Monday, December 31, 2007
home for the holidays
heading towards the ticket kiosk, i make a panicked look. My distress catches the attention of a particularly jolly Greyhound employee. The computer is overheated and cranky, opting to deny my credit card. I make more panic looks as my 2pm is looking more like 2:30. This man about 'hound sends a page to hold the bus for me. A small Christmas miracle. I watch something on Bob Dylan and am truly grateful that my first trip to DC in 2008 will be in a car.
Bonkers in Beantown
The passengers on a New York-to-Boston Peter Pan bus Sunday afternoon heard an announcement that few travelers expect to hear. The bus would idle at a Framingham layover for an extra half-hour - and nobody was allowed to get off.
Brian Moore, 21, an Emerson College junior, sent a letter of complaint to the company and posted a detailed account of the experience on his personal blog. The reason, the driver bitterly told his passengers, was that one of them had called the company dispatcher to complain that the driver had been swerving during the first leg of the trip.
"Since you aggravated me, I'm going to aggravate you," the driver told them, according to Brian Moore, 21, an Emerson College junior returning to Boston after a visit with his girlfriend in New York. At another point, the driver proclaimed, "One bad apple spoils the bunch."
"At the time, everyone thought he was kidding because he looked [at passengers with] kind of like this crazed, creepy smile," said Leigh Schuelke, 23, an event planner from Cambridge who was on the Peter Pan bus with her husband.
But kidding he was not. When one passenger, a man, walked to the front of the bus and asked to get off and reclaim his luggage, the driver peered at his ticket for Boston and replied, "I can't get your bags."
He ignored the pleas from a pregnant passenger in the name of her unborn child. He ignored plaintive apologies on behalf of the unknown rider who reported him. He ignored the argument that the complainer might not even be on the bus.
Want to smoke a cigarette outside? Stretch? Buy snacks in the terminal? No, no, and no, the driver said. This was punishment, he repeated.
"He explained it to us over and over," Schuelke said. "He seemed to be enjoying, just like sticking it to us."
The driver told passengers that he had clearance from the dispatcher to hold the bus at the Framingham terminal, according to three passengers -- Moore, Schuelke, and Schuelke's husband, James, 23, a Harvard law student.
A half-hour later, the driver finally threw the bus into gear, racing down the Massachusetts Turnpike above the speed limit, flying through tollbooths, Leigh Schuelke recalled.
No one called Peter Pan from the bus during the delay, but Moore and Leigh Schuelke sent letters of complaint to the company. Moore also posted his letter, with a detailed account of the experience on his personal blog and on a social networking site, LiveJournal. It was picked up by the website Universal Hub. Along the way, it drew comments from kindred spirits.
Peter Pan Bus Lines' director of safety and security, Christopher Crean, said he has suspended the driver and is investigating the incident.
"If any of this came even close to happening, the driver could in some cases be subject to termination," Crean said. "It's definitely become an issue. And the more I dig, the less I like."
Crean did not release the driver's name, but said he was in his early 30s and had three years on the job.
The bus left the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York at 1 p.m. Sunday. It arrived in Framingham at 4:35, which would have put it in Boston about 30 minutes ahead of schedule. On weekdays, the bus must wait an extra 25 minutes to pick up other passengers, but Sunday drivers can go straight through to Boston, Crean said.
Crean said the driver acknowledged that a dispatcher had contacted him during the trip and told him that a passenger was complaining. The driver, he said, denied retaliating against the passengers and explained that he stopped in Framingham simply because he did not know he could continue on immediately to Boston, Crean said.
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.
Attempts by the Globe and Peter Pan to reach the woman whose signature was on the letter were unsuccessful.
Moore, a film major, said some friends have suggested the incident at Framingham would make a good script.
"It would be like 'Speed,' " he said, "but maybe a little more boring because it wouldn't be moving."
Brian Moore, 21, an Emerson College junior, sent a letter of complaint to the company and posted a detailed account of the experience on his personal blog. The reason, the driver bitterly told his passengers, was that one of them had called the company dispatcher to complain that the driver had been swerving during the first leg of the trip.
