# Greyhound non-station stop and booking questions



## oregon pioneer

I want to take a bus from Omaha, NE (Amtrak) to Manhattan, KS. I can see on the Greyhound website that the bus connects through Kansas City (horrible schedule, ugh), and that the nearest "Greyhound bus station" is in Junction City. BUT the bus goes right by the Manhattan intersection on the freeway (where there are service businesses), and that would be way more convenient for the relatives to pick us up.

So my question is: Does Greyhound allow passenger pick-up/drop-off at other than their (150-plus miles apart) stations? How do you find the locations where they will do this? And how do you actually book those trips?

I am guessing this requires a call to an actual person at Greyhound. I just tried their phone system, and I must say, Gracie makes Julie look like a genius.


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## jebr

I don't believe so. My guess is that they have them spread out to consolidate the stops (less stops = less time lost to stops.)


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## BCL

I doubt it. Would the driver even know where to drop you off, and what kind of liability issues would there be using unauthorized stops? Letting someone off outside of their published stops just opens up a lot of issues that I doubt they want to deal with.


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## oregon pioneer

Greyhound's website says:



> Curbside stops
> Curbside stops have limited facilities - some are just marked with a curbside sign while others may have a waiting area. These stops have no ticket facilities and no staff to provide assistance (but of course the driver will be there to help with boarding and baggage if you need).
> 
> Here are some example locations of curbside stops:
> 
> 
> A simple, marked stop alongside a road
> Stop at a gas station
> Stop at a local airport or transport center
> There are two kinds of curbside stops:
> 
> *Get on and off:* You can get a ticket that either goes to or leaves that specific bus stop.
> *Get off only:* You can get a ticket that goes to that specific bus stop, but not a ticket that leaves that stop.
> (Only the appropriate stops will show up in the To and From fields when you book your trip.)


I am most interested in the "stop at a gas station" and I would like to know if anyone has any personal experience with this kind of stop.


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## fairviewroad

But those "curbside stops" are included in the Greyhound booking engine, right? It sounds like you're talking about asking the driver to pull off the freeway to make a stop at a non-scheduled location. That seems like a stretch. You _might_ get a sympathetic driver, but more likely they'd stick to company policy rather than risking a delay.

That said, it's bizarre that Greyhound skips Manhattan considering its home to a large state university.


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## BCL

oregon pioneer said:


> I am most interested in the "stop at a gas station" and I would like to know if anyone has any personal experience with this kind of stop.


No personal experience, but it sounds like those are scheduled stops and not an impromptu stop requested by a passenger.

What's that line from _Speed_ when a bus driver picks up a passenger running towards the bus?

_This ain't no bus stop._

Here's a location at a gas station. They seem to have package delivery and a ticket office - probably inside the gas station with the station employees doubling as Greyhound agents.

http://locations.greyhound.com/bus-stations/us/california/vallejo/bus-station-893981

And I looked up the location on Google Maps, and I see a Greyhound bus.

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.1448238,-122.2344673,3a,15y,351.2h,89.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sE1jGRb-0zbOmrAPwrZwkoQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1


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## Chaz

Road Runner goes from KC airport to Manhattan some 6 times a day but this shuttle costs $85.

http://www.kciroadrunner.com/schedule.php


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## oregon pioneer

I also know that they *used to* stop (within the last 15 years) at places between formal stations. My husband went to a training in Las Vegas by bus, and said on his trip that they picked someone up that was waiting in a car in the middle-of-nowhere-Nevada.

But I found this article from 2005 (after Hubby went to Las Vegas), and it implies, without specifically saying so, that the Dog won't stop anywhere between scheduled station stops any more. :angry:

Still looking for someone that might have personal experience.


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## Swadian Hardcore

I'm sorry, but they don't understand the basis of the problem. Greyhound doesn't serve Omaha. And Greyhound doesn't serve Manhattan. Greyhound pulled out of Omaha back in December 2012. Whatever you see on the website cannot be a Greyhound schedule. So, you'd best find another option. I might be able to help you with that, but you first must understand NO GREYHOUND IN OMAHA. No offence, just putting it out there.


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## jebr

Jefferson Lines is in Omaha, and they interline with Greyhound. I think the OP is looking at a trip from Omaha to as close to Manhatten, KS as possible on the Greyhound website, and is wondering if the bus that goes to Junction City would, in essence, do a flag stop in Manhatten.


