ALC Rail Writer
Engineer
Peter Pan, aside from being a horrible name for a bus company, is not the tidiest of operations either.
Hey I ride Greyhound too!!!
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Peter Pan is a good name for a flighty bus company :lol: :help: :lol: :lol: :wub:
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jis
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Do they all wear strange pointy caps? :blink:
ALC Rail Writer
Engineer
They do offer daily service to Neverland. I think that's the place Gov. Kasich and Walker hid the Midwest hopes for HSR.
Bolt Bus is indeed a joint venture owned by Greyhound and Peter Pan who's mission is to fight back against the cut-rate street corner operators, by providing modern equipment and well trained drivers, and good garage facility, but with otherwise low overhead, by not using terminals. They use a similar fare strategy as Megabus.
All they had to do was enact a city ordnance forcing the carriers into the municipal terminal at South Station. Of course, it helps of there is sufficient room there for more carriers.
In New York, the Port Authority Bus Terminal is pretty well filled to capacity. There is talk of building another terminal in the Chinatown area to alleviate the loading on the streets there.
Before the Port Authority Bus Terminal opened in New York in 1950, there were about 7 or 8 smaller terminals in the Times Square area. When the Port opened, it was a wonderful improvement. The ramps that took buses directly to the Lincoln Tunnel really helped traffic flow.
At one point, the City in collusion with the Port Authority, passed an ordnance which prohibited the construction of any new bus terminals in the midtown area. Greyhound was a hold-out...it still operated from its own two terminals, one at Pennsylvannia Station, and the other at 50th and 8th. Since they could not build their own replacement, they decided to move to the Port, and it was expanded upward with a three deck parking garage, freeing the former garage to be used as the third bus level. This was in 1963. In around 1980, the entire new North Wing was added.
I'm not sure what Boston did, but NY City's City Council is currently working on a bill that will very heavily regulate the Bolt's & Mega's of the world, as well as the Chinese services. If they don't use normal bus facilities, then they will be told where they can and can't stop, and they'll have to pay the city fees for those priviledges. That will almost certainly force them to raise prices as they won't be able to freeload off of anyone any more here in NYC.
And with the several recent, fatal in two cases, accidents of buses like this, it's a pretty safe bet that this bill will pass.
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It's interesting that many years before the current epidemic of street corner operators, a company that had started running out of the Port decided to save money and move out, loading at several MTA bus stops. That company is Hampton Jitney, and they provide a first class operation nonetheless.
Not too many years ago Megabus used to stop immediately outside of Chicago Union Station, causing major congestion on that street, not to mention encouraging Megabus passengers to wait inside CUS. Of course, Chicago only forced them to move one block away, rather than to a particular bus station. Not sure if the city of Chicago has charged Megabus any sort of fee for the street-side bus stop.
ALC Rail Writer
Engineer
The island of Manhattan will thank them, the rate that it sinks into the sea will decrease the sooner those buses park where they belong... At the bottom of the Hudson.
lthanlon
OBS Chief
I've been wanting to ride the Texas Eagle round trip between Chicago and Los Angeles, but the cost of a sleeper is way out of reach -- at least both ways. Since I've never traveled long distance on a bus, I've been entertaining the idea of taking Greyhound from Chicago to Los Angeles, then taking the Texas Eagle home.
Most westbound Greyhound schedules require three transfers and I was thinking of arriving in LA late the night before or very early in the morning of my return train trip. However, I'm afraid that if just one of those transfers imploded, I might not reach LA in time to catch the Eagle. It also doesn't help that friends and family (none of whom has ridden Greyhound, of course) are convinced that even a grown adult male would be robbed, groped or worse.
Has anybody made the Chicago-to-Los Angeles trip lately on Greyhound? I do enjoy meeting and talking to people and am not an elitist who's put off by the realities of bus travel. I wouldn't be able to use my CPAP device on the bus, so I do worry that being a pretty bad snorer, I'd annoy nearby passengers.
Most westbound Greyhound schedules require three transfers and I was thinking of arriving in LA late the night before or very early in the morning of my return train trip. However, I'm afraid that if just one of those transfers imploded, I might not reach LA in time to catch the Eagle. It also doesn't help that friends and family (none of whom has ridden Greyhound, of course) are convinced that even a grown adult male would be robbed, groped or worse.
