CHICAGO -- Early in December, “Peppermint the Elf” said, she opened the door of a Chicago Transit Authority bus for a commuter in a suit and tie. The man boarded the bus, awash in red and green light. The poles for standing riders were striped red and white like candy canes, with tinsel wreaths and reindeer all over the walls. The air was heavy with cinnamon and Bing Crosby. The man in the ...