| They're Not Just Cheap: Nowadays, Buses Are Hip |
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| 2009-09-08 |
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By Andrea Sachs THE WASHINGTON POST
The bus is making a comeback. That once maligned mode of transportation is becoming the hip form of travel along the Northeast corridor. All the early adopters are taking it. But so, too, are people on budgets and bons vivants with an itch to head for New York at midnight to catch the after-hours parties.
The appeal is prodigious. The buses are cheap, convenient, well kitted-out and eco-approved. They are relatively hassle-free, especially because someone else is stuck navigating traffic. Baggage rules are more lax than on other forms of transportation, and there are no sneaky taxes or rules against carrying liquids, unless they have alcohol content. In addition, your pals, relatives and co-workers are hopping aboard. Do you really want to be left at the curb?
"I take it all the time. All my friends do, too," said Alan Henderson, a Howard University student who was waiting in line recently to board a Megabus in New York.
Between 2005 and 2007, according to the American Bus Association (ABA), nationwide ridership surged by 20 percent, increasing from 631 million passenger trips to 751 million. "We move about the same numbers as domestic (air) carriers each year," said ABA spokesman Eron Shosteck, a bus rider himself, "and more people in two weeks than Amtrak does all year."
As Shosteck put it, "This is Transportation 2.0."
Despite outward appearances � it's a bus, after all, with doors, windows, wheels, etc. � no two are identical. They vary in amenities, service and style, pickup/drop-off locations and sometimes cost. Even on short-haul journeys, those distinctions matter.
To shake out the good from the bad, the comfortable from the dismal, I dedicated a month of my life to riding the buses to New York, boarding nearly a dozen to figure out what makes these vehicles go 'round and 'round � or flat.
Megabus, BoltBus and the other recent entrants occupy the later chapters in the history of buses. Greyhound, founded 95 years ago, is in the front of the book, with the Chinatown buses filling in the middle. The pioneer of intercity express service was Fung Wah Bus, which in the late 1990s started transporting immigrant workers and pauper students between Chinatowns in Boston and New York. The concept soon expanded to Washington.
Some of the so-called dragon buses have had sketchy safety records that have led to some dramatic rides. The tales are legion. "A cop pulled us over the day before Christmas for not having a permit," Giulietta Pinna, a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, told me about her Chinatown bus nightmare from a few years ago. After that fright, Pinna switched to the train, but the cost was prohibitive. She is now riding Megabus.
In 2005, a fire on a Fung Wah bus drew the criticism of Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who proposed tighter safety regulations and spot checks. Oh, how I wish the senator had been on my Chinatown bus, New Century Travel, as we made our way to New York on a warm summer's eve not too long ago. I needed a lawmaker on my side.
The vehicle itself was in fine shape, though the restroom was sprayed with graffiti and lacked toilet paper. What irked me was the bad behavior in the front of the bus. The driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, repeatedly chatted on his cellphone and checked his messages, taking his eyes off the road. Without warning, we took a detour to a dirt hill near a travel plaza in Baltimore. We picked up a few people, then drove on, only to stop again in Delaware for a smoke/bathroom/fried chicken break.
After 11 p.m., we arrived at our Philadelphia stop and sat there. A passenger's earlier remark returned to me: "You will never understand New Century Travel. Don't even try." Eventually, a girl with pigtails instructed us to board the bus parked ahead of us. We packed up in the dark, settled in, started rolling, then stopped again. Someone had forgotten his cellphone on the first bus.
When I awoke from my daze, I looked up to see Chinese characters on a sign. I was overjoyed, until I read the rest of the lettering: Brooklyn. Two men jumped out, but no one else was allowed to exit. We were set free in Manhattan after 1 a.m., more than five hours after leaving Washington.
That was the worst of my rides. From there, things only got better, minus some bungles: On my first attempt to ride Greyhound, I ignored the company's suggestion to arrive an hour before departure. (It's first come, first served, first go.) When I showed up 30 minutes in advance, the bus had already filled up and taken off. I was stuck with Peter Pan and the gnawing knowledge that I could have been traveling on one of the dog's sleek new vehicles, which come with leather seats, WiFi, outlets, cup holders and much-appreciated seat belts.