"Since you aggravated me, I'm going to aggravate you," the driver told them, according to Brian Moore, 21, an Emerson College junior returning to Boston after a visit with his girlfriend in New York. At another point, the driver proclaimed, "One bad apple spoils the bunch."
"At the time, everyone thought he was kidding because he looked [at passengers with] kind of like this crazed, creepy smile," said Leigh Schuelke, 23, an event planner from Cambridge who was on the Peter Pan bus with her husband.
But kidding he was not. When one passenger, a man, walked to the front of the bus and asked to get off and reclaim his luggage, the driver peered at his ticket for Boston and replied, "I can't get your bags."
He ignored the pleas from a pregnant passenger in the name of her unborn child. He ignored plaintive apologies on behalf of the unknown rider who reported him. He ignored the argument that the complainer might not even be on the bus.
Want to smoke a cigarette outside? Stretch? Buy snacks in the terminal? No, no, and no, the driver said. This was punishment, he repeated.
"He explained it to us over and over," Schuelke said. "He seemed to be enjoying, just like sticking it to us."
The driver told passengers that he had clearance from the dispatcher to hold the bus at the Framingham terminal, according to three passengers -- Moore, Schuelke, and Schuelke's husband, James, 23, a Harvard law student.
A half-hour later, the driver finally threw the bus into gear, racing down the Massachusetts Turnpike above the speed limit, flying through tollbooths, Leigh Schuelke recalled.
No one called Peter Pan from the bus during the delay, but Moore and Leigh Schuelke sent letters of complaint to the company. Moore also posted his letter, with a detailed account of the experience on his personal blog and on a social networking site, LiveJournal. It was picked up by the website Universal Hub. Along the way, it drew comments from kindred spirits.
Peter Pan Bus Lines' director of safety and security, Christopher Crean, said he has suspended the driver and is investigating the incident.
"If any of this came even close to happening, the driver could in some cases be subject to termination," Crean said. "It's definitely become an issue. And the more I dig, the less I like."
Crean did not release the driver's name, but said he was in his early 30s and had three years on the job.
The bus left the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York at 1 p.m. Sunday. It arrived in Framingham at 4:35, which would have put it in Boston about 30 minutes ahead of schedule. On weekdays, the bus must wait an extra 25 minutes to pick up other passengers, but Sunday drivers can go straight through to Boston, Crean said.
Crean said the driver acknowledged that a dispatcher had contacted him during the trip and told him that a passenger was complaining. The driver, he said, denied retaliating against the passengers and explained that he stopped in Framingham simply because he did not know he could continue on immediately to Boston, Crean said.
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.
Attempts by the Globe and Peter Pan to reach the woman whose signature was on the letter were unsuccessful.
Moore, a film major, said some friends have suggested the incident at Framingham would make a good script.
"It would be like 'Speed,' " he said, "but maybe a little more boring because it wouldn't be moving."
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
the illusion of vacancy
12/16/07:
I get to the station and realize that my ticket was left in a book left at l's house. Panic ensues. Greyhound ticket policies are explained. $13 in fees are charged for using the credit card of a non-passenger. It is hectic. It is expensive. But most importantly, I am on the 3pm heading back home.
As I rush onto the bus, there are scattered empty seats throughout. I'm holding out for the back. The second row from the back is my sweet spot. That's a little dramatic but I like it there. It's already semi-occupied so I'll have to share. As I set my belongings to the floor, I notice a very large man with an even bigger bag in the very last row. Both are enormous and its hard to tell where one starts and the other begins. This spot, somewhere in between the bathroom nook and the window is made up of three seats. This man and his belongings have taken up all of them.
Three Spanish gentlemen walk towards the back of the bus, the driver helping them to find seats. She looks in the direction of the back and notices the man taking up the entire back row. They make eye contact. She places the three men elsewhere, re-arranging other travelers in order to accommodate.
The night prior I had realized something before drifting off to bed. It became clear to me that I would never own a record store. I haven't been thinking about opening one nor had I ever looked into it as a plausible possibility. But late at night, conceptualizing my future and life's work, it had struck me that record store proprietor was not in the cards. On that evenings bus ride, something else became abundantly clear.
