Category: Travel and Tourism
Hey all,
I'll be taking a trip with Greyhound in the next month or 2 and was wondering if anyone had some tips they might want to share for someone who has never traveled by bus before. I already plan to call them to be sure I can make transfers and the like but any other suggestions would be great.
Well that is the first step to let them know you are disabled and what help you might require.
Next, when you arrive at your station ask your escort when you are assisted from the bus for the things you need.
I don't know how far you'll be going, but if you have stop overs it is easier to take your food and water with you instead of trying to get it at the stops. You won't need that much.
If possible pack light, so your stuff can fit in the over head compartment, that way you're able to keep up with your own stuff. If not mark it well, and put something on it so you can tell by feel if need be your cases.
Take a pillow. Otherwise Greyhound is really good at taking care of you, blind or not.
Enjoy your trip.
My biggest suggestion when it comes to gray hound is don't totally rely on them getting you to your destiination on time. That seems to be the biggest problem with greyhound at times. Sometimes it's beyond their control though. In the big cities sometimes they get stuck because of traffic. It's happened a couple times with me with the buses I had to catch that came from New York or Philadelphia.
honestly, i'd say travel by any other means... bUt seeing as this is not an option, here is some advice.
1. be calme and professional yet assertive. Most of the time they just don't know what you're comfortable with, and don't ask you straight out.
2. Always, and I mean always know where your bag is, if they check it under the buss. for example is it in the first or second compartment. on what side, etc. Know its description and color. Memorize a short detailed description of less than a sentence in length if possible. this way you'll never give people contradicting info.
3. Expect delays.
See, I've heard a lot more bad things about Greyhound than good. However I haven't ever had anything bad to say about them, other than not being on time. I've heard of buses breaking down and bags getting lost. Luckily it didn't happen to me. I was nervous with my first trip that I was supposed to take with Greyhound, which was a three hour trip from Louisiana to Jackson. I was ready for the worst after hearing all the horror stories, but it wasn't all that bad. All the suggestions that James made were gheat, though
Oh, 3 hours is short. It is when you have to transfer buses, and stop at different stations is when the delays and lost stuff is more likely to happen.
use the bathroom in the station if you can rather than on the bus. and, don't depend on someone to come and take you to your bus. if you know when the bus is to leave and they have not assisted you to the gate then, by all means, get out there or you will be left. just ask other travelers if you need to. other than that, sit back and enjoy the ride.
In the same vein as knowing where your luggage has been put when checked under the bus, here's a tip. Never ever let them mark your luggage "special handling." This may sound appealing at first, because what it means is that they will transfer your luggage for you. I'm not sure, but I think they only offer this to people with disabilities. Again, sounds simple. However, I've marked it special handling twice, and both times they totally lost my luggage because it didn't get transferred. Friends of mine who have done the same thing have lost their luggage every time they've done it, too. So, it's a service they'll likely offer you at the ticket counter, but don't take them up on it.
You know, it is probably because they set it aside so they won't forget to put it on, and well, they are people? Smile.
If it is just regular they put everything they see on the bus.
Having traveled with Greyhound multiple times, here's what I've got for you.
1) Call ahead, e-mail for follow-up, about your disability and your accommodations.
2) If you're packing light, at most a backpack and one bag, ask if you can keep your luggage with you. If it's not a super-packed bus, they'll often allow you to do so.
3) Avoid the on-bus bathroom if at all possible.
4) If you're using a station bathroom, bring your bags with you or ask to hide them behind the service counter.
5) Try to address each bus driver you have and reference your disability and your expected accommodations.
6) Have a running text or call log with a person or two to track where you are and when you should be arriving.
7) Pack food and drinks. Trying to buy stuff at stations is a pain.
8) Don't leave the bus on breaks unless you absolutely have to use a bathroom.
9) Don't let any passenger handle your luggage. Period.
To the last poster, that's exactly what I was hunting for, thanks much
Hey! I too have taken greyhound a few times. Everything has already been said as far as what to do.. if your doing same day trips (like going to a place for a few hours and then coming back on the bus late at night) definitely make sure to be there an hour before departure and let the bus driver know of your accomidations... such as where your getting off, this way most of the drivers I've had were very helpful.. they not only announced the stop(S) but they alerted me that my stop was coming up because I had told them that I was going to this spacific stop. Once off the bus, they should be able to get you inside the station, or find a taxi for you, on one of the buses I took once there were already taxis outside, so all the driver had to do was bring me to the taxi and I was good from there.. but you can always go into the terminal, and call for a taxi once there... or call the person who is picking you up.. greyhound is pretty simple.. I've never had any issues with them the few times I've taken them.
Amber
I would never take this mode of travel again. There are some extremely dangerous people that ride it. Its the mode of transport they use when people get out of prison, and yes I have ended up sitting next to a released convict. You are much safer on a plane or train.
Not true: if you are afraid of travelling just because there might be some "dangerous" person on the same bus as you, you may as well just sit in your house and never leave it again. In fact, there is also a pretty good chance someone who is in to trouble could be travelling on a train. Have you ever gone on one? They don't take the same security protocol as airports do. Not only that, but there can be dangerous people or sex offenders in your neighborhood. I always scoff at the people who say it's more dangerous to live in a city than in a rural area, but I digress.
