Greyhound Lines, Inc.
Attn: David Leach, CEO
15110 Dallas Pkwy, Suite 600
Dallas, TX 75248-4635

Operator with Executive Office: 214-849-8219
Bryan: 214-849-8217
Ursala: 214-849-8215
Safety Dept: 214-849-8214
Claudette: 214-849-8213
Jennell: 214-849-8211

These are the numbers that I was able to reach people, however, you can try to reach other live people by dialing 214-849-82XX

Mail customer service complaints to:
Customer Service
Greyhound Lines, Inc.
P.O. Box 660689, MS 490
Dallas, TX 75266-0689

Greyhound's parent company:
Laidlaw Inc.
Kevin Benson, CEO
55 Shulman Boulevard, Suite 400
Naperville, IL 60563
U.S.A.

Laidlaw's parent company:
First Group PLC
Attn: Moir Lockhead, CEO
Carmuirs House
300 Stirling Road
Larbert
FK5 3NJ

Greyhound Bus Call To Action
(Photo: Omar Omar)

My brother went on a week long business trip, traveling by Greyhound both ways. When he came home, he made the mistake of putting his bag with his laptop and a borrowed Nintendo DS under the bus. To make matters worse, all of his nice clothes, the sort that he needs to wear to work, were in that bag too. It was apparently misplaced in Tupelo, MS, about 20 miles away from home. From what I understand, there's no actual bus station there, but people are let on and off. When my brother got off the bus 20 miles later, he discovered that he had no luggage. As we later found out, 3 other passengers on that bus also lost luggage in Tupelo.

My sister-in-law called Greyhound's customer service quickly, and obviously got a horrible guy on the phone. Not only was he incompetently unhelpful, he suggest that my SIL "get together with everyone else" who lost luggage "and do something about it." I can't say how my SIL handled the conversation — there are equal chances that she was pleasant or hostile — but that is obviously not the way you deal with customers unhappy with your screw ups. And when I say he was incompetently unhelpful, I mean he did not even offer to file a claim or lost baggage report.

Thankfully, the people who work for Greyhound in Tupelo were very understanding, and they did fill a report. They also let my SIL know that if my brother's bags were not found, Greyhound would pay them $250 per bag, and that's without traveling insurance that he could not afford, as until this business trip, he was unemployed.

So this is what I'm doing about Greyhound's customer service: If they're going to be assholes about it, I'm going to write to you in hopes that you'll help publicly shame them and hopefully deter would-be customers. Maybe if their CSRs start costing the company money, they'll train them properly.

Thanks,
Mache

You should also have your sister-in-law write a letter to Greyhound's executives explaining exactly what happened—the more details, the better. Check out our guide on writing Executive Email Carpet Bombs if you don't know where to start, and here's a list of some addresses you might need.

(Photo: njt4148)

Chris, who purchased his tickets weeks in advance, tried calling Megabus' 800 number:

I called the 877 toll free Megabus number listed with 800 information. Calling that number - the one listed on the Megabus site - I got a recorded message stating that "information pertaining to this number has changed." If I wanted the number, "say yes." I said yes, and it sent me a text (for which I get charged 15 cents by my carrier). This is the text message verbatim, from 23333:

"Reply Y now to get info on the # you are trying to reach. Locator Svc $9.99/month + std msg fees for 20 lookups/month.
Support/Terms?
www.smsvw.com"

Megabus is a shell company that contracts service to subsidiaries. Chris noticed that the bus driver was wearing a 76 Carriage Company shirt, so he tried calling them next.

The dispatcher apologized for the driver's claim that he didn't know how I could call anyone. He offered to send a 76 shuttle that they usually use for hotel guests to get us to 6th & Market, and promised to call the driver's cell phone to hold the bus until we could get there. He repeated, however, that we still weren't getting on the bus if there weren't two empty seats after they filled up at 6th. This is the best deal I could swing after having a several-minute argument with 76 about what the word "reservation" means.

This, of course, also meant that a whole bus of people had to sit at 6th & Market for no reason. The bus driver, we learned from our friends on the bus, led people to believe that we were the hold-up!

We figured that if nothing else, we could get taken back home or closer to home on 76's dime if this didn't pan out. The shuttle driver was polite and professional.

As it turns out, there were about five empty seats. We rode that bus to NY, leaving about 20 minutes late. Had the bus been full or just had one seat open, our day - a day that a few people took off from work to enjoy, having booked the trip a month earlier - would have been shot. We also had to jaw at a few fellow passengers who were led to believe that we were somehow making them late.

We don't expect much from Chinatown bus companies or their competitors aside from a seat, but apparently even that is too much to ask for sometimes.

