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Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Picture Archives: 'Why Can't You Take the Bus Like Everyone Else?' 
 
by Lenka Reznicek [permalink] 
For the past few years or so, the University of Chicago student association had been lobbying for a dedicated shuttle service from the South Side Red Line to campus (instead of the CTA bus), citing safety concerns during off-hours. The resolution is a bit old-school (640x480), so let me translate the handwriting. The top reads, "FOR RACIST A--HOLES!" and above the right-hand image, "WHY CAN'T YOU TAKE THE [#]55 [BUS] LIKE EVERYONE ELSE?" Thoughts?

Is it racist to use alternative transportation between a CTA train station and the University of Chicago? To be fair, robberies, muggings and assaults do occur somewhat frequently in the off-campus Hyde Park area - but the UC area isn't the only area with crime, and victimization risk isn't limited to when one waits for a bus. Other schools - like Loyola and Northwestern - also use private charter buses to shuttle students between their outlying and downtown campuses, but I haven't heard any accusations of racism because these students aren't taking the CTA.