The adventure started as a means to escape a toxic environment where I was surrounded by people who I should never have been around. Yes, they were the people that most would call family, however, after many years I have come to the conclusion that just because we may be born into a group of people doesn’t mean that we have to remain connected with those same people, especially when there are great differences. I left behind everything, only taking what clothes fit into a backpack. In other countries there are many ways of getting around, however, here in the United States, there are limited options for those without a car. I found that most people in very rural areas have no way of getting into the larger cities nearby; and with the smaller communities failing, it makes it harder for the people to obtain needed services and provisions. I may write later about how I feel about the bad laws and viewpoints of society which limit the lower income, but for now I want to talk about the beginning of the adventure.
Some years ago I experienced many bad things while riding on a Greyhound bus, but after much work I achieved some compensation for my horrible experience. The people at Greyhound promised they would work to improve how things operated, so now I’m going to find out. The adventure began in Shreveport, Louisiana. I’m going to write about my thoughts, experiences and provide creative ideas on how Greyhound could improve both their image and their operations. At some point I hope that the people in Greyhound will learn about and sincerely read this Blog, and hopefully find ways to alter any of the negative aspects found along the adventure.
In Shreveport at 5:30 AM there was a gentleman cleaning up behind the counter. He didn’t notice me walking up to the counter and disappeared for a short moment. Upon his return he greeted me and asked how he could help. I asked how much a ticket to Austin was and he provided the answer. After retrieving the money from an ATM I returned to purchase my ticket. He didn’t ask for identification, only my name as he typed it into the computer. I placed my large bag onto the luggage area as he placed a ticket of some sort onto it. After he provided me my ticket I turned to walk away believing my bag would be taken and then placed on the bus; however, he quickly informed me that I had to take my bag. He never asked if I wanted the travel insurance that Greyhound offers for luggage, and at the moment I had forgotten about it so I didn’t ask. This was one of the points that I had hoped that Greyhound would improve upon, that of informing their customers about the available insurance. The gentleman behind the counter performed his job but lacked any enthusiasm. The next few hours at the bus station proved harsh. The seating in the terminal wasn’t comfortable, there was no place to store my large bag (which meant I had to lug it around with me), the station’s paint was peeling in places and overall wasn’t very clean. The only bright moment was when I purchased a soda and biscuit at the small eatery. The girls were very friendly and helpful. They knew what products they had to offer and the prices. I chatted with the three women while I sat there until a bus arrived and others began to demand their time.
When they began to announce what bus was about to board I was always confused. They would announce the bus number. I wasn’t sure why the bus number was so important, as most people didn’t know what bus number they wanted, they only needed to hear what cities the bus was going to. So perhaps instead of announcing “bus 45732 is now boarding”, they should say, “The bus for Dallas with stops and connections in …. (name the other towns where the bus would stop) … is now boarding.” I finally heard one announcer say the bus for Dallas so I grabbed up my bags and headed out to the bus. I handed off my large bag to a worker who threw it into the storage area. The bus driver took my ticket and thankfully I found a seat without anyone sitting next to me. I curled up and slept. The temperature on the bus was cool and comfortable. Although the trip to Dallas was long, I knew it would be because of the many stops the bus made along the way, I was able to rest.
Upon arrival in Dallas I had to search for my large bag and when I saw it I was able to just pick it up and walk away without anyone verifying that the bag belonged to me. This was another point that I had asked Greyhound to improve, as the current system allowed for just anyone to pick up a bag and walk away with it, which means that if I didn’t get to my bag quickly then it could have walked off with someone else. Perhaps having the luggage handlers check tickets would prevent baggage from being stolen. But then again there might be other better ways of handling baggage. Any ideas?
