User Panel
Posted: 2/19/2006 5:29:29 PM EDT
I'm in Las Vegas, and need to be in Santa Barbara, CA this Wed. Instead of driving all that way, I would rather take the bus. It's longer, but less wear and tear on me or my car.
I haven't taken the bus in a loong time. What's it like these days? Seriously. |
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it's like the DMV, state pen, and a border crossing rolled into one. But with more body odor and pot.
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Seriously? |
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You hit that nail right on the head. |
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I don't imagine it's changed much since I rode to/from school to home and back, 6+ hour trip...
Wear comfortable clothes, bring portable music and a book or two (or three if you're like me), pack so you can either carry it on yourself or so you won't mind it being stuck under the bus... Stock up on a couple bottles of water and some portable food.. Maybe a pillow if you find the seats disaggreable and painful... *shrug* |
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It's not that bad. I rode one from NY to Cali and back. saw a lot of cool stuff. I wish I had brought a camera. The seats were uncomfortable as a bitch, though. taking whore baths at a bus station can get a bit sketchy too.
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Less wear on your car, not you. But heck, everyone needs to try it once. That's not even a real bus trip. |
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You have got to be kidding me...
No one in thier right mind would want to ride one. I had to once and I tell you it will never happen again. To be honest your better off buying a $50 bike from WallyWorld and taking your chances on the open road. The one time I rode the "bus" the bus was boarded by some local .gov agency who "accidentally" let this drug dog onboard. The dog jumped on the guy in front of me and was going after his jacket. Come to find out the guy had a little herb on him...Along with about 50 Lbs in a couple bags under the rig. This caused a 3 hour delay. Later on during this same trip I am offered all types of illegal substances, not to mention an offer to have a little something performed to/on me. Last part of the trip we stop in some small town at a bar. The bar was actually the pick-up spot for the bus company. Needless to say the guy that got on was trashed and caused a several problems for myself and a couple other people on board. The driver ended up having to threaten to kick him off and leave him in the middle of nowhere. Again there has to be a better way. |
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If you need money, call Americas Most Wanted. All the people they feature are on the bus.
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Yeah, I had to take the hound to a trucking job one time a few years ago. I learned really quick to pack very light and keep anything breakable in my carry-on bag. It's best if you can avoid checking a bag under the bus at all.
Pillows and books are also must-haves. Biggest suck for me was when I had to use the bathroom, especially while laid over in a big city terminal. You hated to let your bags out of your sight, and you hated to bring them into the bathroom. It's a lot easier if you have a travel partner that you can switch off watching each other's stuff for while the other is doing something, such as hitting the vending machines, going to the bathroom, etc... |
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Vegas to CA? dude... its only 4 hours. Drive. You may be a bit more tired but you will be less stressed.
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You forgot to mention it is slow, as well. |
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Get a brick and hit yourself in the head for even thinking about taking a bus Rent a car, it would be just as cheap.
A few years ago when a family emergency came up and money was really tight, I took a bus from Rochester, NY to Minneapolis, MN and back. It was the worst traveling experience I have ever had. I will never ride a bus on a long distance trip again. |
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Santa Barbara is a bit further up the coast than LA, but all these responses are convincing me to NOT take the bus. |
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it's all the cramped discomfort of flying, combined with the slow speed of driving, divided by the lowest common denominator of society
pony up the cash to fly, or take your own ride. the bus is terrible! |
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Never agian --san diego to new orleans with "americas most apprehended". Luckilly I was travelling with a buddy and we could sleep in shifts while one kept an eye out for the riff raff.
BTW did you know that if you are stranded in one city you can go to the police station and tell them you are a runaway and that you are out of money and need to get home and they will buy you a bus ticket home ? Which you can then swap around with the other "runaways" to get where you want to go? I did'nt either --found out on that trip. |
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Personally though (and this is just me) EVERY TIME I have to go on a long drive I get so tense its not even funny. I dread it for WEEKS!!! Anything longer than 1 1/2 hours is a long drive to me. |
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go to the bus station for 10 mins and you'll be convinced for sure.
it's like an episode of COPS en espanol con tweekers |
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I did it a few times in College from Oklahoma to South Carolina..36hrs each way...It sucked because I had to stay awake the whole time..can't sleep around strangers..Had a great time though passing around the bottle with a bunch of young Army guys and lying about pussy.
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Hear about the bus that fliped on its side out side of rawlings WYO last night at 4 am? I rest my case. If anyones gonna flip what Im riding in its gonna be ME.
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I've taken Greyhound once.
It will be the last time. I'll drive, I'll walk, I'll hitchhike. I would carjack someone at gunpoint before I suffer Greyhound again. |
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I would rent a cheap car if it was me. Since it's not, why not bus it to Union Station in L.A. and then take a train up to Santa Barbara? Check www.amtrak.com.
