, 2022)

This depressing bit of news just showed up about my line (luckily I'm WFH at the moment), glad the suspect was apprehended: 









Man arrested after Metra train conductor robbed at gunpoint downtown


CHICAGO — Metra Police have arrested a man in an armed robbery of a train conductor Tuesday afternoon. The robbery happened around 2 p.m. after a Metra Electric Line train pulled into the Van Buren…




wgntv.com


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## AmtrakMaineiac (Feb 17, 2022)

Does Metra still allow paying a cash fare on the train? I imagine that might make conductors a target for robbery


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## Metra Electric Rider (Feb 17, 2022)

AmtrakMaineiac said:


> Does Metra still allow paying a cash fare on the train? I imagine that might make conductors a target for robbery


Yup, absolutely.


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## NorthShore (Feb 17, 2022)

Metra Electric Rider said:


> This depressing bit of news just showed up about my line (luckily I'm WFH at the moment), glad the suspect was apprehended:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



And, here, I thought it was YOU!!!


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## NorthShore (Feb 17, 2022)

Metra Electric Rider said:


> Yup, absolutely.



The paper ticket thief!


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## Metra Electric Rider (Feb 17, 2022)

NorthShore said:


> The paper ticket thief!


There's probably somebody, somewhere, with a wall papered in Metra paper tickets....


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## NorthShore (Feb 18, 2022)

Metra Electric Rider said:


> There's probably somebody, somewhere, with a wall papered in Metra paper tickets....



Don't give me ideas!!!!!

(Did you hear about how the late Les Grobstein had a CTA transfer collection as a kid?)


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## Metra Electric Rider (Feb 20, 2022)

NorthShore said:


> Don't give me ideas!!!!!
> 
> (Did you hear about how the late Les Grobstein had a CTA transfer collection as a kid?)


If you do it, I _**don't** _want credit....


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## AmtrakBlue (Feb 20, 2022)

I saw a headline that said the robber's mother recognized him in the photo and dragged him to the police station. Don't know if that's true or not (I don't consider the source of that headline to be reliable).


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## toddinde (Feb 21, 2022)

A digression, but I remember some years ago, I was riding a BNSF Metra train, the conductor was checking fares, and a guy tried using a bus ticket instead of a train ticket. The conductor politely explained the bus ticket wasn’t good on the train to which the guy replied, “look man, I’m not in the mood for your sh xx!” The conductor just moved on to avoid an issue. I think those jobs can be hard. 90% of passengers are fine, or indifferent, but some are real pieces of work or dangerous.


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## OBS (Feb 21, 2022)

toddinde said:


> A digression, but I remember some years ago, I was riding a BNSF Metra train, the conductor was checking fares, and a guy tried using a bus ticket instead of a train ticket. The conductor politely explained the bus ticket wasn’t good on the train to which the guy replied, “look man, I’m not in the mood for your sh xx!” The conductor just moved on to avoid an issue. I think those jobs can be hard. 90% of passengers are fine, or indifferent, but some are real pieces of work or dangerous.


You choose your battles...


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## Deni (Feb 21, 2022)

AmtrakBlue said:


> I saw a headline that said the robber's mother recognized him in the photo and dragged him to the police station. Don't know if that's true or not (I don't consider the source of that headline to be reliable).


Several local outlets are reporting that his mother saw his photos on the news and drove him to turn himself in. I think if you saw a media headline using the word "dragged" that would be bad journalistic hyperbole.


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## Deni (Feb 21, 2022)

toddinde said:


> A digression, but I remember some years ago, I was riding a BNSF Metra train, the conductor was checking fares, and a guy tried using a bus ticket instead of a train ticket. The conductor politely explained the bus ticket wasn’t good on the train to which the guy replied, “look man, I’m not in the mood for your sh xx!” The conductor just moved on to avoid an issue. I think those jobs can be hard. 90% of passengers are fine, or indifferent, but some are real pieces of work or dangerous.


I'd hope that number would be in the 99%+ range, 10% of passengers being pieces of work or dangerous would be a huge number of awful people to deal with daily.


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## Devil's Advocate (Feb 21, 2022)

AmtrakBlue said:


> I saw a headline that said the robber's mother recognized him in the photo and dragged him to the police station. Don't know if that's true or not (I don't consider the source of that headline to be reliable).


My mom would never let me off the hook and I find it rather appalling when other parents have no qualms about sheltering fugitives or fabricating alibies.



Deni said:


> I'd hope that number would be in the 99%+ range, 10% of passengers being pieces of work or dangerous would be a huge number of awful people to deal with daily.


You might be correct in a place like Japan but here in the culture of presumed exceptionalism I'd say 90% is being charitable.


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## AmtrakBlue (Feb 21, 2022)

Devil's Advocate said:


> My mom would never let me off the hook and I find it rather appalling when other parents have no qualms about sheltering fugitives or fabricating alibies.
> 
> 
> You might be correct in a place like Japan but here in the culture of presumed exceptionalism I'd say 90% is being charitable.


I recall a story about my mom stopping the car and making one of my brothers friends get out and pick up something he tossed out of the car. This was probably in the early 60’s. So, I’m sure my mom would have hauled any of us to the police station if she knew we committed a crime.


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## Deni (Feb 22, 2022)

Devil's Advocate said:


> You might be correct in a place like Japan but here in the culture of presumed exceptionalism I'd say 90% is being charitable.


I certainly don't disagree that "Merica has some of the jerkiest people on the planet. But if we're talking 10% of passengers being a problem that would mean (by pre-pandemic ridership level) that the average Metra train would have over 10 problem passengers per rail car, so a rush hour train train could have 50-100 problem jackwads. That just doesn't add up. Even 1% would be a lot of crappy people, 10% and every conductor would quit.


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## Devil's Advocate (Feb 22, 2022)

Deni said:


> I certainly don't disagree that "Merica has some of the jerkiest people on the planet. But if we're talking 10% of passengers being a problem that would mean (by pre-pandemic ridership level) that the average Metra train would have over 10 problem passengers per rail car, so a rush hour train train could have 50-100 problem jackwads. That just doesn't add up. Even 1% would be a lot of crappy people, 10% and every conductor would quit.


Not every problem passenger will cause trouble on every trip but it's not hard to imagine that 10% are _capable_ of obnoxious behavior and throwing adult tantrums as soon as something minor sets them off. Even when things go smoothly it's often because the rest of us were able to identify flaky behavior and chose to give a wide berth to the Karen's traveling among us. On a trip last summer there were two women cussing up a huge storm about whoever wronged them and what was coming next. The rest of us chose not to engage them and that more than anything is what kept things moving.


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