Over the last two-plus weeks, I have been taking care of my younger daughter here in Chicago, where she attends Loyola University, as she recovers from foot surgery. She cannot put any weight on the foot for at least another week, so she must use crutches and wear a cumbersome but protective “boot” whenever she wants to get about. Jenny has discovered such a means of locomotion is exhausting, difficult and at times precarious, so we have limited our travels beyond her apartment only to necessary visits to the doctor. It has been an eye-opening experience for me to see just how challenging, even in this era of mandated “handicapped-access” public facilities, traveling about a city can be for those with limited mobility. For our first visit down to The Loop in the heart of downtown Chicago, we took the CTA Red Line. Fortunately, the el stop is just a long block away from Jenny’s place, and it has an elevator rising from street level to the platform. Of course, when you’re on crutches, “just” a block is still a long way to go, and the uneven surface of the platform next to the drop to the rails can be daunting. Once on the train, Jenny found a way to get her foot propped up on the seat next to her after maneuvering around the grab rails. When I glanced up to check our progress on the route map, I noticed for the first time that there were only three stations designated as handicap-accessible between our stop at the northern end of the Red Line and our departure point at least 15 stations south at Jackson Ave. This meant there were only three places where someone in a wheelchair could access this particular branch of the public transit system. At other stations one might find escalators (which Jenny found she could manage, but not without a little fear in both our hearts!). Otherwise, one must be able to negotiate long flights of steep, narrow stairs. On that particular excursion we decided to take a taxi for our trip home, a wise decision due to the heat and Jenny’s rapidly waning strength — despite the $25 tab. Our second trip downtown a week later was slightly easier because we at least knew where the difficulties lay and how to pace ourselves. That time we took a bus back north. I do have to note that virtually everywhere we went people were very kind in holding doors open, making room on the nearest bench or seat and offering Jenny encouragement and wishes for a quick recovery. The bus driver lowered the boarding ramp so it was easier for Jen to climb on and off the vehicle, and cabbies were quick to pull over and assist us in getting her in and out of the car. Our lengthiest and most challenging trip yet occurred yesterday, when we ventured out to LaGrange Park in the suburbs west of Chicago for a weekend visit with married daughter Sarah. Slightly cooler temperatures, lower humidity and a nice breeze made the first part of the journey easier than the previous two (and Jenny’s arm muscles have certainly gotten stronger!). We even managed a stop at a Garrett’s Popcorn Shop (I can’t visit Chicago without at least one visit there) between hopping off the el and grabbing a cab to Union Station. Once at the station, it was a long and harrowing slog down two escalators, up and down corridors and ramps to the track which would take us on a Metra train to LaGrange. We arrived at a crowded bench just opposite the entrance to the track with a good half hour to spare before departure. Here we confronted the first instance in three weeks of inconsiderate behavior: two obviously young and healthy women firmly kept their seats, even after two grandmotherly ladies next to them jumped up to offer their places to Jenny when it was clear the younger ones weren’t going to budge (and there were a few “gentlemen” who didn’t seem to be at all infirm that were much slower to move than the two gracious ladies, too).  Criminey! We made it on and off the train without too much more difficulty and again with some courteous help from other travelers and Metra employees. These experiences have made me much more aware and sensitive to the difficulties and hardships a physically challenged traveler must endure. I am committed to being more conscious of such folks when I am out and about in the future and offering them a helping hand whenever and however I can. — Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader