Today, we're at O'Hare Station for a ride on the CTA Blue Line to Clark/Lake. This is my first of many videos from my recent trip to Chicago, and I hope you're as excited as I am!
Unfortunately, the first CTA operator I encountered on this trip was not so enthusiastic. She stopped the train in the middle of a tunnel to tell me that I wasn't allowed to film, which isn't true. I politely acknowledged her, and continued about my business. At the next station, she opened the door again to shake her head and say something I couldn't quite make out since the doors were open and it was loud. I believe she was saying she was calling someone. No one ever came though. Finally, she was visibly upset when I exited the train and moved to film the departure.
Filming in public is a protected activity, and it's our duty to fight for it. It's also important that we're respectful to transit employees, even if they're incorrect. In this case, it seems like her opinion was based on personal discomfort being in video rather than any safety or passenger comfort factors (although those aren't necessarily good reasons themselves).
My #1 rule for making these videos never changes.
If you don't want to be in the video, then don't be in the video!
That means that the purpose of my videos is to film the environment around me. Not the people in that environment. If you do something to stand out from that, and you want to be a star, congratulations! You're officially in the video!
Anyways, enough ranting. If you've made it this far in the description, I'd love to know your thoughts. Thanks for being a loyal viewer!
Filmed with GoPro Hero 10 Black on 5/26/2023