Essay & illustration
by Greg Kassen

This past winter, when temperatures were low and snows frequent, I decided to travel into the Big City via MetroLink. I live in Albers, a small town in Southern Illinois. Here on the east side of the river, we believe that the train has become more unsafe the longer it has been around. This opinion reigns despite many articles, studies and officials arguing to the contrary. I have been fairly ignorant about the realities of the urban conveyance, having only traveled amid large crowds to infrequent Cardinal games or major wrestling events. Nonetheless, I shared my fellow Illinoisans’ fear of the Metro. I wanted to experience the ride solo, so I went without a crowd on a random snowy Tuesday.