Has anybody made the Chicago-to-Los Angeles trip lately on Greyhound? I do enjoy meeting and talking to people and am not an elitist who's put off by the realities of bus travel. I wouldn't be able to use my CPAP device on the bus, so I do worry that being a pretty bad snorer, I'd annoy nearby passengers.
You do have some valid concerns. Perhaps it would be better for you to try a much shorter bus trip before commiting to the one you mention, just to see how you fare?
You sure are planning a 'marathon' trip...no time to sightsee or otherwise in LA?
One thing if you are still going to go through with it....If you make your last leg over the same route as the train, and you think you might misconnect at LA, you might be able to get off at a common stop prior to LA to connect instead....
I didn't do Chicago to Los Angeles, but I've done Sacramento to St. Louis last August (and a roundtrip of the route in August 2009), so my information might be a little helpful. My last connection on my last run through of the route (at Denver) did kind of implode, but due to other late buses or something, I did still get going the same day (even though I was far enough back in line to be on the second bus, and started about two and a half hours late). Some time was made up, and I got into St. Louis only about an hour later than scheduled. 
And as far as the 2009 trips went, sure, some of the buses were kind of late, but nothing so terribly bad that I missed connections.
As far as possible personal safety issues, I'd wager it's about as likely to happen on Greyhound as on public transit in some cities. I've done my jaunt between St. Louis and Sacramento three times now, and nothing happened to me. Heck, overall in my limited public transit experience, the worst I've had happen to me was more an annoyance than anything, and that happened on the "L" in Chicago a few weeks ago, not Greyhound.
But I have to say, I'd rather hear someone snoring than a cranky child yelling their lungs out when I can't sleep due to a combo of paranoid adrenaline and my already screwy sleep schedule. :blush:
And as far as the 2009 trips went, sure, some of the buses were kind of late, but nothing so terribly bad that I missed connections.As far as possible personal safety issues, I'd wager it's about as likely to happen on Greyhound as on public transit in some cities. I've done my jaunt between St. Louis and Sacramento three times now, and nothing happened to me. Heck, overall in my limited public transit experience, the worst I've had happen to me was more an annoyance than anything, and that happened on the "L" in Chicago a few weeks ago, not Greyhound.
But I have to say, I'd rather hear someone snoring than a cranky child yelling their lungs out when I can't sleep due to a combo of paranoid adrenaline and my already screwy sleep schedule. :blush:
lthanlon
OBS Chief
I've seen plenty in LA the times I've been there previously. If I have time, I'd definitely grab a bite at Philippe, though. Thanks for the idea about the common stop!
lthanlon
OBS Chief
Thanks for the feedback. Glad to hear you haven't had any problems. Whenever I mention traveling Greyhound to friends or family, they invariably bring up the Canadian cannibal incident.
Oldsmoboi
OBS Chief
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Oh goodie.... Pittsburgh (my home) has been announced as a major hub for Megabus.
The picture in that article is a Megabus making the turn directly in front of my office building.
The picture in that article is a Megabus making the turn directly in front of my office building.
rrdude
Engineer
I dunno now long cities/metro areas will allow MegaBus/Knock-Offs to board/discharge pax at public lots, train stations, park-n-rides, etc.... but it sure would be nice if they could FORCE them to use existing transit facilities, for a fee.
OTOH, it might be hard for an inexperienced traveler to find the pick-up location for the Baltimore area, given these directions from MegaBus' web site:
"Arrivals and departures for the New York service ONLY are located on the south side of the White Marsh Park & Ride lot, located in the northern suburbs of Baltimore near the intersection of White Marsh Boulevard and Honeygo Boulevard. "
Shhhhhhh, don't anyone tell them, That intersection is more NE than Northern suburbs of Baltimore...............I'm just saying........