On Vamoose, one of the more veteran players (established in 2004), I sat among three Hasidic brothers who passed food and Hebrew texts to one another. Because I was in between them, we ended up chatting about religion, science and literature. The engaging conversation lasted from the New Jersey Turnpike to Bethesda, Md., our end point. A few days later, racing to catch Tripper Bus in the afternoon heat of New York, I did not have a chance to stock up on water. At the pickup spot near Penn Station, I was greeted by a giant cooler of cold bottled water, free to all passengers. Once aboard, I noticed no toilet paper. I e-mailed customer service and received a reply: "Sorry to hear that. If you let the driver know, he will be more than happy to give you a roll of toilet paper." The bus driver graciously pointed out a whole supply near the lavatory.
The little perks mattered immensely and were a sweet tonic on what could otherwise be a mind-numbing journey. (With heavy traffic, the trip can last up to six hours.) But the more I rode, the more I understood the wider picture of bus travel. Overall, the industry has shaken its sordid reputation, emerging as a shiny chariot with a solid track record. The bus resurgence has been "a remarkable recovery of an industry," said Joe Schwieterman, a professor of public service and director of DePaul University's Chaddock Institute for Metropolitan Development. "Intercity bus travel is back and is now part of mainstream travel."
According to a study by Schwieterman, in 2007-08 the economic downturn, the spike in gas prices and airline cutbacks led the intercity bus industry to post "its biggest one-year gain in service in a half-century."
Credit goes mainly to the new convoy of buses, which appropriated the Chinatown model, then gave it a substantial upgrade. This new species offers curbside pickup and drop-offs, cheap fares, clean restrooms, express service, online reservations, free WiFi and loyalty programs. Neither Amtrak, currently exploring WiFi service on trains, nor my car can make such declarations.
The bus fares undercut Amtrak and, depending on the number of passengers, personal vehicles. As for my car, gas for a Washington-to-New York run would add up to $44, plus about $20 for tolls. The buses also earn hugs from carbon-emission watchers. According to such experts as Schwieterman and the ABA, one bus can potentially eliminate 55 cars from the road. The Union of Concerned Scientists' "Getting There Greener" guide notes that a couple can halve their carbon output by taking the bus and leaving their hybrid car in the garage.
All said, having covered more than 2,000 miles on the bus and dedicated 55-odd hours to life on the highway, I feel a kinship with the bus and its riders. It delivered what it promised: me to New York. What's less certain is: Which bus will I book next time I travel to Manhattan? I have my pet lines, but in the end, it really depends on price, time and location. I do, however, know what I won't be taking: the train or my car ... or New Century.
Before You Climb Aboard...
Riding the bus in the Northeast corridor is more than just getting on and off. Here are tips to help make the journey an enjoyable one.
Not all buses are safe and legal. For information on choosing a bus, peruse the website of the American Bus Association (buses.org), which features a Consumer Corner section with suggestions. You can also scan its list of members, which must meet certain safety standards to be accepted into the organization. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration also has a useful website (fmcsa.dot.gov).
For online orders, know the boarding-pass policy before departing for the bus. Some require a printout, while others will accept the reservation number on a scrap of paper or flashed on a gadget screen.
Passengers with reservations must arrive anywhere from an hour (Greyhound) to 15 minutes (Bolt, Washington Deluxe, etc.) before departure time. If you show up after that, you may lose your seat.
Try to book as far out as possible to snag the cheapest fare, especially on lines that offer prices starting at $1 for a Washington-New York run (e.g., Tripper Bus, BoltBus and Megabus). For a comprehensive Web search, check out BusJunction.com (busjunction.com), an aggregator that shows available buses and compares prices for a specific date. Also include in your search ticket brokers, such as Gotobus.com (gotobus.com).
Not all the buses have outlets, so charge your electronics before you board. Bring toilet paper and hand sanitizer, just in case.
On Megabus, try to score a seat in the front row of the top level. It has the most legroom and the widest window space. Plus, it feels as though you are on a carnival ride.
Some companies feature customer service centers that address your needs quickly � even en route. If you have any concerns during the ride, e-mail the company.
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