On the Bi-Level celebrates its 25th anniversary

What is the “most outrageous letter” ever published in Metra’s on-board newsletter? Why did one rider use its pages to thank a woman who threw a glass of water at her? Is there a polite way to turn a magazine page? Who is the perfect Metra rider, anyway? And what happened when Metra asked riders to say something nice for a change?

 

The answers to those questions can be found in this month’s edition of On the Bi-Level, which marks the newsletter’s 25th birthday. The special eight-page issue contains the highlights of the newsletter’s efforts over the years to inform riders, promote safety, answer questions and – most notably – give riders a place to vent about that seat-hogging, loud-talking, aisle-blocking guy on their train.

 

On the Bi-Level began in the winter of 1985, less than a year after Metra was born and just as the agency started using the Metra name. The idea was to give periodic updates about happenings at Metra while promoting railroad safety. It also asked riders to submit comments or questions so we could address their concerns.

 

The first issue began with a quote that explained the newsletter’s mission: “If you don’t tell it like it is, you’ll never get it like it ought to be.”  The title fit that theme, although the pun was clearer in the original punctuation: On the (Bi)Level. It said: We’re going to level with you, the riders of our bi-level coaches. (A redesign in October 2002 dropped the parentheses in favor of a hyphen.)

 

Answering questions from passengers was a regular feature almost from the start. But it soon became apparent that riders wanted to complain about the habits and behaviors of their fellow riders, which is why the newsletter launched “Sound Off” in the October/November 1989 issue. It quickly became the most popular feature.

 

“This compilation of (almost) verbatim plaints, remarks and quips will apply a small dose of not-so-subtle peer pressure in an effort to resolve those areas of chronic concern to you, the Metra rider,” the newsletter explained in 1989. “Does something that happens on your train get your goat? Tell us. We expose goat-getters.”

 

Metra knows of no other company that allows its customers to vent annoyances in such a way.

 

As the special issue demonstrates, the complaints haven’t changed much over the years. Gripes about overly loud Walkman headphones are now gripes about overly loud iPod headphones. Complaints about people subjecting others to their “portable phone” conversations are now gripes about cell phone calls. People are still hogging more than one seat, blocking the aisles and bringing strong-smelling food onto the train.

 

The newsletter never claimed it could resolve all the issues. In fact, at one point it said, “If Metra thought we could eradicate rudeness from the face of the earth, we’d stop running trains, open up charm schools and make millions.” But the newsletter has proven to be an effective forum of customer exchange, and perhaps has changed some individual behavior, anyway.

 

The special issue is appearing on trains this week. It has also been posted on Metra’s website, in the Newsroom. As a special bonus, the very first newsletter has also been posted on the site.