Megabus megasucks; just take NJ Transit or Chinatown buses [QuizMasterChris' Trivia Pub Quiz Blog & Infoporium]
(Photo: Wikipedia)

(Brag) New York to Toronto Bus Ticket for $2! [Ready to shop with Nico?]

The article says,

"It was scary because my sister and brother-in-law had no idea where he was. Greyhound said they had re-routed him out, but no one was really sure where he was," said Moore's aunt, Lisa Tolbert.

Moore's location was a mystery to his family, and when he arrived in Athens the next day his bag wasn't on the bus.

"Somebody must have taken the tags off... it took a week before I could get it back," Greg Moore said.

When it was finally returned there was $900 worth of personal belongings missing.

Tolbert thought she was saving money by having her nephew take the bus. Little did she know she would spend more money on gas for the 8 trips between Florence, Athens and Birmingham looking for her nephew.

"I've spent more now, then if I had gone down there and gotten him myself," Tolbert said.

When summer ends, Moore says he will have his aunt drive him back.

"This is my first time experiencing this, first impressions are their last impressions. I just feel like I'm never going to ride Greyhound again," he said.

If there is a bright side to this, at least the bus driver didn't fall asleep and roll the bus. Better late than never?

Valley boy gets runaround on Greyhound [WAFF] (Thanks to Jessie!)
(Photo: Getty)

The article says,

Duke, who was not injured, told investigators that he began his day in Indianapolis about 2:30 a.m. Eastern time, drove to Chicago and was on a return trip when the crash happened.

Witness Douglas Judy of DeMotte said he was driving north on the interstate when the bus crashed in front of him.

"The bus drifted right into the gravel and then fishtailed and overcorrected and then it hit the (center) wall," Judy told The Times of Munster. "It was going at such a high speed it was airborne. I thought it was coming over the wall at me."

Passenger Tara Robinson, 18, of Hobart said she was talking on the phone with a friend when the bus started swerving.

"All of a sudden I heard screaming. I looked up and the bus was out of control. Then all of a sudden we flipped. It was crazy," she said.

Robinson and another passenger, Deborah Booth, 50, of Chicago, said passengers helped each other get out of the bus before emergency personnel arrived.

"Everybody just came together and helped one another," Booth said.

The bus ended up on its right side, with its wheels against the concrete barriers in the highway's median. The crash caused police to close all southbound lanes of the interstate for several hours, with northbound lanes remaining open.

Greyhound spokesman Dustin Clark said Duke has driven for the line for about 18 years, had a good driving record and did not exceed his federal limit of 10 hours behind the wheel within a 15-hour workday.

It will be interesting in the coming days to see if there were any drugs involved or a medical condition (besides being really tired) to blame for the driver taking a snooze while driving. We hope that Greyhound takes this opportunity to make sure that all their drivers are fit to be behind the wheel.

Dozens hurt when Greyhound bus tips over in Ind. [AP]
(Photo: M3rcury)

Austin writes:

Below are several e-mails I've sent to Greyhound in an attempt to be reimbursed for my carry-on luggage that was missing after Greyhound ditched me in Pennsylvania. We were on our way to NYC from Chicago (ew, I know) and the woman said we were pulling into Philadelphia so they could clean and refuel the bus and it wouldn't take long. After waiting for a half hour, I decided to go to the restroom. I came out several minutes later and the bus was gone! There were speakers in the bathroom, so I know there was no announcement or anything. They just left me.

The worst part is that when the bus driver told us to get off of the bus, she said we'd be coming back onto the same bus, so we could leave our belongings. Unfortunately, that was the last time I ever saw my bag again.

They put me on the next bus, and when I arrived at Port Authority, I went directly to the manager and they took me around to all of the holding areas for luggage, lost luggage, etc. They then told me that it was gone and that was that. After looking on the website, I read that Greyhound will not reimburse customers for lost carry-on luggage, but I decided this was a special case.

As I had already dealt with Greyhound managers and what not for hours at the Port Authority, I decided to call Greyhound CEO, Dave Leach's office to resolve the issue. His assistant, Liz, gave me her e-mail address so I could send her my letter, and she quickly forwarded me onto executive customer service. A woman named "Ms. Walker" called and left me a voice mail, and we played phone tag for a couple of weeks. While I work during the day and may not be able to take calls, it perturbs me that she couldn't do the same, being as that IS her job. Once I came to the conclusion that Ms. Walker and I probably wouldn't get in touch, I sent Liz another e-mail, to which she decided to begin ignoring me altogether.

I know that the BBB complaint will be pretty useless, but I'm banking on the idea that small claims court will see it my way (read: Greyhound won't show up to court and I'll win by default). Maybe?

We're not surprised that Greyhound's executive customer support staff can't return calls or emails. Nothing escapes Greyhound's ruin.

