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Greyhound in the news


A. Wong

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2 hours ago, Megabus Rider said:

Flixbus just eliminated a competitor. Can't get rid of them, buy them over! lol

Certainly happened in Europe with Eurolines. But in some ways Greyhound was going down with or without Flixbus.

While short corridor routes are almost guaranteed to be gone, I really hope Flixbus will maintain the national presence that Greyhound has. 

In some way while greyhound was a private company, they sort of have a social responsibility to keep the country connected (towns small and large)

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13 minutes ago, Rapidbus said:

Certainly happened in Europe with Eurolines. But in some ways Greyhound was going down with or without Flixbus.

While short corridor routes are almost guaranteed to be gone, I really hope Flixbus will maintain the national presence that Greyhound has. 

In some way while greyhound was a private company, they sort of have a social responsibility to keep the country connected (towns small and large)

Interline companies get all the routes and FLIX replaces the antiquated TRIPS system and service vastly improves while they have low overhead behind the scenes as a ticket platform. That’s my prediction. They’ll figure out quickly that’s it’s beyond repair on its own but the connecting carriers aren’t nearly as bad. So they’ll can Greyhound as we know it. All the buses need is a sticker that says “part of the Greyhound network” on the side. No need for their own buses and drivers or any pesky repainting of buses into Greyhound colors by the partner Carriers and the passengers will immediately realize it’s their bus. That last part is actually an issue. Most people don’t read the fine print on their tickets informing them their trip is with a partner carrier or the TRIPS tickets say Greyhound at the top and it’s actually on a partner carrier. Some of that stuff is simply unacceptable on Greyhounds part.

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On 10/25/2021 at 12:46 AM, ns8401 said:

Interline companies get all the routes and FLIX replaces the antiquated TRIPS system and service vastly improves while they have low overhead behind the scenes as a ticket platform. That’s my prediction. They’ll figure out quickly that’s it’s beyond repair on its own but the connecting carriers aren’t nearly as bad. So they’ll can Greyhound as we know it. All the buses need is a sticker that says “part of the Greyhound network” on the side. No need for their own buses and drivers or any pesky repainting of buses into Greyhound colors by the partner Carriers and the passengers will immediately realize it’s their bus. That last part is actually an issue. Most people don’t read the fine print on their tickets informing them their trip is with a partner carrier or the TRIPS tickets say Greyhound at the top and it’s actually on a partner carrier. Some of that stuff is simply unacceptable on Greyhounds part.

Yeah TRIPS system is definitely gone. Maybe even the future Greyhound brand itself will be gone. In 1987, there was a period where timetables would be Greyhound-Trailways, but overtime, you stop seeing Trailways. It may very well happen here

Yeah, most likely Flixbus will prefer an low overhead approach. Yet Greyhound is an high-overhead organization. The transition will most likely be gradual. not sure how the unions at Greyhound would like that. A strike similar to the magnitude to 1990 would devastate the motor coach industry in this country.

Terminals and stations are most likely the first to go, whether Greyhound moves out by itself, or kicked out when FirstGroup sells the station (I really some cities would preserve some of the stations), then will be the buses, then the drivers

Greyhound as a brand is tarnished. the service provided itself is similar quality to Boltbus, yet people PREFER Boltbus over Greyhound. So maybe branding everything Flixbus, aleast in the major markets would not be too bad.

 

That being said Greyhound finally have a decently made GIS network map. Still can't believe Greyhound essentially cut every route in the northern US. A shell of its former self, indeed....

https://www.greyhound.com/en/discover-greyhound/where-we-go

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18 hours ago, Rapidbus said:

Yeah TRIPS system is definitely gone. Maybe even the future Greyhound brand itself will be gone. In 1987, there was a period where timetables would be Greyhound-Trailways, but overtime, you stop seeing Trailways. It may very well happen here

Yeah, most likely Flixbus will prefer an low overhead approach. Yet Greyhound is an high-overhead organization. The transition will most likely be gradual. not sure how the unions at Greyhound would like that. A strike similar to the magnitude to 1990 would devastate the motor coach industry in this country.

Terminals and stations are most likely the first to go, whether Greyhound moves out by itself, or kicked out when FirstGroup sells the station (I really some cities would preserve some of the stations), then will be the buses, then the drivers

Greyhound as a brand is tarnished. the service provided itself is similar quality to Boltbus, yet people PREFER Boltbus over Greyhound. So maybe branding everything Flixbus, aleast in the major markets would not be too bad.

 

That being said Greyhound finally have a decently made GIS network map. Still can't believe Greyhound essentially cut every route in the northern US. A shell of its former self, indeed....

https://www.greyhound.com/en/discover-greyhound/where-we-go

Its possible Flix may operate Greyhound as a seperate company just owned by Flix Bus.

On 10/22/2021 at 3:40 PM, Rapidbus said:

Welcome to the new Greyhound Canada bus website

https://www.greyhound.ca/en

 

Really shows you how much they cared about the old real GLC

that website is pretty sleek. But it makes u wonder why spend the kind of money on a website for canada part when they barely have a Canadian presence?? Makes u wonder!

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35 minutes ago, roeco said:

Its possible Flix may operate Greyhound as a seperate company just owned by Flix Bus.

that website is pretty sleek. But it makes u wonder why spend the kind of money on a website for canada part when they barely have a Canadian presence?? Makes u wonder!

Splitting yourself like that generally isn’t smart. 

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4 hours ago, roeco said:

Its possible Flix may operate Greyhound as a seperate company just owned by Flix Bus.

To be honestly, I doubt it. Greyhound has very high overhead cost. (stations, unions, station agents)

 

Even if initially the Greyhound name is kept, over time, more and more lines will be taken over (Greyhound routes discontinued, replaced by Flix routes).

 

The brand Greyhound is probably limited. I hope most Americans will remember the romanticized version of Greyhound in the 1960s and 1970s, instead of the tarnished one after 1990

4 hours ago, roeco said:

that website is pretty sleek. But it makes u wonder why spend the kind of money on a website for canada part when they barely have a Canadian presence?? Makes u wonder!

Especially weird considering the fact that when Greyhound actually had a Canadian presence, their website was absolutely terrible. So terrible that their site announcing the Greyhound shutdown was actually better than the old site

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Truly super duper important news from The Onion:

https://www.theonion.com/greyhound-to-send-chimps-on-pioneering-bus-trip-from-bu-1819579895


 

Quote

 

Greyhound To Send Chimps On Pioneering Bus Trip From Buffalo To Atlantic City

5/03/17 3:22PM

Interstate Voyage Seen As Step Toward One Day Placing Humans On Route

Greyhound To Send Chimps On Pioneering Bus Trip From Buffalo To Atlantic City

DALLAS—In order to assess the viability of the route for potential travel by human beings, Greyhound officials announced at a press conference Wednesday a mission that will send a pair of chimpanzees on a pioneering 457-mile overland bus trip from Buffalo, NY to Atlantic City, NJ.

Greyhound researchers said that the adult chimps—named Kip and Dottie—would depart at 6 a.m. from the Metro Transportation Center in downtown Buffalo and, with luck, arrive seven hours and 20 minutes later at the Atlantic City bus terminal, an unprecedented journey that will reportedly push the animals to their physical and mental limits.

“For years, we’ve dreamed of putting this extraordinary voyage within the reach of humans, and soon we will be one step closer to making that dream a reality,” said Greyhound spokesperson Andrea Gipson, explaining that data gathered from the mission will be invaluable in terms of developing the techniques and technologies an eventual human crew will require. “We’re still years away from mankind being able to endure a trip of this nature, but, if successful, what we learn from this undertaking will be crucial in opening up a bold new era of travel.”

“It’s remarkable to contemplate,” added Gipson. “Even sending animals on a trip like this was once unthinkable.”

Gipson went on to say that during their mission, Kip and Dottie would face challenges including extreme discomfort and lengthy periods of boredom occasionally interrupted by moments of acute aggravation, not to mention frequent car sickness brought on by the harrowing interstate trek. Throughout their trip, their mobility will reportedly be extremely hampered by seats that recline just an eighth of an inch and that will force the chimps to get what little sleep they can in a nearly vertical position.

“We will monitor Kip and Dottie’s vital signs closely to see how the harsh conditions of the journey through the bleakest reaches of Western New York and upstate Pennsylvania affect their well-being,” Gipson said. “As our nearest biological relatives, chimps are the ideal test subjects to gauge how our own species might react when exposed to exceptionally stressful conditions such as the constant smell of warm egg salad or a flat tire occurring just 20 minutes into the trip.”

Greyhound’s ground team in Dallas will reportedly observe the effects the journey will have on the chimpanzees by equipping them with a handful of scratch-off lottery tickets in order to monitor the possible degradation of the animals’ visual acuity and hand-eye coordination. Sources told reporters that the chimps will also be provided with one large bag of circus peanuts apiece to analyze changes in critical thinking as measured by how effectively they ration the treats until the bus reaches the refueling station at the halfway point—a Roy Rogers in New York’s Southern Tier region.

According to researchers, the chimps will be outfitted in a standard uniform of sweatpants and flip-flops, with the addition of special sensors to record the the body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure of the animals as they are exposed to temperature extremes from sitting for hours in constant sunlight streaming through unshaded windows and being blasted by frigid air from broken air-conditioning vents directly overhead.

“Kip and Dottie have undergone months of exhaustive training so that their reflexes are in peak condition to contend with floors that are simultaneously sticky and slick with spilled 7-Up,” Gipson said, referring to one of the unique phenomena that occur on such journeys and nowhere else known to science. “But as much as we can do to prepare them for this trip, there are still many, many unknowns. Will they be able to mentally withstand a flickering overhead TV screen, the volume of which will for no reason get higher and lower at random intervals? And while we’ve prepared for at least one extended highway breakdown, what about significant delays? How will the animals cope with a toilet that backs up 20 miles into the trip?”

