#29 State Bus

This bus picks up and drops off right in front of my house, so sometimes if I’m in a rush, I have to jump on. Welcome to hopelessness…
Let me start out by saying that the CTA rules of «No Smoking, Eating, Littering or Radio Playing» do not apply here. Nor do any rules of civilized behavior in the 21^st century. Go ahead and scream on your cell phone or yell at, or beat your kids, or anyone else for that matter. Beggars and dope addicts abound, and feel free to beg for money or pass out right on top of you at a moments notice. It’s ok to push and shove people here and there, or swear and be vulgar in front of small children — who cares, just do whatever you want as long as its rude, crude, disgusting and gross.
If you are disabled or elderly and need a seat, well good luck to you. Everyone is too busy screaming on their prepaid cell phones, or licking their fingers from their 99 cent breakfast of Flaming Hot cheese curls and Orange Crush, and really can’t be bothered with your handicaps. The #29 bus is the biggest collection of downtrodden, broken spirits I’ve witnessed in my life. God bless the poor drivers. I’m sure that if you get punished at CTA, they put you on this route as penance.
This bus is a three-​ring subsidized halfway house on wheels. You’ve got whinos in their pajamas, crazies talking to themselves, homeless folks; self proclaimed preachers and general weirdoes at large. And to say that it’s filthy is a gross understatement. I never thought it was possible to actually slip on a slice on bologna on the floor of a bus, but here it’s happened to me before. I’ve also been lucky enough to step on a hand towel, completely soaked in blood. Getting the picture yet?
What’s better, is that the end of the line on this route is Navy Pier, so you can only imagine what happens when you have unsuspecting suburban families and tourists climbing onboard. WELCOME TO CHICAGO! Run for your life! I guarantee you’ll be bringing horror stories back to your Smallvilles after a trip on this bus.
I agree with another reviewer, if you take this bus much further south than say the police station, you might as well put a gun to your head (before someone else does). In closing, the best part about the #29 bus is getting off of it.

I’ve taken this bus back and forth over the past week from wherever to the Bally Total Fitness near 87^th Street to utilize the 7-​Day guest pass I unexpectedly received in the mail.
I do agree. This bus runs through some very scary, botched-​up terrain, but the attitude of the passengers has greatly improved since the last time I rode it more than once back in late 2007. The problem may be that I don’t ride this bus during the nighttime hours like I did back then.
I do disagree with the previous reviewer, on one piece. I don’t care about welfare mamas with 15 kids, as long as they fold the freakin’ strollers before they board (something mothers in the ghetto don’t believe in doing) and don’t fuss at or slap the kids over unnecessary, petty mess, something which makes me want to make the kids motherless. Sorry, but I love kids, and I can’t stand those who abuse them in any way.
Something to beware of. I mentioned the Bally Total Fitness near 87^th. Oh my gosh, if you’re traveling southbound to this Bally location on this bus, wow, Lafayette is so potholey from 85^th to 87^th Street. All those times I used the #29 to get to the club which has a #29 stop right outside of it, I always said to the bus driver before I got off, «They need to fix these streets! I wonder why this bus hasn’t fallen apart in little pieces!»

Don’t take this bus south of Roosevelt unless you have to, like I did. You will see everyone’s most hated types of CTA people — bums, Welfare mamas with 15 kids, blind guys singing, people begging for money, toddlers eating Cheetos and drinking soda (WTF)…the list goes on, but I think I gave you a good idea.