Security at CHI?

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need more info. just what happend to your friend. did it take him a hour to walk back into the station or a hour for the train to get back in.
 
Aloha

More information please. About a month ago, I was in CHI and did not observe any unusual security. And on the day I was there Richard Simmons was there in the Great Hall promoting his health program, so the place was crowded.

The Lounge was an excellent escape from the TV STAR MANIA in the station.
 
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During the long layover between western and eastern trains, he exited the station to see a bit of Chicago. He said it took an hour in security before he could get back in.
 
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what would cause a hour in security. it doesn't even take that long to go through the security check points at the airport(waiting for other people to get through is what takes so long). was there a long line or something
 
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I haven't been in CUS in over a year. Do they have security check points, now? I've never seen any before.
 
im wondering if it was some kind of special event that hes not telling so they had extra security. maybe that train day event or something,
 
I went through there in March. Parked in the parking garage, walked right in. I didn't even see anyone who looked like they were from security.
 
What exactly is " In security ". What does in security mean? Were you in line being checked out ? Did you go through some kind of check at a door or gate ? Did something affect you, as in a search of you or your luggage? I just dont get " In security "
 
edibot42 said:
I was talking to a friend and he told me that it took an hour to get back into Chicago Union Station because of security. Is this true?
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I was there on the 9th of May. One Amtrak police-person asked in a gate area for all to show thier tickets(this seems to be routine now). Of course many had them locked in a suitcase so it did take time. It was crowded(train day) and I think some non riders(homeless and train day guests) were catching up on CNN news or just resting. Jim
 
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MrFSS said:
I haven't been in CUS in over a year. Do they have security check points, now? I've never seen any before.
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No problems noted on May 1st. Came in on the CONL, spent the day in CHI and went back out on the LSL.

Gord
 
The only obvious security measure at Union Station in Chicago is the barricading of most traffic, including taxis, from the indoor ramp in the Great Hall building ever since 9/11 -- an idiotic waste of a good facility, especially when you consider that the central post office just down the street has unregulated, underground parking in the building..

Other than that, it's basically what I would call an open station. No ticket barriers or anything. Pretty remarkable given that including commuters it handles more than 30 million passengers a year.
 
The only real "Security" I've seen at CUS were the few Police sitting at the Police counter and maybe some walking around. I've never saw any checkpoints or machines - like at the airport. With the large number of commuters everyday, many get to the station 5-10 minutes before their trains depart.

I think maybe there was either some event or threat that day.
 
photoeditor said:
The only obvious security measure at Union Station in Chicago is the barricading of most traffic, including taxis, from the indoor ramp in the Great Hall building ever since 9/11 -- an idiotic waste of a good facility, especially when you consider that the central post office just down the street has unregulated, underground parking in the building..
Other than that, it's basically what I would call an open station. No ticket barriers or anything. Pretty remarkable given that including commuters it handles more than 30 million passengers a year.
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I wonder if the commuters are part of what save us from some of the airport idiocity. Inflicting airport style security on daily commutes would probably have a huge negative impact on the economy, which is probably part of what prevents it from happening.
 
edibot42 said:
I was talking to a friend and he told me that it took an hour to get back into Chicago Union Station because of security. Is this true?
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If President Obama decided to take the train from Washington to Chicago, I suspect that they'd have CUS buttoned down pretty tight. Other than that, I can't imagine why it would take an hour to get back into CUS. We've been there several times and we're smokers, so we wander in and out several times during a layover. We've never been stopped, or questioned. It's simply up the escalator, out the door --- smoke --- then back in the door and down the escalator. :)
 
ThayerATM said:
If President Obama decided to take the train from Washington to Chicago, I suspect that they'd have CUS buttoned down pretty tight.
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Unless he went somewhere in Chicago other than CUS, which might make sense depending on the purpose of the trip. (Admittedly, if the trip is an ``Obama supports trains'' publicity stunt / photo op, CUS may be the right place for the photo op, and for anything other than that, the security hassles might make the train trip not worth the effort at all.)
 
Joel N. Weber II said:
ThayerATM said:
If President Obama decided to take the train from Washington to Chicago, I suspect that they'd have CUS buttoned down pretty tight.
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Unless he went somewhere in Chicago other than CUS, which might make sense depending on the purpose of the trip. (Admittedly, if the trip is an ``Obama supports trains'' publicity stunt / photo op, CUS may be the right place for the photo op, and for anything other than that, the security hassles might make the train trip not worth the effort at all.)
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My point was only that was a "potential" reason to have heavy security at CUS. <_< I doubt that the President would take the train unless it was a photo-op. He's got Air Force 1 at his disposal, and that plane would land and taxi to a distant part of the airport where his supporting entourage of security would put him in an armored SUV, and whisk him off to wherever it was that he was going. The President doesn't have bother with the airport security that we have to put up with.
 
OP, what kind of problem did you have. More information please! What happened to you. What does " In security " mean?
 
Sorry about my vague post, but i'm pretty sure my friend meant that it took him an hour between walking in the door and arriving at the platform due to long security. I don't have any info beyond that.
 
edibot42 said:
Sorry about my vague post, but i'm pretty sure my friend meant that it took him an hour between walking in the door and arriving at the platform due to long security. I don't have any info beyond that.
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But the question is, what security? There isn't any there. So, how can it be long?
 
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