Try sitting to someone who talks about what prison was like and his most recent crime and you will take this statement back.
If there were any other options for traveling I would have taken them first. Some of you need to understand there is such a thing as limited money, and research is your friend more than just seeing one thing and saying it's the whole truth. Are there bad people on Greyhound, certainly. does it mean flying or going by train avoids them all, absolutely not.
No, I don't tend to let one bad experience steer me in a different direction, but that's just me. Nice job trying to classify me one of those typical blindies who is sheltered from the world, who mooches off of the system and doesn't know shit from a shingle, whom you seem to have an uncanty disliking for, , though
I wasn't directing that at you, that you took it that way seems to make me feel that you want to be gone after.
No no, I didn't mean you either. I meant that for the proud afl union girl person.
Who said I was calling you sheltered? I was just stating my experience. Stop getting so defensive.
UnionGirl, if stating your experience means being judgmental and stating that Greyhound shouldn't be taken cause there are bad people using said service, I suggest you take your own advice, and perhaps, for once, have some empathy.
this means that, instead of making the assumption that all prisoners riding Greyhound are worthless, put yourself in their shoes and think about how you'd feel if you, for any reason, were seen in a similar light as you put on them.
I mean, seriously, what if you volunteered at an agency that didn't descriminate against anyone, and you were forced to regularly come into contact with prisoners, child molesters, or any number of other group of people that you deemed crappy? would you really let your personal views interfere with what you're doing? cause, if so, let me assure you, that agency would let go of you real quick, and find someone else.
I've had some good and some bad experiences on greyhound. Yes, sometimes i've seen x cons on greyhound. Some trips have been completely fine. On others, I was stuck at the bus station for 10 hours, because a buss didn't show. On one ride, my bag was stolen from the bottom of the buss. In texas, i've been ok with greyhound, but in other parts of the south, its been horrible. I've heard other parts of the country are better. In short, I think it all really is a matter of chance, sometimes you'll get a really good trip, and driver, other times not...
On the subject of the x cons. I've seen some that seem ok, others whom were openly talking about crimes they never got committed for doing. Some of that conversation really was disturbing. But I didn't let it screw my day over. I couldn't understand why a guy was talking about slowly killing a baby, but I took solace in the fact we were not getting off in the same city... Because what can you do, really? You don't know if someone is talking crap or not. Further more, if you can't identify them anyway, you're really of no use to police if you attempt to report them.
Oh, yeh, one of several guys in black sweat pants and white shirts and shoes... that's helpful.
Yeah, I have no sympathy for murderers.
I didn't say sympathy, union girl, I said empathy. sympathy is feeling sorry for someone, whereas empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone's shoes. they're two very different things.
Oh and on plane rides you may be riding with cons also, you just don't know they're strapped in with Marshalls on either side. You'd just think it was 3 guys. Just sayin.
leo also has a great point there.
yep, agreed with leo
Cons that are going to prison not leaving are many times flown, did you know this? You'd not see the officers, nor hand cuffs either.
Cons getting out of prison are less dangerous on the bus right away, because they're heading home. A man wants to have his first beer before he shots you, so don't worry. Plus he's got to hook up his old contacts to buy a beer, get a gun, then shoot you. Chances are you'll be safely at the place you want to go, and because he's not had his beer yet he won't remember you called him a dirty bastard.
Safe to be riding with ex cons too. If some creep jumps on the bus and wants to rape you, just think, you've got some touch people to defend your honor. Yes, cons are good company.
Yep, you can't let things like that get in the way. No matter where you go, there is danger. Hell, I currently live in an area that is rural as rural can be, and my house was broken into by two complete strangers a few years ago while I was there alone. Nasty, nasty experience, and while I still don't much like being in this house on my own, I know that such things don't usually happen often, and I'd be in some kind of danger no matter where I went. So if Greyhound will serve your needs, go for it.
I have some experience with buses in general, if not Greyhound, and I agree with most of the good-sense advice that's been given here. You should know what your bags look like, and try to keep them close at all times. Make yourself known, tell the driver where you want off and definitely make sure to kind of give them a nudge at some point. You don't have to ask "are we there yet?" every ten minutes, just be aware of how long you expect your trip to take, and maybe ask from time to time where to sit. I've never had a problem being seated right in the front where I can easily do this; perhaps Greyhound in particular wouldn't or couldn't do this, I'm not sure.
In any case, buses are the cheapest form of transportation, and the way I see it is this; very little harm is likely, on a bus or anywhere else, so just don't be stupid. Perhaps I'm witless but I'll often just stick my music on for awhile, if my bus trip is a long one, because I know I won't be arriving anytime soon. I've dealt with a couple of breakdowns, a tire blowing, breaks freezing and the like while in transit to or from Meglet's area, and it's annoying as hell but you're usually fairly well taken care of. As I said, this is not Greyhound-specific but bus-specific. Best of luck, whenever and wherever you're going, and I'm sorry to have rambled.
You can't really tell someone not to be defensive when you do the same exact thing. Just saying.
Stop being defensive .