CTA launches courtesy campaign
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A new CTA customer courtesy campaign aims to remind customers about courteous behavior on buses and trains.
Talk to anyone who commutes regularly on the CTA, and chances are, they've experienced something that's gotten on their nerves.
"There are some times when I'm riding the escalator trying to go down and there's someone standing right in front, and I'm like, 'Excuse me,' and they're like, texting on their phone," said Tiffany Murph, a CTA commuter.
"Someone's music is too loud, especially if it's music you don't like," said Chris Shannon, a CTA commuter.
"When people are blocking the door or blocking the seat," said Shahi Nawab, a CTA commuter.
So the CTA is trying to promote more courteous behavior among its passengers, launching a campaign featuring a series of messages to be placed on buses and trains.
"We really wanted to promote conversation and to show some outlandish things that get people to think twice about their behavior and other riders," said Brian Steele, CTA spokesperson.
Eye-catching ads that are meant to be humorous looks at the top complaints from CTA riders. Complaints such as passengers who play music too loud, block the doors or don't offer up their seats to those in need.
"Some of the images we use are photoshopped to create things you would never see in real life, such as a rail car completely filled with garbage," Steele said.
The CTA used feedback from social media, calls to its customer service center and observations from its own employees to develop the ads.
Many riders say the courtesy campaign is a good idea, but some wonder what impact it will really have.
"People who are courteous are gonna be courteous regardless, and the people who are not, this is not going to affect anything, I don't think," said Ibraheem Akinbiyi, a CTA commuter.
More information about the campaign is available at www.transitchicago.com/courtesy
