Happy November! A Love Letter to CTA Heat Lamps
By Samantha Abernethy in News on Nov 4, 2011 9:20PM
Ah, November. The drop of the temperatures, the drop of the leaves. We don't really get much of a fall in Chicago. Once November hits, it seems the weather is in a hurry to build an icebox around us. It's time to start layering, throwing on those puffy vests and/or a thick coat of whiskey.
Something special happens on the first of November, though. The Chicago Transit Authority turns on the heat lamps at the elevated platforms across the city. It brings a sense of community to the typical anonymity of public transit. Upon reaching the platform people make a beeline for the glowing lights and squeeze into the metal cage of the heat lamps. It makes us feel like a rotisserie chicken or a Big Mac waiting to be taken away.
After a minute or two passes, the lights click off, and everyone instinctively reaches for the metal button to fire it back up. People maybe start to talk about the weather. "Will it snow?" "I hear it'll be colder tomorrow." "This is the worst winter ever."
The heat lamps are just one of those little reasons we love this city. When it gets cold in Chicago, everyone pushes through it together. You're not alone in wondering when your toes will be warm again, and we know how to deal with it. While the Accuweather forecasts show this may be one of Chicago's worst winters ever, that is a huge part of the Chicago identity, weeding out the weak and building up the city's big shoulders. Weather, bring your worst. We know how to handle it.