I can’t tell you the last time I was at McCormick Place other than it was before they expanded it making it the largest convention center in North America. Groupon had a deal on half-price admission to the Chicago Auto Show, so we decided to check it out today just so we could do something different as this winter has been the suckiest ever thanks to all the snow and crazy cold temps.
The show was pretty interesting. We got there at 10 am just as they opened and after checking out the Ford vehicles, we ended up riding in a Toyota Tundra on a test track. We were both impressed with how roomy the extended cab is in that truck; it’s got more legroom than any car we’ve even been in. Plus it handles like a champ going up and down steep hills.
After that we ended up going on a Jeep Wrangler so we could each get a reusable canvas bag Jeep was giving out as they are quite nice (we also got bags from Ford and State Farm Insurance). We took a break for a quick snack we had brought from home (I like that they allow outside food/drinks) before checking out the rest of the cars. Overall we spent about three hours at the show which was plenty because it just kept getting more and more crowded.
My only complaint is their ridiculous bag-checking practice because it’s a waste of time. I had a small book bag and just opened one section that the security guard quickly glanced at. I could have had any number of weapons in a different section, plus there weren’t any metal detectors. It just seems silly to even bother checking bags if you’re not going to do a thorough job of it. What a joke.