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Listen to the Consider This podcast from NPR. You ever have a rough day where you just get grumpier, the longer you have to wait for

the train to get home? It's cold and dark. The train is taking its sweet old time. And my God,

what is that awful smell?

Just when you think you've had enough, something unexpected happens, maybe even magical.

You hear some faint holiday music and see twinkling colorful lights off in the distance, getting brighter and brighter.

Then you see him.

It's Santa Claus, riding on the CTA holiday train.

Christina Bidorf says years ago, this was her first encounter with the CTA holiday train.

Completely unexpected, totally delightful.

You know, we'd like to complain about the

CTA. And the one thing that I know for sure where we're like, all right, let bygones be bygones

is when they roll out these trains and buses, I'm like, the CTA can do no harm. And like,

that's a great mentality to go into in the new year.

Christina originally came from the Philippines.

And Christmas is heavily celebrated in her family.

So she was totally on board with this holiday tradition in the city.

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