"My baby takes the morning train..."

Few things geek me out more than urban transit. I accept that I'm an oddity, but I really do love it.

Today in geeky transit goodness: We're setting up an email list for folks on campus who ride the Metra. The list started as an email list for commuters to relay information, and it's growing to include people who live near the College but make use of the Metra for fun. Within an hour-and-a-half of sending out a simple email about the list that asked people if they'd like to join, I already have 31 people on the list. And, I know there are others out there.

All of this started with one professor, who got in touch with a few other train commuters to see if they wanted to join him in asking our President to ask the city to do a better job salting the sidewalks. A total of 22 people were in on that plea, and the networking involved in that showed that we really do lack a means of communicating with one another as a group -- oftentimes because we just don't know who all is out there.

I think the thing that makes me most excited today is the prospect of power in numbers. We're a forgotten population, both around campus and in the greater community, and with this growing network of folks, the potential for mobilizing change also grows. One day, we may indeed have some love from the RTA for the reverse commuters. Today, I'll take the campus love for the email list.