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## BCL

Swadian Hardcore said:


> I'm sorry, but they don't understand the basis of the problem. Greyhound doesn't serve Omaha. And Greyhound doesn't serve Manhattan. Greyhound pulled out of Omaha back in December 2012. Whatever you see on the website cannot be a Greyhound schedule. So, you'd best find another option. I might be able to help you with that, but you first must understand NO GREYHOUND IN OMAHA. No offence, just putting it out there.


Sure about that?

_http://locations.greyhound.com/bus-stations/us/nebraska/omaha/bus-station-580393_

_Bus Station Address:_

Burlington Trailways Sta

1601 Jackson St

Omaha, NE 68102

I can get Omaha, NE to Junction City, KS. However, I don't believe it goes through Manhattan. If you look at the bus fare finder it comes up with a direct trip through Manhattan. But if you actually book it's Omaha to Kansas City on Jefferson Lines 501, with a transfer to Greyhound 1863.


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## jebr

Yeah, Greyhound is very good about interlining and making it look relatively similar to a regular Greyhound route. The new website makes the interlining a bit more noticeable, but for most people the booking experience and pre trip experience makes it feel more like a "(small airline) operating as (legacy carrier's regional brand)" than as a distinct service from a distinct, fully independent company.


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## BCL

jebr said:


> Jefferson Lines is in Omaha, and they interline with Greyhound. I think the OP is looking at a trip from Omaha to as close to Manhatten, KS as possible on the Greyhound website, and is wondering if the bus that goes to Junction City would, in essence, do a flag stop in Manhatten.


They won't do that. When I finally got to the actual route, it was Omaha to KC, then KC to Junction City - so it doesn't pass through Manhattan at all. The maps it shows is different between "Bus Fare Finder" and "Book Your Trip". However, I'm pretty sure the latter is closer to the actual route they'll take.

The route they show from "Bus Fare Finder" seems to be some sort of route like a mapping program would show. However, it says "Bus trips as Fast as 10 Hours 20 Minutes" even though the direct route should take maybe 3.5 hours max. 10 hours is what it takes through KC with the transfer time.


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## Bob Dylan

I'd look into renting a car and driving from Omaha to Manhattan.

Lots quicker and you can probably get a good deal, Omaha isn't exactly New York City!


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## BCL

Bob Dylan said:


> I'd look into renting a car and driving from Omaha to Manhattan.
> 
> Lots quicker and you can probably get a good deal, Omaha isn't exactly New York City!


The OP said that relatives are picking up, and I'm guessing they're in Manhattan. If that's the case, it would be easiest for said relatives to just drive to Junction City.


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## BCL

oregon pioneer said:


> I also know that they *used to* stop (within the last 15 years) at places between formal stations. My husband went to a training in Las Vegas by bus, and said on his trip that they picked someone up that was waiting in a car in the middle-of-nowhere-Nevada.
> 
> But I found this article from 2005 (after Hubby went to Las Vegas), and it implies, without specifically saying so, that the Dog won't stop anywhere between scheduled station stops any more. :angry:
> 
> Still looking for someone that might have personal experience.


That was talking about flag stops as well as rural stations. A flag stop was still something that was listed as a designated stop. The driver would drive by and would stop if there was a passenger scheduled to get off and/or there was a passenger waving down the driver. Boarding passengers would either have a ticket (which might not have been that common back then) or the passenger would need to buy a ticket at the next staffed station before continuing. It was basically like a public transit bus stop where the driver had to drive by but where the stop could be bypassed if there was nobody to use that stop.

So the short answer is no they won't stop in Manhattan. Not only that, but the route from Omaha to Junction City doesn't even go through Manhattan. The map you were looking at isn't the actual route, which is Omaha-KC-Junction City.


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## railiner

fairviewroad said:


> But those "curbside stops" are included in the Greyhound booking engine, right? It sounds like you're talking about asking the driver to pull off the freeway to make a stop at a non-scheduled location. That seems like a stretch. You _might_ get a sympathetic driver, but more likely they'd stick to company policy rather than risking a delay.
> 
> That said, it's bizarre that Greyhound skips Manhattan considering its home to a large state university.


Totally agree....the route does pass fairly close to Manhattan (On I-70/US-40). Indeed strange that they would not at least run one daily trip over parallel US-24 between Topeka and Junction City to serve the home of Kansas State U. But then, that seems to be the "road taken" by them all over the US in the last few years....they bypass a lot of potential cities on routes such as I-95 and many others, for example...