OTOH, it might be hard for an inexperienced traveler to find the pick-up location for the Baltimore area, given these directions from MegaBus' web site:
"Arrivals and departures for the New York service ONLY are located on the south side of the White Marsh Park & Ride lot, located in the northern suburbs of Baltimore near the intersection of White Marsh Boulevard and Honeygo Boulevard. "
Shhhhhhh, don't anyone tell them, That intersection is more NE than Northern suburbs of Baltimore...............I'm just saying........
S
steamtrain6868
Guest
http://www.busride.org/ is the Greyline which runs from Pittsburgh PA to Morgantown WV....This picked up where Greyhound abandoned a line
ALC Rail Writer
Engineer
AT least they didn't tell you to go directly East, five miles from the city center.
Oldsmoboi
OBS Chief
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They Greyline uses the Pittsburgh bus terminal, so they aren't causing traffic and pedestrian issues.
rrdude
Engineer
Just heard a quote from "Peter Pantuso" on NPR a moment ago, guess what HIS TITLE is? CEO of the American Bus Association! I thought FOR SURE he must have been the founder of the Peter Pan Bus Line, but noooooooooo..What a coincidence thou.Not quite, and at least they got rid of those horrendous green uniforms a few years ago. The name of the company....?
Well it was founded by Peter Picnelly, so take it from there.....
Peter A. Picknelly is the third generation to head the company. His
grandfather named the company after his father's and aunt's favorite
childhood story, James M. Barrie's classic tale of the little boy who
didn't want to grow up. His father had blond hair and the same name
as the storybook's central character, Peter. His aunt had red hair like
Wendy in the storybook.
"It's been a cute name for the company," he said. "It's also the theme
of Peter never growing up. It's fitting."
Today, Peter Pan is a company of 1,100 employees with a fleet of 300
buses costing nearly $500,000 each. Peter Pan does more than $100
million a year in sales each year, much of it earned one $35 one-way
trip from Boston's South Station to New York City's Port Authority Bus
Terminal at a time, says Picknelly.
That puts Peter Pan in the major leagues of bus companies, according
to Peter J. Pantuso, president and chief executive officer of the
American Bus Association.
There, everyone got "their Peter's right?"
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steamtrain6868
Train Attendant
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Yesterday I ran into a young man stuck in PGH in the new bus station at 200P he was going to Indiana PA and he was stuck there till 500am....You think that they would give him a meal ticket or something....Travelers Aid was there but I have no Idea what they would do with him
rrdude
Engineer
He could walk to BK or McDonald's, and buy a burger or sandwich, yes?
Just cause your conx sux, doesn't mean the carrier has to feed you or put you up................
Just cause your conx sux, doesn't mean the carrier has to feed you or put you up................
Unfortunately, this happens more and more these days for various reasons.
First of all the routes and schedules of intercity buses are but a mere shadow of what they were as little as twenty years ago. Wholescale routes have been abandoned, not just light branch routes, but mainline through routes. And the frequencies of service have also retrenched a lot.
The next problem is the lack of travel saavy by passengers. In these days of online information, you would think it otherwise, but sadly, many young people do not research their schedule options in advance to avoid bad connections if possible. Instead, they just show up at the station, hoping for the best when they decide to go.
In the case of the carriers failure to make a connection, due to their own negligence, and not weather, traffic, or other delays beyond their control, they may provide some accommodation in the way of meal voucher similar to rail and air. Of course not at the same level, as bus travel is in the words of former Greyhound president Jim Kerrigan, "The bargain basement of public transportation."
You get what you pay for....
First of all the routes and schedules of intercity buses are but a mere shadow of what they were as little as twenty years ago. Wholescale routes have been abandoned, not just light branch routes, but mainline through routes. And the frequencies of service have also retrenched a lot.
The next problem is the lack of travel saavy by passengers. In these days of online information, you would think it otherwise, but sadly, many young people do not research their schedule options in advance to avoid bad connections if possible. Instead, they just show up at the station, hoping for the best when they decide to go.
In the case of the carriers failure to make a connection, due to their own negligence, and not weather, traffic, or other delays beyond their control, they may provide some accommodation in the way of meal voucher similar to rail and air. Of course not at the same level, as bus travel is in the words of former Greyhound president Jim Kerrigan, "The bargain basement of public transportation."
You get what you pay for....
