A winter survival guide for those insanely brave CTA commuters

The last few years gained Chicago the reputation of an “Ice Age” city, but unlike the famous animation characters - who survive a meltdown and a confrontation with dinosaurs - people living here face another great challenge: playing peekaboo with public transportation.

There’s a study to prove it. According to the "Urban Mobility Report", released last year by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Chi Town ranked 13^th among 498 U.S. cities on a scale of the most unpredictable commute times. That includes buses too, which are especially tricky. 
Now they’re bunching, the next moment they disappear altogether into the mist of traffic. When winters roll around though, catching the CTA or becomes more like a survival race. It’s not for the weak-hearted. Just take a look at the CTA Fails Twitter page. With dozens of comments posted every day, ranging from desperation to anger, the page looks like a live rescue hotline.  

And while commuters can’t do much to hurry up a bus or a train, they can take some simple measures to fight both the boredom and the cold:

Get friendly with people around you! Time is passing by much faster when you’re not obsessively checking your buss tracking app. Don’t expect to make life-time friendships with your suffering companions, but don’t ignore them either. 
Break up the ice with a funny comment like “By this time, the Air Force troops must be looking for us” or “Do you think we should shot signal flares into the sky?” Anyone in your situation could use a hefty dose of endorphins and what better way to get them if not by laughing? Moreover, a 2012 study conducted by Markus Heinrichs and Bernadette von Dawans at the University of Freiburg, Germany, revealed we own a natural mechanism that helps us bond easier when dealing with stressing situations.

Dress like a penguin! This one is a no-brainer, but I can’t stress enough the importance of winter gear for those who regularly ride the bus. Waiting outside for five or more minutes (it’s usually at least ten) at an excruciating 19 degrees –if the wind is pitching in, it feels even colder– can feel like torture without appropriate attire. The easiest way to do this is by choosing heat-retention materials. Think wool, fur, cotton, flannel and polyester.  
The National Weather Service (NWS) recommendations are as clear as daylight: layers are your best friend, ditch the gloves in favor of mittens, cover your mouth and don’t forget about a hat since 40% of your body heat it’s lost from head.

The power of pacing. Don’t just stand there; move around! Pacing it’s going to enhance blood circulation and therefore you’ll avoid having your toes transforming into popsicles. On top of that, pacing helps control your weight. In scientifically terms, this transcribes as a non-exercises thermogenesis, which is basically any outside-he-gym movement we do that burns calories. 
Half an hour of pacing – the average time spend in a day waiting for the bus- burns up to 100 calories. That’s at least 500 calories a week deficit to counteract a Sunday worth of splurges.

Cheer up with music. Waiting in the cold for an extended period of time, particularly at night, can trigger gloomy thoughts. As a long-known remedy for depression, music will do wonders for your mood. Therapist often use 40-hertz sounds, for their calming effect on the brain. Not a fan? Then listen to whatever makes you happy.

Cheat a bit: take shelter. Choosing to enter in a cozy fast-food and give your body some rest it’s nothing to be a shame of. There will be no captain to pick on you for abandoning the “freeze your butt off, commuters!” ship. 

Go ahead; enjoy the warmth of a tea, with a smirk on your face and a spark in your eyes. Still, don’t let yourself get too absorbed by it, or else you’re going to join the next round of chili commuters.