I will never be someone that could take up three seats on a crowded bus and have no questions be asked of me. These are our lots in life...let us never forget them.
I get to the station and realize that my ticket was left in a book left at l's house. Panic ensues. Greyhound ticket policies are explained. $13 in fees are charged for using the credit card of a non-passenger. It is hectic. It is expensive. But most importantly, I am on the 3pm heading back home.
As I rush onto the bus, there are scattered empty seats throughout. I'm holding out for the back. The second row from the back is my sweet spot. That's a little dramatic but I like it there. It's already semi-occupied so I'll have to share. As I set my belongings to the floor, I notice a very large man with an even bigger bag in the very last row. Both are enormous and its hard to tell where one starts and the other begins. This spot, somewhere in between the bathroom nook and the window is made up of three seats. This man and his belongings have taken up all of them.
Three Spanish gentlemen walk towards the back of the bus, the driver helping them to find seats. She looks in the direction of the back and notices the man taking up the entire back row. They make eye contact. She places the three men elsewhere, re-arranging other travelers in order to accommodate.
The night prior I had realized something before drifting off to bed. It became clear to me that I would never own a record store. I haven't been thinking about opening one nor had I ever looked into it as a plausible possibility. But late at night, conceptualizing my future and life's work, it had struck me that record store proprietor was not in the cards. On that evenings bus ride, something else became abundantly clear.
I will never be someone that could take up three seats on a crowded bus and have no questions be asked of me. These are our lots in life...let us never forget them.
gorgeous and alone, face to face
12/14/07: As I get on the line towards New York, I can't help but overhear the following.
"Oh, I think I'll just pick up a water while we're on the bus"
I turn around and smile. "You'd better get it one from the machine now" Naive sure, but has she ever seen a coach bus? There's no optical illusion aboard. No candy stripers or gentleman carving up assorted meats under a neon light. There probably will be some tuna though. You can probably count on some kind of tuna.
"Julian's Gift" is the name granted to this vessel. Its VCR isn't working. More surprising is the fact that Peter Pan Bus Company has yet to make the transition to DVD. That's one battle they are probably going to lose.
The trip is otherwise uneventful. I cringe at the last ten minutes of "Blood Simple" and wonder what I'd do if someone had stabbed me directly through my hand. I didn't come up with anything but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't break down a wall.
A woman fell down twice trying to open the bathroom door incorrectly. She was seriously shaken up but fear not. She eventually figured out the door thing. You have to push, not pull! Let that be a lesson.
"Oh, I think I'll just pick up a water while we're on the bus"
I turn around and smile. "You'd better get it one from the machine now" Naive sure, but has she ever seen a coach bus? There's no optical illusion aboard. No candy stripers or gentleman carving up assorted meats under a neon light. There probably will be some tuna though. You can probably count on some kind of tuna.
"Julian's Gift" is the name granted to this vessel. Its VCR isn't working. More surprising is the fact that Peter Pan Bus Company has yet to make the transition to DVD. That's one battle they are probably going to lose.
The trip is otherwise uneventful. I cringe at the last ten minutes of "Blood Simple" and wonder what I'd do if someone had stabbed me directly through my hand. I didn't come up with anything but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't break down a wall.
A woman fell down twice trying to open the bathroom door incorrectly. She was seriously shaken up but fear not. She eventually figured out the door thing. You have to push, not pull! Let that be a lesson.
a bit of housekeeping
The Introduction of Greyhound's ROAD REWARDS
Sign up for Road Rewards and immediately get a 10% discount on your next online ticket purchase.
Get one FREE Companion Pass with a paid full-fare ticket. Also receive a one-time 15% ticket discount for yourself. (You also receive a 10% discount on food and beverages for the remainder of your 12-month period.)
Get one FREE Companion Pass and take 20% off your next online ticket purchase.
One FREE ticket to anywhere Greyhound goes.
Here are some of the Frequently Asked Questions or FAQ's of the program:
Q. How do I sign up for Road Rewards?
A. It's simple. Click on the Sign Up link on the Home Page, or here and we'll take you to the Registration Page. Once you key in your information and respond to the confirmation email, you'll be a card-carrying Road Rewards member and can begin collecting Destination Points with your first ticket purchase. Plus, you'll get 10% off your next online ticket purchase.
