Be sure to watch your stuff if you ride the CTA. Recent statistics from the Chicago Police Department show robbery has soared 77 percent on CTA trains, platforms and buses in the past three years - from 246 incidents in 2006 to 436 in 2008, according to a report in today's Sun-times.
I spoke with some riders in the South Loop today and many said the struggling economy is to blame. They said times are tough and people are doing whatever they can to survive and that includes stealing!
Unemployment around the state is at its highest in 17 years and more people taking public transportation these days.
But police officials aren't buying it.
They say one of the big reasons theft is up is because many riders simply don't pay attention to their surroundings. I must admit, sometimes I will hop on a train or the bus and just zone out.
What do you think? Is the rise in crime on the CTA a sign of the times or due to riders not being aware of their surroundings?
