FWP - NATO Summit Version

As some of you may know, Chicago will be hosting the NATO summit this weekend. For those of us that commute to the city from the suburbs, we are all being hugely inconvenienced in so many ways.

1) Many of my friends' offices are closed or they are encouraged to work from home. Since my office is located on the complete opposite end of the loop of the summit, my office will be open with business as usual. It is our busy season so I have plenty to do in the office, but I don't think I'd turn down the chance of a free day off. Just sayin...

First World Problem


2) I ride the Metra train into the city every morning. I usually come with a bag for my lunch, a gym bag, and my giant purse that fits my iPad and sunglasses case, amongst other garbage. Also, some days, I have a cup of coffee on the train to help wake me up. For the 3 days of the summit, there are very strict restrictions on what is and is not allowed on the train. A small excerpt is below:

1. Riders may be subject to search and/or screening before boarding or while en route.
2. Riders may carry only one bag not exceeding 15 inches square and 4 inches deep. Boxes, parcels, luggage, backpacks and bicycles will not be allowed on trains. Banned items cannot be stored at Metra stations. They must be removed or they will be disposed of.
3. Riders may not carry any food or liquids on the trains. This includes coffee and other beverages.
4. Riders may not carry any type of tools, pipes, stakes, wood or weapons, including pocket knives and pepper spray, on the trains.
5. Law enforcement personnel must identify themselves and present their credentials and any weapons. Security guards will not be allowed to carry any weapons onboard. 

Do we think this is a little extreme? No morning coffee? No bag lunches? No Lean Cuisines? What about those with a laptop bag? One would have to carry the laptop, cord, and mouse in their hands because they're not allowed to carry a bag of that size? What about those that work construction and need tools for their job? What about students that use their backpacks for all of their books? Also, apparently no one can workout on those days either. Only little purses and clutches allowed. I think all of us everyday commuters are lucky that these restrictions are only in effect for 1 business day. Still, that doesn't mean that one business day isn't going to be a huge inconvenience.

First World Problem


3) NATO Summit protesters are upset with the security restrictions as they will not be able to protest in view of the summit. I'm really hoping that these protestors don't harass us everyday commuters that are just trying to get to work. If that happens, I'm turning around and going back home. I don't expect this to happen, but I'm preparing for the worst. It is probably an extreme scenario, but something to consider anyways.

First World Problem


Do you live in Chicago? Is your life inconvenienced by this event? Let's vent our frustrations together.