Has anyone taken a Greyhound bus for transportation lately?

I haven’t recently, but my son (29 years of age) took a trip a couple years ago with his then-six-month-old son. If one is strapped for cash but not for time, it’s the way to go. He said the on-board restroom was reasonably clean, and there were wipes provided to clean the changing station before and after use.

I take it all the time to go back and forth between my mom’s and sister’s. The trip is only three hours but it is fine. A little cramped but now a lot of the buses have wifi so that helps.

No issues with cleanliness or safety. Some of the bus stations are a little sketchy outside but there are usually guards inside the larger terminals.

Clean, safe and interesting. You not only see America you see Americans too in all their variety. It’s been a few years since I travelled by Greyhound but I would love to take another long distance trip.

My last bus trip was 5 years ago. Montreal to Burlington.

I enjoy it more than flying. Love the scenic view and slow pace through many towns.

Now, just make sure to ask if the bus is picking up released convicts. Chances are, if your route passes by a prison, then it will. And I’m not talking one or two. My last bus ride from St. Louis to Columbus Ohio stopped and picked up twenty cons released that day. They plan the release around the bus schedule.

They were all in orange jump suits, chained at the legs, and supplied with a bag of their belongings and release papers. They also got some money and the bus ride was free.

The only paying passengers from St. Louis were myself and a young pregnant woman. Her and I sat up front and the cons sat in back. They were not allowed to talk with one another. The driver made a few announcements telling them to be quiet, and once actually stopped the bus and threatened to call the prison and have them taken back. That stopped all the talking. The driver was extremely mean tempered. Just awful. I thought he’d make a funny Greyhound spokesman.

The bus would stop at a small town and the driver would read out the con names that were to get off. The driver removed the leg chains and told them to remove their jump suits, where they were found to have regular clothing underneath.

You’ll know these prison release buses the moment you step on. The driver compartment is completely sealed in plexiglass. And the driver is armed with pistol. No protective measures were offered to me or the pregnant woman.

The cons were all nice and made for some fantastic conversation during the stops. But they were not allowed to talk with me during the ride.

Always an adventure taking the bus.
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I purchase autos on eBay and need to travel one way to pick up and drive home. The closer locations justify bus transportation.

My 83 year old mother missed a train recently, so she took the bus instead for a 3 hour trip. She said it was fine, but less comfortable because the seats are smaller and you can’t wander around like on the train.

I have shared a bus and a seat with released cons and they had many stories to tell about life in the United States. One guy was only 22 and had just been released after serving five years for drug offences which surprised me.

I remember one journey around Christmas time when a very elderly lady was helped on to the bus by her family who she had been visiting for Christmas. She travelled on her own and was treated like royalty. She was given a seat at the front of the bus and the passengers and the driver were very attentive ensuring she had water and food and help with toilet breaks. She couldn’t have been better looked after until she was reunited with relatives in another city.

I haven’t, but I was on I-85 yesterday north of Atlanta driving towards North Carolina, and there were a ton of them going south.

I must have seen 5–6 of them, destinations like Atlanta, Birmingham, Dallas, and so on. And then there are the megabuses (two-story blue ones) that are on the road as well.

Along that same idea, there are a bunch of Mexican bus lines – I’m not sure where they satart (NYC probably) that come down I-85 and must end up somewhere in Texas to cross the border. I saw bunches of those.

So lots of people are riding lots of buses, that’s for sure.