Goodbye Refreshment Cars

[jesi2282]

This Friday marks the end of an era as Metra will retire its "Refreshment Cars". Metra has been slowing phasing out the cars for years and this Friday the last vendor to have a contract with them will expire.

Story from today's Chicago Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/c...story?track=rss

[Busjack]

I thought they were gone already, but I guess a few remained on the Milw division.

Which reminds me of one time my parents felt compelled to take my nephews downtown (to see the Field Museum, I believe; both the parents and nephews were visiting), and I told one of the nephews to "stay away from the drunk lawyers in the bar car" and she told me to shut up.

If I also remember correctly from that trip, after arriving at NW Station, we took the 130 bus. At that time they were surveying the riders, and my father said "no thanks, I'm from out of town." I said that they won't get the grant money to run it if we don't fill out the survey, so I at least did.

[Busjack]

The Tribune later reported that Metra would remove bathrooms from pre-1990 cars when they are rehabbed, to provide more seats. Of course, the Trib reported:

And some passengers may not even need a bathroom as much as they once did. As the Tribune reported Wednesday, Metra has decided to shut down its remaining 10 bar cars after this week.