Q. What are Destination Points?
A. Your Destination Points are calculated by the number of one-way trips you have traveled in a 12-month period. A one-way trip is equal to one Destination Point - so a round trip collects you two Points. As those Points add up, you will move through the different levels of the program, collecting rewards as you go. Click here for more information on what those rewards are and how long you have to redeem them.
Q. Can I give my Destination Points to friends or family members?
A. Unfortunately, your Destination Points are just that: yours. But while Points are not transferable to another Road Rewards member, you do have the opportunity to collect free companion passes.
Q. How long can I keep collecting Points?
A. You collect Points throughout a rolling 12-month period. Once you reach the end of the 12 months your Point collection starts over at zero. For every 16 Points (or 8 round trips) you collect, you get a free round-trip ticket. Your first 12-month period begins when you register. Different rewards have different expiration dates. Click here for more information.
Q. How do I know which rewards I am eligible for, and how do I redeem them?
A. Log in from any page and you'll be taken to the My Accounts page. There you'll find a tally of your collected Points, your travel history, and the rewards currently available to you. If you want to redeem a reward, simply click on it.
Q. Can I become a Road Rewards member if I live in Canada?
A. Sorry, Road Rewards in only available to U.S. residents at this time.
Q. Can I use the tickets I purchased before joining to collect Destination Points?
A. Sorry, only tickets purchased after joining the program will be eligible for credit. Our program operates on a 12-month rolling cycle, which means you have 12 months from the time you sign up to collect Destination Points until they expire and you begin again. The good news is that once you register, you can start collecting Points immediately.
Q. Can more than one person register using the same email address?
A. Sorry, only one person per email address is allowed. For example, one address cannot be used for a married couple or family. In order for us to keep track of our members and the rewards they've earned, we need a separate email address for each member.
Q. Is there an age limit to the Road Rewards program?
A. Yes, you must be 18 years of age or older to participate.
Q. How/Where do I get my Road Rewards membership card?
A. Once you've collected six (6) Destination Points, head to the Road Rewards site and log in. Once you've logged in, a "Print My Road Rewards Card" button will appear. This allows you to print out your membership card. Click the button and you're all set. Don't forget to bring your membership card with you to redeem 10% off Food & Beverages.
AND AND AND AND
Enough of this mutual admiration society buisness! All of this new regime/policy change might sound great with its promise of a printed out membership card but it's not all sunshine and smiles. The 'hound has recently instituted a new $1.50 processing fee for BOTH e-tickets or Will Call. A dollar fifty to send you an email! The Unbelievable gaul!
Sign up for Road Rewards and immediately get a 10% discount on your next online ticket purchase.
Get one FREE Companion Pass with a paid full-fare ticket. Also receive a one-time 15% ticket discount for yourself. (You also receive a 10% discount on food and beverages for the remainder of your 12-month period.)
Get one FREE Companion Pass and take 20% off your next online ticket purchase.
One FREE ticket to anywhere Greyhound goes.
Here are some of the Frequently Asked Questions or FAQ's of the program:
Q. How do I sign up for Road Rewards?
A. It's simple. Click on the Sign Up link on the Home Page, or here and we'll take you to the Registration Page. Once you key in your information and respond to the confirmation email, you'll be a card-carrying Road Rewards member and can begin collecting Destination Points with your first ticket purchase. Plus, you'll get 10% off your next online ticket purchase.
Q. What are Destination Points?
A. Your Destination Points are calculated by the number of one-way trips you have traveled in a 12-month period. A one-way trip is equal to one Destination Point - so a round trip collects you two Points. As those Points add up, you will move through the different levels of the program, collecting rewards as you go. Click here for more information on what those rewards are and how long you have to redeem them.
Q. Can I give my Destination Points to friends or family members?
A. Unfortunately, your Destination Points are just that: yours. But while Points are not transferable to another Road Rewards member, you do have the opportunity to collect free companion passes.
