Safety Tips in Chicago

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Lest you think we joke about the bad traffic in Chicago the 2 pictures shown here are on Interstate 55 the main southwest highway into and out of Chicago.

These pictures were taken on a Saturday afternoon about 1:30 p.m. No major sporting events were going on, the weather was overcast, no traffic accidents. These were pictures leaving the city heading southwest.

The source of the 4 mile bumper to bumper before the traffic magically opens up. The number of entrances to the highway where cars are merging in the far right lane. I stuck to the left lane, but no lane moved very quickly.

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We like to joke and say when people ask about seasons in Chicago that we really only have 2 seasons - Winter and Construction. It seems that in recent years the winters have been more mild and thus the construction season goes on now between March 1 and December 1 every year.

Sometimes it is just minor construction and you will only have to detour a block or two out of the way. But other projects, especially ones on our highway systems surrounding town, or on Wacker Driver in downtown Chicago during 2011 and 2012 as depicted a little bit in my first picture can be a real headache for those who don't know how to avoid it by taking alternate routes or shortcuts that only true Chicagoans know about.

If you are visiting the city it is best to park your car and take the numerous forms of public transportation we have.

In a related article that came out on the same day as my previous warning/danger tip was this about hanging out at the beautiful Chicago beaches:

Beaches and parks are closed from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. so even though you can catch the sun setting in the west (not that easy looking west from Chicago towards to suburbs with all those huge buildings in the way), you wouldn't be able to legally see the sun rise in the east (looking toward Indiana or Michigan) over Lake Michigan in the summer months when the sun gets up before 6:00 a.m.

Your punishment if caught - Up to a $500 fine.

UPDATE: Added this picture on a Chicago day in Mid-May. The beach season really doesn't get started until the end of May and trust me you wouldn't want to spend too much time here until then as the water is just starting to lose its winter chill.

After the official VT meeting ended in Chicago in June, 2011 I got up early Sunday morning since we were staying at a hotel downtown and went on my own photo safari between 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. While walking by the Chicago River I happened upon the City of Chicago Auto Pound and saw this demolished high end cab.

When I saw the writing on the side of the cab (which you may or may not be able to read from the photo) it says that the accident with another car, concrete medium strip or something had occurred about 3 hours before I took this picture a little after 3:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning. There were some injuries for sure.

So moral of the story. If you are driving in Chicago be careful. Like most big cities it is better to walk or take public transportation. And even if you opt for a cab ride some things may happen if another driver isn't exactly paying attention or has had a few too many drinks that evening.

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A place to get ready for delays. We traveled from Naperville, about 30 miles west of the city center and it took 2 hours in bumper to bumper traffic. This time of yer they start the road work on top of the continual lines of commuter traffic. It is UGH, and this is a main reason I left the area. It takes not too long to get frustrated and mad.

As Chicago gets ready for its annual Taste of Chicago festival I saw an interesting article about Chicago festivals and BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle). Here is some of what the article said:

"Carrying alcohol into street festivals, Taste of Chicago, Outdoor Film Festivals, parks or beaches isn't allowed."

"City ordinance prohibits drinking alcohol on the public way with a penalty of $100 to $500 fine, 6 months in jail or both."

"Millennium Park does allow alcohol at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the Great Lawn for most public performances. However, an outside concert promoter may prohibit taking alcohol into the park for ticketed events."

Finally, "it's legal to take alcohol to picnics at Cook County forest preserves" (that's the county Chicago is in) "as long as the drinker is of age, at least 50 feet from the roadway and not intoxicated."

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One of my favorite sites in Chicago is the Clarence Buckingham Fountain, known as "Buckingham Fountain". Much to my dismay, this last trip to Chicago in September of 2008, the beautiful and popular fountain is off limits to visitors and surrounded by a tall construction fence [see photo #2].

The only reason I have a photo of it is because the gates to the construction fence were opened so that a huge construction truck could go out on the street. Traffic was stopped, the doors were held open by two construction workers, and so I stepped up and took the photograph {#1}

Buckingham Fountain is the main attraction in Grant Park. This fountain was commisioned in 1927 by Kate Buckingham to honor her late brother Clarence. Its design is based on the "Bassin de Latome" at the Palace of Versailles near Paris.

Buckingham Fountain has a central jet that shoots water up to 150 feet [46m]. Usually each night in the summer a computerized choreography of color spotlights make for spectacular night views of this glorious fountain.

It was sad to look beyond the gates to see the famous dolphins that surround the fountain over in a pile while the revamping is in progress. This is quite a project and a very expensive undertaking.

So, to all visitors to Chicago: be aware of this project; hopefully, it will be completed by the opening of the summer season.

Along with that beautiful scenic, elaborate hotel, (and right outside it) there are probably the most bums Ive ever seen in a downtown area with hardly no police anywhere. I dont remember seeing that many bums in Miami! I thought there were waaaayyyyyy too many beggers right in that area of downtown for it to be a tourist spot. We had to walk over to the Hilton Chicago on Michigan Ave for our conferences and all of those streets getting there were filled with bums and beggers. No one bothered us because everyone in my group just happened to be from rough neighborhoods growing up and we all have plenty of street smarts. But for you not so street smart types--take off ALL of your jewelry, do not stop to talk to any of those bums, do not offer them money because they will tell you $2-3 is not enough and that can cause a confrontation, (apparently the bums in Chicago want a cost of living increase in their donations), ignore them, do not adjust your money in your wallet in public, get to where you are going, and get back to where you came from. End of story.

There wasnt hardly if any at all along the lakefront of Michigan Ave but behind that street is where everything is and also where all of those bums are. There is also a park directly in front of the Hilton Chicago right across the street. Stay out of there as well. There are homeless people everywhere and it just has an unsafe feeling even across the street from the Hilton Chicago.