Continued Gipson, “The reality of the situation is, once the bus hits the I-476 ramp, the chimps are very much on their own.”

Greyhound’s methodology has come under scrutiny in the past, most notably after 1999’s New York-to-D.C. disaster, in which a dog named Chief was killed when his 55-seat vehicle skidded into a wall of the Lincoln Tunnel just 17 minutes after departure.

Nevertheless, officials remained optimistic that this latest research mission would yield results that would bring humanity ever closer to Western New York/coastal New Jersey bus travel.

“We envision a future in which any person can purchase a low-cost bus ticket and be gambling their life’s savings away within just a half-day’s travel,” Gipson said. “And believe it or not, we’re even confident that one day, a dental receptionist from Cheektowaga will be able to attend a rowdy, drunken bachelorette party and already be on her way home within 24 hours, filled with intense shame and regret, and periodically vomiting into a plastic bag she acquired at a souvenir shop on the Atlantic City boardwalk—and Kip and Dottie will have no small part in that momentous achievement.”


“Unfortunately for them, there’s only enough fuel in the tank for a one-way trip,” Gipson added.


 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
12 minutes ago, 118 Vashon via EXPRESS said:

A Greyhound bus got carried into a ditch by floodwaters earlier this week.

https://komonews.com/news/local/greyhound-bus-carried-into-ditch-by-floodwaters

They apparently went around the road closed signs… yikes.

Something bad happened on IL87001 tonight en route from Chicago to Minneapolis. It stopped in a parking lot in Pewaukee Wisconsin and is now surrounded by crime scene tape with thoughts and prayers from Greyhound to all impacted by todays event. Uh oh. 
https://www.fox6now.com/news/greyhound-bus-incident-in-pewaukee-company-sends-thoughts-and-prayers.amp

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13 hours ago, ns8401 said:

They apparently went around the road closed signs… yikes.

Something bad happened on IL87001 tonight en route from Chicago to Minneapolis. It stopped in a parking lot in Pewaukee Wisconsin and is now surrounded by crime scene tape with thoughts and prayers from Greyhound to all impacted by todays event. Uh oh. 
https://www.fox6now.com/news/greyhound-bus-incident-in-pewaukee-company-sends-thoughts-and-prayers.amp

Looks like a 31 year old man was stabbed in the neck and killed by another passenger. That person is in custody.

https://www.weau.com/2021/11/19/man-fatally-stabbed-greyhound-bus-waukesha-county/

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A bus was evacuated in Duncan, South Carolina after two passengers began arguing and the bus pulled over and one of them decided to shoot off at the mouth about a bomb. Nothing was found and the two people walked away before law enforcement could arrive.

https://www.wnct.com/news/southeast-region/greyhound-bus-evacuated-due-to-bomb-threat-in-spartanburg-co/amp/

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  • 2 weeks later...

About two dozen people were stranded in Abilene, Texas last night when the bus stopped there and was supposed to swap drivers. Instead of that happening the first driver left to presumably go on his rest and left the passengers there to sleep on the bus all night with the temperature below freezing. Not exactly a good look…

https://news.yahoo.com/bus-passengers-stranded-overnight-abilene-181024826.html
 

Flix just needs to euthanize the dog already and a few rides by their ownership would be enough to break out the WARN Act notices for 90 days before operations cease. It’s bad out there.


 

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That is a really sad story.   The President of the company should personally apologize to each and every one of those passenger's, as well as compensating them for putting them in that awful situation.   Nothing less would satisfy me, if I were in their place...

That's if they are serious about caring for their customer's...

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On 1/10/2022 at 10:23 PM, traildriver said:

That is a really sad story.   The President of the company should personally apologize to each and every one of those passenger's, as well as compensating them for putting them in that awful situation.   Nothing less would satisfy me, if I were in their place...

That's if they are serious about caring for their customer's...

The trouble is that I don't think they are anymore. I know for us if something happens in route the company bends over backwards to get people into hotels for the night or get another bus and driver out there ASAP and the communication is as constant as possible. One of the best examples I can think of is having a driver sitting on the board and calling them in to run Kalamazoo to Chicago and deadhead back because we have 20-30 people going that way and their Greyhound they are supposed to connect with is nowhere to be found or cancelled. That has happened multiple times but the company just cannot live down stranding people like that if we can help it. If more of the intercity system functioned like that it would be a much better place I think.

From what I read of reviews of Greyhound on TripAdvisor this does not appear to be an isolated kind of event. The passengers might as well be boxes of freight and the response from the company is as icy as that press release. Its nearly impossible to get a refund no matter how bad the trip is.

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