Q. How long can I keep collecting Points?
A. You collect Points throughout a rolling 12-month period. Once you reach the end of the 12 months your Point collection starts over at zero. For every 16 Points (or 8 round trips) you collect, you get a free round-trip ticket. Your first 12-month period begins when you register. Different rewards have different expiration dates. Click here for more information.
Q. How do I know which rewards I am eligible for, and how do I redeem them?
A. Log in from any page and you'll be taken to the My Accounts page. There you'll find a tally of your collected Points, your travel history, and the rewards currently available to you. If you want to redeem a reward, simply click on it.
Q. Can I become a Road Rewards member if I live in Canada?
A. Sorry, Road Rewards in only available to U.S. residents at this time.
Q. Can I use the tickets I purchased before joining to collect Destination Points?
A. Sorry, only tickets purchased after joining the program will be eligible for credit. Our program operates on a 12-month rolling cycle, which means you have 12 months from the time you sign up to collect Destination Points until they expire and you begin again. The good news is that once you register, you can start collecting Points immediately.
Q. Can more than one person register using the same email address?
A. Sorry, only one person per email address is allowed. For example, one address cannot be used for a married couple or family. In order for us to keep track of our members and the rewards they've earned, we need a separate email address for each member.
Q. Is there an age limit to the Road Rewards program?
A. Yes, you must be 18 years of age or older to participate.
Q. How/Where do I get my Road Rewards membership card?
A. Once you've collected six (6) Destination Points, head to the Road Rewards site and log in. Once you've logged in, a "Print My Road Rewards Card" button will appear. This allows you to print out your membership card. Click the button and you're all set. Don't forget to bring your membership card with you to redeem 10% off Food & Beverages.
AND AND AND AND
Enough of this mutual admiration society buisness! All of this new regime/policy change might sound great with its promise of a printed out membership card but it's not all sunshine and smiles. The 'hound has recently instituted a new $1.50 processing fee for BOTH e-tickets or Will Call. A dollar fifty to send you an email! The Unbelievable gaul!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Pitchfork, Deacon make jokes (and lawsuits?) at Greyhound's expense
Dan Deacon to Greyhound Buses: Fuck You!
"These rats stink like rotten cum. Fuck them with 1000 fires...Eat my shorts you dickless pig fuckers."
Something strange is afoot on the Greyhound bus, and for once, it's not that guy in the trenchcoat who won't stop staring.
Included in this month's issue of electronic music mag XLR8R is a four postcard pullout advertisement emphasizing just how easy it is to traverse America's rock'n'roll underground via the notoriously slow transit system named after the notoriously fast dog. The insert bears the likenesses of Dan Deacon, Baltimore laptop-noise act Wzt Hearts, Japan's Ruins, and a crowdsurfer at a Team Robespierre gig. They say there's no such thing as bad publicity, but there are probably better ways to handle publicity concerns than the way Greyhound allegedly did with this foursome. Both Deacon and Wzt Hearts' Jason Urick have publicly complained that they were not contacted about the use of the photos, and, naturally, aren't too pleased.
Urick apparently caught wind of this business first, and made a post to crewcial.org's message board alerting friends and well-wishers to the budding controversy (his alias is "airplaneglue"). His first post asks, simply, "Can you sue if a company uses a picture and a blurb of your band without asking... because apparently Greyhound just did that with us. wtf?" The resulting discussion finds Urick and the rest of the board readers trying to determine just what Urick's legal rights might be in this situation.
In the meantime, Urick contacted friend and fellow B'more resident Dan Deacon, whose history with Greyhound is, apparently, a bit rocky. In a MySpace bulletin posted this afternoon entitled "IN NO WAY DO I ENDORSE OR PROMOTE GREYHOUND BUSES", Deacon railed against the corporation, claiming that no one had asked the permission of either him or New York's Silent Barn, where the shot was taken. He then went on:
greyhound bus company is one of the worst run, bullshit companies i have ever had the misfortune to use. they are a total monopoly and take advantage of that with poor service and price hikes and route cancellation. they have bought all the other smaller companies and run them out of their office in dallas. they treat both their employees and customers like shit. they are a cancer.
since i do not drive i used to use them to get to shows (when nothing else was available). on many occasions i had to cancel shows because the bus would be late, my luggage would get lost/stolen, the over sell their buses, and fuck i fucking hate them.
