Walking to work

I walk to work via a rather unbeaten path. While most people hop a train or bus to the loop I traverse a more industrial part of town, complete with loading docks, industrial butchers, active railroad crossings and the occasional abandoned lot. It goes without saying that I feel tough that I walk to work this way. I feel especially hardened when I walk by the guy who's job it is to take the cut up pieces of meat out to the dump truck that hauls them away.

But one of my favorite things on my walk is when I cross paths with a train. It doesn't happen everyday, it might not even happen every week, but from time to time I have to stop and wait as a freight train ambles past me.

The iron horse and I made nice this morning and I was able to snap this photo. This was a particularly interesting encounter because there was danger and I enjoy danger of all sorts.

Anyway, I was walking along the tracks, listening to the J. Period Fugees Remix album with my head down when I looked up and saw the freight train coming at me. Quick, like a cat, I hopped to the side and watched as the train went by. This crossing as you may be able to see doesn't have crossing gates just the lights and bells. I think its neat that there is such train activity in Chicago. It was a city born out of that industry and continues to be a huge part of the commerce.

It was close, the train almost got me, but I made it... now, back to my desk job.