http://www.sunicamarkovic.com/music.html
Christmas Music
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sunica2
...
A commute worth taking
November 20, 2009
By STEPHANIE BEHNE For Sun-Times Media
Look around Naperville and you'll find train commuters in all sorts of curious places.
Rich Pier, 55, takes the westbound BNSF and exits at the Naperville stop. Living in Chicago and working here, Pier is known as a reverse commuter. In his case, he treks from his South Loop home to the Metra station, rides the train, then walks 15 minutes to his job at the Naperville Tennis Club. In spite of some striking differences, the experience of taking the train to Naperville is much like taking it away. Pier, who acts as head pro and director of tennis, still puts his unique stamp on the strangely familiar, yet somewhat unusual, means of getting to work.
"For a long time, I didn't take the train ... I drove all the time," Pier says.
» Click to enlarge image
Rich Pier commutes from Chicago to the downton train station then walks to the Naperville Tennis Club where he works. He's shown here Nov. 15 on his way from the station. Terence Guider-Shaw / For The Sun
» Click to enlarge image
Rich Pier commutes from Chicago to the downton train station then walks to the Naperville Tennis Club where he works. He's shown here Nov. 15 on his way from the station. Terence Guider-Shaw / For The Sun
Commuting to Naperville for the last 10 years, he still drives to work about half the time. He moved to the sometimes train/sometimes driving commute about five years ago, and even though "... at both ends, (the train commute) extends (his) day," Pier figures reverse commuting has distinct advantages.
"I really enjoy taking the train. It's a relaxing thing," Pier starts, then pauses. "Actually, I get a lot of exercise. I have my running shoes on, so I jog to Union Station, get up here (Naperville) and jog back (to the station). It's more of a cardiovascular workout, too."
So, walking, running, car or bus -- one must get to and from the stations to board the Metra. Add this travel to the train ride to get a true measure of time spent commuting. In Pier's case, it takes about 20 minutes to get to Union Station.
"Usually my more intense jog would be getting to the train in the morning because I'll be rushing to make it," he says, laughing.
But once there, Pier knows that timing is more important than ever. A good train commuter, reverse or not, knows that express trains are key to a streamlined trip -- time on the rails is cut almost in half. Between 6:25 and 8:30 a.m. there are far more express trains running to Union Station (eight) than to Naperville (three). With an express train, Pier's commute is about an hour and 10 minutes.
"Usually, the trains I take (to Naperville in the morning), if not the 6:30 a.m., are either the 7 or the 7:20. Those are all expresses," Pier sys. "If I miss the 7:20," he jokes, "I get the 7:45, and that stops everywhere, so I never take the 7:45."
He chooses to arrive in Naperville early, whether he needs to or not -- the "local" train would tack on an extra 20 minutes. And like most people, Pier works past 4:40, so he misses the last express departing at 5. He takes a "long" ride home -- either the 6:30 or 8:30 pm. Pier chooses not to dwell on the added travel (and work) time. Considering that the amount of travel to the stations doesn't change (about 35 minutes each way), Pier likes to shave off minutes wherever he can.
"What I wish they would do is put in another train going back in to Chicago," he says. "There's that two-hour gap -- 6:30 to 8:30. I wish they'd put in a 7:30, just for a buffer, you know. I think a lot of people mention the same thing."
In spite of restrictions on Rich's ability to come and go when he wants to, he remains positive about the switch to public transportation.
The trains coming to Naperville aren't nearly as full, he says. The train holds more appeal in other ways, too.
"In fact, a pretty good friend of mine now, is someone I actually met on the train. She does the same thing I do," he says. "That's kinda fun -- you meet different people."
"Another reason I like it, it's less wear and tear on your car," Pier says. "There have been times since I've lived in the city when I don't use my car much ... where I haven't even started my car for about 16 days ... it's in the garage there."
He can tell you about delays and weather, like any commuter can, or the reading or sleeping he does on a train trip. Once, there was commotion on the other side of the platform -- he found out later it was a bomb scare. All in all, one gets the feeling that, in spite of the downsides, Pier likes reverse commuting. It just feels different.
"You get into Union Station in the morning and (see) the hustle and bustle of everyone ... it's kind of a lively atmosphere. It's more interesting than just getting in my car and driving here ... I don't
Loading...
0:32
bio_radiation spe_ctr_umby sunicamarkovicNo views
Link to this comment:
All Comments (0)