"These rats stink like rotten cum. Fuck them with 1000 fires...Eat my shorts you dickless pig fuckers."
Something strange is afoot on the Greyhound bus, and for once, it's not that guy in the trenchcoat who won't stop staring.
Included in this month's issue of electronic music mag XLR8R is a four postcard pullout advertisement emphasizing just how easy it is to traverse America's rock'n'roll underground via the notoriously slow transit system named after the notoriously fast dog. The insert bears the likenesses of Dan Deacon, Baltimore laptop-noise act Wzt Hearts, Japan's Ruins, and a crowdsurfer at a Team Robespierre gig. They say there's no such thing as bad publicity, but there are probably better ways to handle publicity concerns than the way Greyhound allegedly did with this foursome. Both Deacon and Wzt Hearts' Jason Urick have publicly complained that they were not contacted about the use of the photos, and, naturally, aren't too pleased.
Urick apparently caught wind of this business first, and made a post to crewcial.org's message board alerting friends and well-wishers to the budding controversy (his alias is "airplaneglue"). His first post asks, simply, "Can you sue if a company uses a picture and a blurb of your band without asking... because apparently Greyhound just did that with us. wtf?" The resulting discussion finds Urick and the rest of the board readers trying to determine just what Urick's legal rights might be in this situation.
In the meantime, Urick contacted friend and fellow B'more resident Dan Deacon, whose history with Greyhound is, apparently, a bit rocky. In a MySpace bulletin posted this afternoon entitled "IN NO WAY DO I ENDORSE OR PROMOTE GREYHOUND BUSES", Deacon railed against the corporation, claiming that no one had asked the permission of either him or New York's Silent Barn, where the shot was taken. He then went on:
greyhound bus company is one of the worst run, bullshit companies i have ever had the misfortune to use. they are a total monopoly and take advantage of that with poor service and price hikes and route cancellation. they have bought all the other smaller companies and run them out of their office in dallas. they treat both their employees and customers like shit. they are a cancer.
since i do not drive i used to use them to get to shows (when nothing else was available). on many occasions i had to cancel shows because the bus would be late, my luggage would get lost/stolen, the over sell their buses, and fuck i fucking hate them.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Friday, December 7, 2007. 5:30 estimated departure time. 7th on line. Among my Grey-peers: a moustachioed woman. A very moustachioed woman.
My seatmate reads the New York Times as if we're in bed on Sunday morning. Hitting my arm with every page turn, paper rustling against my leg. I already read the paper, so I don't even care to scan the headlines. I watch Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. I play Diner Dash on my phone. I read the biography of Judith Jones -- she was the the editor of Julia Child's cookbooks.
Seatmate eats Soy Crisps, a smelly kind -- I believe Cheddar.
No rest stop.
Arrive in DC half an hour earlier than expected.
Sunday, December 9, 2007. 12:01 estimated departure time. I'm on the tail-end of the line. A nun is near the front. I consider this a positive sign. Unless she's a church runaway. Then our busload has no redeeming qualities.
Seatmate is friends with person sitting behind him. He reads OK! magazine. I watch The French Chef, starring my Julia Child. I play Diner Dash. I read Fables. I eat a Hummus and Veggie Sandwich. I don't care if my raw onions and cucumbers smell, okay I do. I do care. I notice the woman in front of me shifting positions. I wonder, is the smell bothering her? I decide not to care. I also decided that my sandwich smell didn't compare to someone else's food. I didn't catch the name of the movie, but quickly lost interest in the inspirational sports story -- high school or college swimmers, a tough coach, nothing I care about. Back to Fables and Diner Dash. I won the last level, except it's not the last level. More Diner Dash for me -- now its a seafood restaurant, and exactly the same as when it wasn't a seafood restaurant.
Arrive in New York at 3:28. Earlier than anticipated.
