Do not ride Greyhound

[dloome]

I'll also never ride this clown show again. Like someone said, pay an extra few bucks to fly or hitchhike. It's probably safer, just as reliable and surely less frustrating.

Last time I tried to ride Greyhound (after many other lost bags, overbooked buses, etc.) I had bought my ticket online. It said to go to the station with an I.D. and pick up the ticket from the counter before my departure. I arrived over an hour early and the yahoo behind the counter insisted I had an "e-ticket" which I was supposed to print out myself, despite my having a print-out IN MY FREAKIN' HAND that clearly said to pick it up at the counter of the station. He refused to even look for my ticket in his little stack, I went home to my computer to see if there was some way he was correct (he wasn't) and then didn't make it back across town AGAIN to catch the bus. I had a deadline, and had to buy an expensive last minute plane ticket instead.

I stopped by afterwards to get a refund from the station and the manager insisted they had made no mistake and was utterly rude, telling me "I had no idea what I was talking about", etc.

After literally an entire day on the phone, I got nothing from Greyhound customer service but clueless, incomprehensible babble and no refund. A pathetically run, sorry operation and it shouldn't be surprising that they're going bankrupt. Good riddance. I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and have closed the door on Greyhound forever.

[DapperD]

The plan was to put my son on the bus to Bozeman MT yesterday PM. Bought a ticket in the morning and went to work. My wife took him to the station and guess what? NO SEATS! The would not refund the ticket and said to see the manager in the morning. So, my wife gets a 15 hour rount trip drive to get my son to his job at Yellowstone. I go down to the station this morning, and the manager, after initialy being willing to "make an exception" and refund the ticket judges me to be sarcastic, tosses back across the counter at me. For the record, I was naturally irate, but in no way abusive. Several calls to Greyhound customer service yield a runaround and no help whatever. I would strongly advise avoiding this company due to thier appalling attitude toward customer service.

FB

PS Had to vent

Definately do not like riding on the dog. Had the displeasure years ago twice, hopefully never again. First time people began throwing things on the bus late at night in the dark. Second time bus was stopped by the police and boarded and a passenger was arrested and hauled off the bus. Besides stopping constantly and taking forever to get where you want to go, I guess the only good thing about it is the price of the fare. After reading some of these posts about people being "abandoned" at various seedy city depots, and being forced to wait outside of locked terminals out on dangerous city streets, I would say it is only a matter of time before someone gets hurt/robbed/attacked with this type of standard practice, if it hasn't happened already.

[weary]

....I guess the only good thing about it is the price of the fare. .....

Well, Greyhound does go to places that no other transportation facility will take you. Those who want to go to such places -- you know, people like hikers -- might think that is a good thing.

[weary]

I'll also never ride this clown show again. Like someone said, pay an extra few bucks to fly or hitchhike. It's probably safer, just as reliable and surely less frustrating. .....

Well, I used to hitch hike a lot 60 years ago. I even got into the rhythym of a 'thumb ride" a bit when I did most of the trail 18 years ago at age 65, but now i use that method only in an emergency.

My grandson who goes to a college 150 miles north of here, takes the bus regularly on long weekends, and vacation weeks. By the way, no air plane that takes passengers, ever heard of his campus. Somehow, I feel safer when he's on the bus, rather than hitchhiking. I wonder why that is.

[Feral Bill]

Feral Bill, for my own future traveling from Bozman to Y NP how was you son anticipating getting from Boz to Y NP? I was only aware of a bus that went ONLY a short distance between the two areas! I had to hitch long distances twice between the two areas.

His employer had a bus to the park. He is now learnig the joys of the food service industry.

[Dogwood]

Feral Bill. I thought I had missed some type of public transportation option between Bozman and Y NP.

You got to look at it this way. He may be learning the joys of the food service industry but the benefits of having days off with the opportunity to explore the backyard are phenomenal! Lots of young single looking for adventure foreigner work visa hotties work in Y NP during summer too!

[Jim Adams]

One of the many services etc that you get what you pay for, greyhound charges cheap enough that they have run themselves BK more than once, as far as folks who think you can hitch long distances as fast as greyhound, you have not hitched much, it may be fast if you are a hot 18 yo female but do you want to take that chance? hitching is seldom even cheaper than the bus for long distance if you are actually paying for your own food, showers etc instead of begging/ freeloading like most hitchers are

Hitching has never taken as long for me a bus, any bus does. Did Pittsburgh to Philly in 5.5 hrs once HOUSE TO HOUSE....didn't need a ride to or from the bus station.

geek

[Driver8]

Well, Greyhound does go to places that no other transportation facility will take you. Those who want to go to such places -- you know, people like hikers -- might think that is a good thing.

Other than, you know:

1. & 2. Airplane or Amtrak + Shuttle
3. & 4. Airplane or Amtrak + Cab
5. One's own car.

I, a hiker, and a Greyhound 10,000 miler, would avoid it like the plague based on my own experiences, the moreso having read this thread.

[on_the_GOEZ]

Last time I traveled with GH, a drunken elderly boarded the bus only for the driver to make an emergency stop 45 minutes later because the drunkard passed out and made his seat a toilet.. Needless to say, the remaining 8 hours of our trip was belated..