Small claims court is worth a shot. Since you'll need to deliver papers, try serving a driver, preferably one about to leave on a cross-country route.

(Photo: Tom in NYC)

Only a handful of seats cost $1. Fares are capped at $20, which is still competitive with Greyhound and the Chinatown bus companies. From BoltBus' FAQ:

Our fares will start @ $1 (plus a transaction or booking fee), with a minimum of one $1 fare available on every schedule we operate every day. The fares we charge will vary by day of week, overall passenger demand and how many days until the travel will take place. Typically someone who purchases a week or two out will receive the cheapest fares so it will save you money to plan ahead. Even our higher walkup fares will be reasonable and will allow for inexpensive spur of the moment travel.

Finally, BoltBus is the bastard spawn of Greyhound and Peter Pan, two of the most universally reviled transportation companies. They do, however, have a loyalty program: four round-trips earns you a free one-way ticket, a $1 value!

Frequently Asked Questions [BoltBus]

The South Carolina Board of Education approved the plan last month, and appears to be moving forward with it.

"I never thought [advertising inside school buses] was a good idea to start with," said Donald Tudor, South Carolina's DOE School Transportation Director, "but when you run a state program and districts request this be set in motion, you do it so they can make a choice. Ultimately, I couldn't think of a good reason why they shouldn't have the option."

For its part, SAC promises the ads will be age-appropriate, promote a healthy and productive life, and are directly approved by district appointed personnel. Ads sold thus far are from local businesses.

"School Buses Latest Victim of Ad Creep" [BrandWeek]
(Photo: Getty)

When we arrived at our only stop along the ride in Framingham, MA at 4:35 PM, about 20 minutes away from Boston, the people who had gotten their tickets to Framingham walked off of the bus. I was surprised and delighted to see that we were about 25 minutes ahead of schedule and that we would arrive in Boston ahead of time- something I was looking forward to after my previous trip. However, after the bus driver stood outside for 5 minutes to smoke a cigarette, he came back inside the bus and made an announcement:

"Usually," he said, "on Sundays, I leave right after I drop off the passengers. You'd be about thirty minutes early. However, on the way here, I was told on my radio, 'are you alright?' I said, 'yeah I'm fine,' and they had told me that someone on this bus had called in and said that I was swerving all over the road and falling asleep.'"

I personally noticed this a bit along the way.

"And, since someone said this, and aggravated me, I'm going to aggravate you. We aren't going to leave until 5 o'clock [25 minutes from then]. And no, you can't go out and smoke."

The driver kept us captive on the bus. Some people voiced their opinions, some even apologizing for whomever called the company that he was swerving. One person said, "I don't know why you're punishing all of us for something one person said," and he replied, "one apple spoils all of the rest." A woman asked if he could continue "because of the baby." He said, "What baby?" The woman replied, "my baby," picked up her child and showed it to him. "No way," he said, and stood there, staring at us.

[Director Of Safety And Security, Christopher Crean] also received what he described as an atypical handwritten letter from a third passenger, faxed to him with no return address or phone number, praising the driver for acting "respectfully and courteously" despite "agitated" passengers.

In contrast, the Chinatown buses sell their $15 one-way tickets to as many riders as are willing to buy them, regardless of the availability of seats. Greyhound, which shares buses and routes with Peter Pan Bus Lines, also oversells one-way tickets - for $35 if bought in person or $15 if purchased online. Ticket holders who don't get on must wait for the next departure, which could be the next hour or the next day.

Lucky Star and Fung Wah did not return calls for comment yesterday afternoon.

Greyhound said yesterday it has been testing guaranteed seats this month for Boston-New York and Dallas-Houston customers who were willing to pay $5 more each way, but the bus company was still evaluating the program.

Vamoose Bus will begin ferrying internet addicts between New York and Boston as of November 8; for travel between New York and Washington, check out DC2NY.

NYC-Boston bus offers reservations [Boston Globe]
(Photo: thetbone)

They made it to Dallas with 5 minutes to spare before the second bus was scheduled to leave. My wife saw one of her bags and the car seat on the dolly, but couldn't get confirmation that it had made it on the bus. She boarded and managed to at least get all three of the seats we had paid for this time.

I called again at 1, and learned that she had been stuck in Amarillo for over two hours already and that there was no clear idea of when the bus might arrive. Not much we could do about it, so we just shrugged and resigned ourselves to waiting; her there, me here. The kids were being good, but were so exhausted that they were asleep...