Eric |
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If you like to hang out at the DMV in the worst part of town, welcome to Greyhound!
After travelling from Houston to Denver, I was an honorary member of the East side Crips. The travelling mentally ill really make the trip worthwhile. |
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It sucks man, it smells like piss and the creepy old man keeps kicking your seat, and the toilet seats have piss all over it and nothing but bums hang out at the bus stops. Bring beer and munchies.
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You have a car and don't want to drive because you want to save the wear and tear on you and the car.....So instead you want to take the bus????
Are you on drugs ....or a F.M. If you take the bus...I'll am 99% sure you never will again. |
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Don't do it. Drive.
Taking the bus is like some sort of primative punishment. ETA spelling |
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The last time I rode the bus, I was still a nun. Woke up because the nasty, stinkin' drunk next to me was trying to cop a feel.
Never in a million years would I ride a bus again. |
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that's hot |
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About 3 years ago I took a greyhound trip from nothern NJ to Michigan. The trip took about 20 straight hours and I had to change buses several times. The seats were VERY uncomfortable. They were also packed very close together. I'm 6'2" and my legs were bent / knees pressed against the back of the seat in front of me most of the time. Once some small asian man even tried to forcefully recline his chair back on me. One of the buses had a problem with the roof and produced a high pitched whistling noise for 4 straight hours as it drove around (which sucked since it was one of the last buses I had to take on the trip and I planned on trying to get a few hours of sleep). Another bus smelled strongly of piss. Most of them had at least some mild urine stench. I will never, ever ride a Greyhound ever again. Aside from all of the discomfort, disgustingness, annoyances and the 20 hours of riding around on buses, it also cost almost as much as a plane ticket.
I used to commute back and forth by bus to and from NYC when I worked there, took subways and even at one point would take NJ Transit trains. These local forms of transportation are actually pretty comfortable compared to the hell of riding Greyhound. As others have said, avoid Greyhound at all costs. |
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My wife refers to it as the "Groundhog". To her the comparison to a dark, damp, smelly burrow is more appropriate than a swift, sleek, racing dog. I must concur having ridden Greyhound many times in my youth. Never again. If it comes down to it, I'd rather face the ridicule (not to mention illegality I'm sure) of riding a burro into a major urban metropolis.
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Watch out for theives. Everyone I know that has rode a Greyhound has had something stolen from them during the trip.
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as I think about this more, I've realized it's more like the county jail than the state pen because you don't have the benefit of a locked cell to protect you when you sleep
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No, it is NOT. |
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Roundtrip from Vegas to SB on America West can be as low as $150.
You could also fly on America West or SouthWest to LAX then take the Santa Barbara Airbus. |
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I guess this might be a "dont look down" type of situation. Until you see how bad it is yourself you probably wont beleive us.
On my last bus trip to San Diego from Phoenix AZ i was stuck in a bus full of people coming from Nawlins(or is it chocolate city now?). From previous experience i knew this was going to be bad but had to go anyway. Can you handle sitting next to someone with bad body odor for 4 hours? How about the smell of kids who shit themselves. During my last trip some fat hoe claimed someone "moved" her stuff and caused a big fucking scene the entire way. The bus driver should have called an LEO the first time she exploded five minutes into the trip. Then there was the fact that the bus suddenly shut off twice climbing hills. That didnt matter to the driver who pushed on until smoke started coming out of the side to stop the bus in some rest stop(thankfully within viewing distance). Naturally, most of the people panicked to get out and it took them about 4 minutes to get out. That was the only funny part of the trip. 8hours later the second bus arrived to pick everyone up. There was a bus that came by 4 hours earlier with some extra seats but nobody wanted to hop in because they would have to sit close to that same obnoxious hoe i mentioned. As she left she claimed to have her brothers ready to fight the guy she though originally moved her stuff. Also expect delays as border patrol usually have at least one illegal alien that they will take with them. The seats are terrible and theres nothing you can do to them, they dont recline much and are probably broken anyways. NEVER AGAIN! Now i would gladly pay $100 extra to travel to CA by plane. |
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No joke you were a nun? We once had one stay with our family...she was a riot...in a holy way |
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At least that's one bad habit he won't be able to pick up |
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ever hear the song "Another one rides the bus" by Weird Al?
Na it isnt that bad |
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Ba-dum TISH |
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Thank you...try the Veal...I'll be here all week |
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How much is the round trip compared to: Renting a car! I've done the bus trip ... |
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they haul in Maggots from the Susanville Prison release they ship'em out of here,,,,take a GreyHound???? You Bet
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