For Some Teens, 'Looking Cool' Trumps Keeping Warm

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (CBS) -- This winter has been tough for just about everyone in Chicago, including students who spend each morning waiting on the corner for their school buses – especially when some don't make it any easier on themselves with their choice of winter clothing.

WBBM Newsradio's Bernie Tafoya reports Melissa, a student at Schaumburg High School, had a simple assessment of the weather as she walked to her bus stop at Salem Drive and Bode Road, dressed in a sweatshirt, but no coat.

"It's been really cold," she said.

She wasn't alone in donning only a sweatshirt against the single-digit temperatures, and as you might expect with teenagers, the reasoning was simple, if not safe.

"Just looking cool," said another student, Martin, who said he doesn't mind being cold if he looks cool.

Not all teens are so cavalier about the cold. Vanessa Diaz was wearing a coat, scarf, and hat as she waited for the bus with her classmates.

"They're crazy," she said. "I wouldn't wear a sweatshirt. It's freezing cold."

Classmate Racquel Gonzalez also was bundled as best she could, and she said she also does jumping jacks to keep warm.