Makes me pumped for a 32 hr ride from Indy to Bangor!!

[weary]

Other than, you know:

1. & 2. Airplane or Amtrak + Shuttle
3. & 4. Airplane or Amtrak + Cab
5. One's own car.

I, a hiker, and a Greyhound 10,000 miler, would avoid it like the plague based on my own experiences, the moreso having read this thread.

I hike mostly in Maine. Amtrak doesn't get within 100 miles of most interesting trails. Airplanes with the exception of very expensive charter flights don't get much closer. Buses do better than either for reaching a reasonable shuttle.

However, I agree with you that ones own car is most convenient -- and probably the most expensive if one figures in capital costs.

[Driver8]

I hike mostly in Maine. Amtrak doesn't get within 100 miles of most interesting trails. Airplanes with the exception of very expensive charter flights don't get much closer. Buses do better than either for reaching a reasonable shuttle.

However, I agree with you that ones own car is most convenient -- and probably the most expensive if one figures in capital costs.

Yeah, I agree it probably gets much sketchier in the northern reaches of New England. I wonder if Greyhound is a better experience in New England than in some other parts of the country. Peter Pan covers much of New England - I'd look to them first and Greyhound last among bus lines.

[Trillium]

Well you guys had me really worried with this thread. Someone close to me was supposed to take the train from eastern North Dakota to Chicago but the train is not running currently from ND east due to the flooding (although there isn't any flooding where she is. So, she booked a bus from eastern ND to Minneapolis where a plane would be boarded to Chicago. I was very concerned whether the connection might be missed but luckily, it was on time. Just spoke to her about 40 minutes ago as she was boarding the plane. She didn't take Greyhound; she took Jefferson. I had never heard of this company but she had acquaintances who had and who had positive experiences.

[Beachcomber]

Love Amtrak - took it from Fayetteville, NC to Penn Station last May. Purchased the ticket for $86 3 months in advance. Big seats, plenty of room and the car I was in wasn't crowded at all. It was nice to get up and walk around some too. Food and drinks were $$$$ though.

Got there quicker than I could have driven.

Have used the same route many times. When it's two of us traveling, we can get a sleeper for the northbound (night-time) leg, spend no more than two plane tickets would cost, and be in midtown Manhattan by mid-morning after a good night's sleep. (And with a sleeper, you can pretty much bring any food and drink you like to enjoy in the privacy of your own room.)

[Beachcomber]

Hitching has never taken as long for me a bus, any bus does. Did Pittsburgh to Philly in 5.5 hrs once HOUSE TO HOUSE....didn't need a ride to or from the bus station.

geek

My hitching days are well behind me, but when I was in school I could ALWAYS count on making a trip, whether from college town to home town, or to some other obscure place where my buddies were in school, much faster "riding my thumb" than via Greyhound. I doubt the service has improved much since the '70s, and it wasn't very good then.

[DLANOIE]

When I was a teenager living in NH, I used to take GreyHound to NJ to visit some relatives. I loved it every time. I have used it to go from Portland to Boston a few times with no problems. We do a guys trip to Fenway once a year and we take Amtrak. I love the train too.

[Carl in FL]

I guess I don't get out much. I've never had the "dog" experience.
Not likely to happen after reading this thread. Sheesh.

[jbwood5]

I did have one good GH bus ride. That was an express bus from NYC to Harrisburg (non-stop). It was a new bus with several flat panel TV screens that were playing movies. It was a late evening trip and there were actually a few empty seats..... and the there were no rowdy passengers that day.

[shwn354]

My least favorite company of all the companies. I've despised Greyhound since I used to use it to get back and forth from college in Vermont. The rudest employees and least comfortable way to travel. When I was thru-hiking some friends and I used them to go from Marion to Chatanooga for a concert. After spending the night at the Knoxville station our connecting bus was two hours late the following morning, meaning everybody was going to miss the next leg. Greyhound acted as though nothing was wrong. People would politely try to ask when they expected the bus to arrive, but they could barely say "Excuse me" to an employee before they would snap back "Sir! I need you to step back in line and stay calm!" This is not an isolated experience, I have dealt with similarly rude and unhelpful Greyhound employees on numerous occasions. No organization is lower on my list than GH. I'm sure a day will come in life when I am forced to ride it again, but I am seriously dreading that day.

[weary]

I've never had a really bad trip on Greyhound. Though I don't take many bus trips. A bus is the only way to get to Logan airport outside of Boston from Maine, without paying outragous airport parking fees.

[Driver8]

I've never had a really bad trip on Greyhound. Though I don't take many bus trips. A bus is the only way to get to Logan airport outside of Boston from Maine, without paying outragous airport parking fees.

I once had to spend about 9 hours in Knoxville, TN station on a layover due to a G/h drivers' strike. Foul smells, rude service, cramped seats, being broke enough to need to ride the hound. Not fond memories.

Not to be disputatious, weary, but can't you take the Boston T subway to Logan? Is G/h the only bus service in your part of Maine, or does Peter Pan or any other company also get there?