No More Bar Cars on Metra (Orland Park, Union: buy, live in, bars)

[via chicago]

Oh well, at least theres still BYOB

Metra says so long to its rail saloons -- chicagotribune.com

[aragx6]

I didn't even know that was a thing and now I'm sad it's gone LOL!

[BJT83]

Haha, I didn't either until my friend who lives in Barlett told me about having one on her train. I used to take the Southwest line from Union and we didn't have one. Pity.

The reasons for getting rid of it are good, at least.

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by BJT83

The reasons for getting rid of it are good, at least.

I doubt they're actually adding much if any more seating. Despite what they say. it sounds to me like they don't want to be liable for alcohol sales. Whereas at least with BYOB they're not technically the ones at fault if someone rams their car up a phone pole after they get off.

[cdc3217]

Originally Posted by via chicago

I doubt they're actually adding much if any more seating. Despite what they say. it sounds to me like they don't want to be liable for alcohol sales. Whereas at least with BYOB they're not technically the ones at fault if someone rams their car up a phone pole after they get off.

Its a whole train car - it will definitely add seats.
But is another one of those CHiago traditions thrown by thewayside - like CTA tokens and el cars that have windows that open - that I'm sad to see go.

[long101]

I dont take the Metra much but if I did live in the burbs I would definetly hit this up on a Friday. On a side note can you really byob?

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by long101

On a side note can you really byob?

Yes. Hell, I've seen people drinking out of full-size coolers on the way to ballgames. I see women popping bottles of wine on Friday afternoons. Not to mention Union Station has 2 bars, along with all the "to go" carts selling tallboys during the rush hour home. The only time you cant is when there are big events going on downtown or on holidays (i.e. the Taste, Air & Water Show, fireworks, etc)

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

I have had a beer or two on the Metra before, but never in the bar car (as they've been gone from the lines I ride for years).

I used to ride from Union Station down to Orland Park a lot, and there was one guy who would bring a cooler onto the train every day with a six pack in it, and I'll be damned if he didn't go pretty far towards polishing it off in the hour the train ride took.

He said his wife would send him to work every morning with the thing filled with six cans of soda and he'd drink those at work, and then buy himself 6 cans of beer and drink those, too. (In case you're keeping track, assuming the soda wasn't diet, that's be 12-1800 calories in beverages alone. Every day. Guy had a gut on him.)

I was in London this summer when they were about to ban beer on public transportation. Cans of beer on the double-deckers. Fun times.

[Drover]

Unfortunately you can't drink on the CTA trains (or maybe it's a good thing or else the trains would probably become The Stew-Bum Shuttle), but there are some times when I have such a "f*&k it all" day that I crack one open anyway.

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by Drover

Unfortunately you can't drink on the CTA trains (or maybe it's a good thing or else the trains would probably become The Stew-Bum Shuttle), but there are some times when I have such a "f*&k it all" day that I crack one open anyway.

The ironic thing is theres really no one to stop you from doing it on the L.