When I worked downtown (my first job out of college), I never once drove to work. The first four months, I took Metra from Joliet (and either walked from the LaSalle Street station to the office on Grand and Dearborn, where Spago's is at now, or took the bus), and then the rest of the year I worked there I took the Green Line from River Forest to the Clark/Lake stop.

If I could have, I would have taken public transit from Oak Park/Forest Park up here to Riverwoods, but the one time I had to do that (damn Denver boot), it took me three hours to get the 35 miles.

Mmmm. I'm eating a big free corporate cookie right now. I don't know if they over-ordered for a meeting or were just feeling generous but this is a serious chocolate chip cookie.

The problem with talking to people is that sometimes they talk back.

Darned people.

The problem I have with "agita" is that it lives in my brain halfway between "sounds like something existential that pretentious philosophy students talk about" and House yelling "Attica! Attica! Attica!"

Why, yes, I do need more sleep, thank you so much for noticing.

Courtesy wars with the right to personal space, and too many times girls are told they're rude when they just want to be left alone.

Yes, it’s horrid how many girls put up with unwanted attention because they don’t want to be called a bitch or a dyke.

Except for Vortex who will spork you if you try to take her armrest.

don’t need a spork

Yeah, on public transportation I see a lot of men take up space from the seat next to theirs in addition to their own.

I walk up to these guys and say “excuse me” very loudly, and when they move grudgingly, sit down, taking my full allotment of space. Tip: swing your bag wide as you sit down so that they have to move to avoid it, thus allowing you to get the maximum amount of space.

don’t need a spork

She's so badass she can spork you without a spork. It's a like a zen koan.

How does one spork without spork?
Vortex.

Yeah, on public transportation I see a lot of men take up space from the seat next to theirs in addition to their own.

I gotta say, in San Francisco, while there are plenty of space-taking men, women are far more likely to spread out with their gym bag and other gear taking up two seats.

I just plop my ass down. Plenty of space!

ION, WTF is wrong with me? My boss just called me, and I knew it was her, and I picked up anyway! It turned out OK, though -- and I have had random feelings that maybe I ought to be one of the people she calls at all hours. She was calling to scream about the insane comment a senior manager made in an all-staff meeting along the lines of "this is why I'm not hiring any more people with kids!" Obviously, she was kidding, but STILL. (Formerly full-time at-home mother started working for her on Monday, didn't come back on Tuesday.)

Ooh, you know who else I HATE? The enormous backpack people! Take off your fucking backpacks, people!!

Why is it that a righteously indignant Jesse = comedy gold for me? I usually agree with her, but she amuses me.

The other day I was on the 5 going uptown at 5:30-- rush hour city. The guy next to me? NOT ONLY were his legs spread way open, and he was leaning at angle, but he he had a chain wallet-- and the chain was spread out next to him, taking up EVEN MORE SPACE! He and his damn wallet chain had two spots!

This is why I prefer the trains with delineated seats. Sometime you have to sit on the rise, but for the most part people can't take up two spots.

Ooh, you know who else I HATE? The enormous backpack people! Take off your fucking backpacks, people!!

That's one of my big pet peeves.

He and his damn wallet chain had two spots!

If you'd brought a nail gun you could've stapled his chain to the seat and left him there to ride the trains in perpetuity.