At lunch, I got a call from a person in Dallas who found our luggage... empty... and in a dumpster a quarter mile from the bus station. I called Heather to let her know. She was still in Amarillo (now going on 4 hours...). I called "Customer Service" and was put on hold for 36 minutes. When I finally got a hold of a person, I was immediately told that she would not discuss the matter with me because I was not the one who had ordered the tickets... I pointed out as calmly as I could that I was the sole breadwinner in my household and that I sure as heck HAD PAID for the tickets. She told me to have my wife call (You know, the love of my life, who would have to then wait on hold with two fatigued kids to monitor in a bus station). I told her to put me through to a supervisor. I got voicemail and no one has contacted me.

Around 2:30 I called my wife back and found out that a bus had just pulled up. I let her go, thinking we were getting on top of this. I later learned that she was not allowed onto that bus because it was too full... Wait... didn't we buy a dang ticket? Then, as she got into the only 3 contiguous seats left in the NEXT bus, the driver said they were too close to his seat and that he didn't want kids sitting there. My wife, now completely overwhelmed, came very close to crying. He accused her of threatening him because apparently he feels threatened by a crying person. He then told her that she was a bad parent if she was not able to control her kids better... They had not been doing anything! I won't go further, but she was VERY badly treated by the Grayhound company and its people as a whole. My wife is very understanding and not prone to exaggeration. She has literally circumnavigated world, including visits to many third-world countries. When she told me the specifics of what she was told, I was glad I had not been there because I would have gone to jail.

They have now been on the road for 15 hours of a supposed 16 hour trip and are barely halfway there.

We will be buying a plane ticket for each of them to get home.

-Harold

(Photo: bomb_tea)

Who knew such an innocent request would result in a bus driver yelling at us in front of several passengers?

We were traveling by charter bus to a location outside Brooklyn, some place where they have trees with green leaves. Across from one of our stops was a Friendly's. Our girlfriend pined for a "Fribble," Friendly's proprietary thick milkshake. We weren't sure we had enough time but decided to give it a shot.

When we came to the front of the bus, the door was closed, and the bus driver wasn't there. Outside, some passengers stood smoking. We pushed on the door but it didn't open. Then we saw two big buttons by the driver's seat, one red, one green, one indicating an opening door, the other, a closing door. Using our finely honed powers of analysis and deduction, we decided to press the open door button. The hydraulics shooshed the door open and we pushed our way outside...

Immediately as we got off, the bus driver rushed over and demanded to know just what we thought we were doing. We told him we were going to get a Fribble. He asked just how we got it into our head it was okay to press the button to open the door. We said we were a "hands-on kinda guy." He went on to explain how we had no right to touch anything, how we put the bus in danger, how the bus was a sophisticated piece of machinery, how a meaner bus driver would've just ripped up our ticket, did we want to speak to his supervisor? Because he would call him over here if we wanted to.

We tried to say sorry, that we didn't mean any disrespect, but he interrupted us to remind us how we had put the lives of the other passengers in mortal danger and a driver not as nice as him wouldn't let us back on the bus. At this point we interjected to say yo, we understand, we're sorry, but it's not necessary to publicly dress us down. He said that he wasn't yoing us, we were just having a friendly discussion, and then he started back up again with bus danger, supervisor, buttons, ripping tickets etc. We said, look, we understand, and then he asked us if we want to get back on the bus. We said we would love too.

We returned to our girlfriend, who appreciated our unsuccessful efforts. As the bus trundled through the towns, we fantasized about getting the driver's name and filing a complaint. Maybe even talking to him at the end and telling him how we paid for a bus ticket, not to get a verbal spanking from a bus driver. Instead, when we got off the bus at the end, we thanked him for the ride, and set about trying to enjoy the rest of the three-day weekend.

We do a lot of kvetching on the site and encourage people who feel wronged by companies to write complaint letters. But part of being a good consumer is not just knowing to complain, and how to complain, but knowing when not to complain. Sometimes, after a little reflection, you realize you're complaining because the bus driver won't let you push the buttons on the dashboard, and that he might even merit praise for severely nipping in the bud uppity passengers who might endanger bus operations. — BEN POPKEN

(Photo: Friendly's)

Megabus, the British discount bus line, is open for business in the USA. Tickets from their base in Chicago to cities like Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Minneapolis can run for as little as $1.00 each way, if you book far enough in advance. It goes up as you get closer to the departure day, but let's face it, it's still a bus fare. This isn't flying first class to Australia.

And yeah, there's a 50-cent reservation fee. So it's really a $1.50 fare. The bus will burn that up in fuel as it idles, waiting for you to get onboard.

Megabus doesn't have a terminal. They'll pick you up and drop you off at a predetermined street corner. Classy. But for $1, you're not buying class.

So, has anyone actually ridden the Megabus? Report! — MARK ASHLEY

Bus line appeals to shoestring travelers with new routes [USA Today]
Would you take a $1 bus? [Jaunted]