My seatmate reads the New York Times as if we're in bed on Sunday morning. Hitting my arm with every page turn, paper rustling against my leg. I already read the paper, so I don't even care to scan the headlines. I watch Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. I play Diner Dash on my phone. I read the biography of Judith Jones -- she was the the editor of Julia Child's cookbooks.
Seatmate eats Soy Crisps, a smelly kind -- I believe Cheddar.
No rest stop.
Arrive in DC half an hour earlier than expected.
Sunday, December 9, 2007. 12:01 estimated departure time. I'm on the tail-end of the line. A nun is near the front. I consider this a positive sign. Unless she's a church runaway. Then our busload has no redeeming qualities.
Seatmate is friends with person sitting behind him. He reads OK! magazine. I watch The French Chef, starring my Julia Child. I play Diner Dash. I read Fables. I eat a Hummus and Veggie Sandwich. I don't care if my raw onions and cucumbers smell, okay I do. I do care. I notice the woman in front of me shifting positions. I wonder, is the smell bothering her? I decide not to care. I also decided that my sandwich smell didn't compare to someone else's food. I didn't catch the name of the movie, but quickly lost interest in the inspirational sports story -- high school or college swimmers, a tough coach, nothing I care about. Back to Fables and Diner Dash. I won the last level, except it's not the last level. More Diner Dash for me -- now its a seafood restaurant, and exactly the same as when it wasn't a seafood restaurant.
Arrive in New York at 3:28. Earlier than anticipated.
Friday, November 30, 2007. 5:30 estimated departure. 3rd on line for bus. 4th on line is a woman from Virginia. Her one-way ticket to DC is courtesy of a cop. He's happy to be sending her home to her family. When she goes to buy a coffee, he fills me in. She lived on the streets for 4 years, and he was tired of seeing her show up at the police station as often as she did. She has a NYPD snowglobe, a hat she found, and a book. This wasn't the first time she'd tried to 'Hound it home, so he is there to watch her get on the bus and stay on the bus. We boarded. No movie. A couple with a baby sits behind me -- they actually ask a woman to move so that they could sit together. Not they -- an older woman they are with does the asking, I decide that the older woman is the mother of the woman with the baby.
Can you switch seats so she can sit next to her husband?
The woman who moved must not have been a regular. It's just not done that way.
My seatmate is tolerable, quiet, and male. He does not seem as ruffled as I about the baby. Baby wasn't that annoying.
I watch Sunset Boulevard.
My soda from the Greyhound soda machine is warm. And it explodes on me.
Rest-stop.
I try to charge my DVD player battery to no avail. Get soda and a cookie for homebound Virginian. Get myself a soda. My seatmate seems surprised that I want to get back in my seat.
Reached DC. Virginian asks to use my phone. I gave some quarters instead and waited to be picked up.
I hope her family was happy that she came back. I hope she made it to Virginia.
Sunday, December 2nd, 2007. 12:01 estimated departure. Just made the bus. 12:06 actual departure. Movie is Bridge to Terebithia. A children's movie? At least its not that Robin Williams movie where he runs for President. There is one child on the bus; he sits in the seat in front of me. No one smelled. My seatmate is tolerable, offers me chips, and quiet.
Can you switch seats so she can sit next to her husband?
The woman who moved must not have been a regular. It's just not done that way.
My seatmate is tolerable, quiet, and male. He does not seem as ruffled as I about the baby. Baby wasn't that annoying.
I watch Sunset Boulevard.
My soda from the Greyhound soda machine is warm. And it explodes on me.
Rest-stop.
I try to charge my DVD player battery to no avail. Get soda and a cookie for homebound Virginian. Get myself a soda. My seatmate seems surprised that I want to get back in my seat.
Reached DC. Virginian asks to use my phone. I gave some quarters instead and waited to be picked up.
I hope her family was happy that she came back. I hope she made it to Virginia.
Sunday, December 2nd, 2007. 12:01 estimated departure. Just made the bus. 12:06 actual departure. Movie is Bridge to Terebithia. A children's movie? At least its not that Robin Williams movie where he runs for President. There is one child on the bus; he sits in the seat in front of me. No one smelled. My seatmate is tolerable, offers me chips, and quiet.
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