Think You’re Stressed? Walk Around Outside the Chicago Stock Exchange

Recently I’ve found myself walking down the street that includes an entrance into the Chicago Stock Exchange in Chicago’s Loop. There are constantly traders streaming out of the building in their blue trading jackets, looking stressed and flustered. They rush across the street to the quick chinese places to grab lunch before going back to the floor.

Is it any surprise, then, that I have seen several incidents of road rage and pedestrian rage while in front of that building?

The first incident involved a homeless man with his cup extended to passerbys. I didn’t see what transpired, but by the time I got near him on the sidewalk, the homeless man and a trader were shouting at each other using obsenities. It was the kind of shouting that I thought might bring body blows so I literally ran by and didn’t look back.

The second incident was a delivery truck of some kind and also a trader who was standing on the sidewalk nearby. The trader was yelling at the guy to “just move it” (and this wasn’t for security reasons) and again I thought that there might be blows. Horns were blowing and voices were shouting.

I felt my blood pressure shooting up both times and I wasn’t even directly involved in either exchange.

I recently passed by the same entrance for a third time expecting the worse (especially given the recent stock market action.)

Instead, there was a Chicago police officer on the sidewalk in front of the building and next to him was his horse.

I was relieved and thought, “finally, they have brought the police in to maintain some order around here.”

But then the most amazing thing started to happen.

The big brown stallion looked as calm as can be as traders, who were, as usual, coming out of the building to get lunch, stopped and, yes, petted the side of the horse.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing!

I then saw two traders, who looked harried, stop to pet the horse on its face and talk sweet words to it. Their demeanors were totally changed.

I swear the horse looked at me with a smile as I walked by.

Lowered voices. Soothing horsey-talk. Smiles, not cursewords.

And I thought, was the horse (and police man) just a coincidence? Or was someone else noticing all the stress and nastiness at that place?

Hm…The Chicago Stock Exchange should join the adopt a pet program. It could do them wonders.