Chicago Musings

I have never lived in a city where riding public transportation was much of a necessity. Then I visited Chicago, which is perhaps one of the most car-unfriendly cities I have ever been. There is the issue of difficult parking, difficult navigation, snow, rain, wind, and of course hyper-aggressive pedestrians. Don't worry, I have become one of those pedestrians. Although the journey does seem to take longer, riding the 'L' has been a pleasurable experience. I am able to see a cross-section of the Chicago population, and it gives me time to muse during my favorite pastime, people-watching.

Here are some of my musings that I happened to jot down during my journey today:

- In the Pacific NW there is a constellation of different outdoor apparel brands. In Chicago there are two choices, one can either go classy with a P-coat (with the obligatory scarf, of course) or one can wear The North Face. It seems that Chicagoans are less inclined to try brands with aggressive sounding names such as: Mountain Hardwear, Mountainsmith, or Outdoor Research. (I love that in Oregon, the more hardcore the image of a brand is, the more hipster points one gets.)

- I have been astounded by the number of deaf people, or rather the number of people using sign language on the L. I have seen no fewer than 10 couples signing away. This kills my ability to eavesdrop (a skill I have honed over many years) and I KNOW they are talking about me.

- I have seen what I would guess is an average number of gay men/couples in a major city. But where the hell are all the lesbians? My friend told me that I may have to have my Gay-Dar recalibrated after living in the bastion of lesbianism that is Portland. It also has forced me to reconsider how I evaluate an establishment. In Portland I know a place is cool based on the number of lesbians there.