Cheap, practical, yet totally unreliable — that’s what a Greyhound bus is. It’s cheaper to take the Greyhound than the train or plane, and it’s often more practical and convenient for medium-distance trips if you don’t have a car. The bus times are also often more convenient. But, if you’re expecting well-kept websites, no stress, and on-time buses, you are in for a severe shock. This should be a money-making business, yet, Greyhound seems to love screwing themselves over with how bad their everything is. It’s an unpleasant experience all around and I got totally screwed by the Greyhound over Thanksgiving Break.
When I walked into the bus station (15 minutes early, as suggested on my ticket) I went straight to the desk where someone is supposed to direct you — but no one was there. I was behind a family and another traveler, but there seemed to be no employees there. The T.V. screens where they list the gate for each departure just said “See Attendant,” yet there was none around. I walked all the way to the back, realized there was no information to be found, returned to the front again where I found a handwritten sign listing all the departure times and gate numbers, and then realized I had to go all the way to the back once again to get to my gate. That sign was so discrete that I didn’t even register it was important. Plus, why was “See Attendant” on the TV screens if there was no attendant and only this one sign?
The Greyhound is never on time and every person I’ve spoken has had the same experience. My sister, my friends, strangers online — they can all corroborate that the Greyhound is always late. The first time, I had to wait two-and-a-half hours for my bus, and the second time, I had to wait 15 minutes, but the most recent incident was in the rain at night. This wasn’t some light rain either, it was pouring. It was coming down heavily and I was starting to get worried that my electronics would be busted even though they were snug in my bag. You would think that for a company named after one of the fastest domesticated dog breeds, they could at least be on time. But apparently that’s not feasible for them.
Greyhound is also weird about giving out information. My bus station had changed for my drop-off, but that was not reflected on my booking online. It might be because they spit out a PDF, but I feel like this is information they should communicate in the future. At one point, my bus tracker told me that the bus had left at 8:55 a.m. when it was supposed to leave at 9:15 a.m., yet I’d received no information about this at all from Greyhound. I also had a two-hour transfer according to my ticket, but it was actually the same bus, so I got off for nothing. The ticket showed two different bus numbers, but I grew suspicious as people were loading into the bus going to my destination. This might have been a comprehension problem on my part, but it is easy to see how this might have been misconstrued. I got back on the bus, but I had to sit in a different seat as the bus got filled up and crowded very quickly.
The bus can get crowded very quickly. Sometimes, Greyhound even overbooks, which means some people are left stranded, even when passengers sit in the disabled section. It’s bad business practice to overbook, as it forces people to make last-minute changes, and they may not even have the means to change plans.
Some Greyhound stations are not even marked for Greyhound, so you have to stand around awkwardly or ask around hoping that you are in the right place. That means, when you get rained on in the dark while the likes of Flix and Peter Pan pulls up, you have no idea if you are at the right place. Checking the bus tracker becomes like a ritual so you better have the data plan to do so.
Of course, while I have my laundry list of complaints about Greyhound, there are a lot of factors contributing to the poor management of the Greyhound including the state of interstate and intercity public transport, capitalism, stigma, and COVID.
In general, interstate and intercity public transport is severely lacking — not just with Greyhound, but trains and planes also having overbooking and time issues. Interstate public transport is the overlooked transit option, being often underfunded and underutilized. Capitalism and financial gain are the main reasons why overbooking is such a problem, as these companies will look for every opportunity for financial gain. This is especially true for planes who overbook, and then have to pay tens of thousands in compensation. These companies are hoping to maximize profits by hoping someone cancels late.
There are many reasons why someone chooses the Greyhound, but generally it’s because the bus is convenient and cheap. For those who don’t have the money to spend on expensive tickets or who are only looking to travel to a city or two over, this is a viable option. Especially if one does not own a car, Greyhound and other bus services are an essential option. It is also less intimidating than getting on a plane by yourself, which is good for young travelers. One of the Greyhound’s best points is that it comes equipped with free Wi-Fi so you can still work while traveling. Another benefit is that it is accessible for disabled people, especially those who may have trouble flying. There are accommodations available in planes and trains as well but on the Greyhound, it is easier to respond to a medical emergency by pulling over on the road, unlike on a train or plane.
Also, there is an unfair stigma when it comes to Greyhound due to the fact it is associated with poor and low-income people. Historically, things used by low-income people get much less investment unless they get upscaled to the tastes of the middle and upper class. (Just take a look at van living versus trailer homes.) A lot of criticism can be made toward the company, but there can also be that class prejudice that plays a factor in Greyhound’s reputation.
There was also a pandemic recently which greatly affected the company. After COVID, the company took huge financial hits in 2020 and 2021 due to low ridership. The company may not have fully recovered since then as I can still find the lingering effects of COVID today, like the lack of employees. Overbooking to regain that money could also be a possibility as well. The lack of funds could also affect the quality of the Greyhound as they might still be on a shoestring budget.
Overall, the Greyhound is a miserable experience but also a necessity for many people. I have a trip planned during Spring Break and I am not waking up at five in the morning to take a plane just to go to Philadelphia. So I will continue to use Greyhound, and once again I will be subjected to the delays, pain, and suffering that Greyhound causes its customers. Even though I know why some of these things may be happening, it still doesn’t mean I wont complain about it.
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