I suppose their "bean-counters" ran a cost-benefit analysis over making these stops, or taking a faster route and bypassing them would be the bottom line choice.....


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## oregon pioneer

railiner said:


> fairviewroad said:
> 
> 
> 
> But those "curbside stops" are included in the Greyhound booking engine, right? It sounds like you're talking about asking the driver to pull off the freeway to make a stop at a non-scheduled location. That seems like a stretch. You _might_ get a sympathetic driver, but more likely they'd stick to company policy rather than risking a delay.
> 
> That said, it's bizarre that Greyhound skips Manhattan considering its home to a large state university.
> 
> 
> 
> Totally agree....the route does pass fairly close to Manhattan (On I-70/US-40). Indeed strange that they would not at least run one daily trip over parallel US-24 between Topeka and Junction City to serve the home of Kansas State U. But then, that seems to be the "road taken" by them all over the US in the last few years....they bypass a lot of potential cities on routes such as I-95 and many others, for example...
> 
> I suppose their "bean-counters" ran a cost-benefit analysis over making these stops, or taking a faster route and bypassing them would be the bottom line choice.....
Click to expand...

Not even asking for Manhattan, just the service area at the junction of I-70 and 177 (the relatives are actually to the south). Greyhound does stop at places like that, sometimes just for food, smoke, or restroom breaks. But it seems that, even though they list that type of stop on their website, you can actually only buy a ticket online for a "station" as listed in the drop-down menu. I have emailed through the contact page and asked... I will report back, if I do get an answer.

The fact that the bus from Omaha to KC is not a Greyhound bus is irrelevant to this discussion. Yes, I know that buses booked through the Greyhound site may not actually be Greyhound buses. I check the schedule carefully. The 2:30am arrival in Junction City is way more of a deterrent to me than the interlining.


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## BCL

oregon pioneer said:


> railiner said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> fairviewroad said:
> 
> 
> 
> But those "curbside stops" are included in the Greyhound booking engine, right? It sounds like you're talking about asking the driver to pull off the freeway to make a stop at a non-scheduled location. That seems like a stretch. You _might_ get a sympathetic driver, but more likely they'd stick to company policy rather than risking a delay.
> 
> That said, it's bizarre that Greyhound skips Manhattan considering its home to a large state university.
> 
> 
> 
> Totally agree....the route does pass fairly close to Manhattan (On I-70/US-40). Indeed strange that they would not at least run one daily trip over parallel US-24 between Topeka and Junction City to serve the home of Kansas State U. But then, that seems to be the "road taken" by them all over the US in the last few years....they bypass a lot of potential cities on routes such as I-95 and many others, for example...
> I suppose their "bean-counters" ran a cost-benefit analysis over making these stops, or taking a faster route and bypassing them would be the bottom line choice.....
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Not even asking for Manhattan, just the service area at the junction of I-70 and 177 (the relatives are actually to the south). Greyhound does stop at places like that, sometimes just for food, smoke, or restroom breaks. But it seems that, even though they list that type of stop on their website, you can actually only buy a ticket online for a "station" as listed in the drop-down menu. I have emailed through the contact page and asked... I will report back, if I do get an answer.
> 
> The fact that the bus from Omaha to KC is not a Greyhound bus is irrelevant to this discussion. Yes, I know that buses booked through the Greyhound site may not actually be Greyhound buses. I check the schedule carefully. The 2:30am arrival in Junction City is way more of a deterrent to me than the interlining.
Click to expand...

There are actually two buses per day from KC to Junction city. #1675 is going to be too early to connect with Jefferson Lines #501. #1683 goes from New York City to Los Angeles. Here's the full timetable.

http://bustracker.greyhound.com/routes/1683/I/New_York_NY-Los_Angeles_CA/1683/12-23-2015

They list all the scheduled rest stops (a sign with an R). The first scheduled rest stop is Salina. They're not stopping at that intersection you mentioned. It's just over four hours from KC to Salina, so throwing in a rest stop at some random freeway interchange makes no sense.


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## BCL

oregon pioneer said:


> Not even asking for Manhattan, just the service area at the junction of I-70 and 177 (the relatives are actually to the south). Greyhound does stop at places like that, sometimes just for food, smoke, or restroom breaks. But it seems that, even though they list that type of stop on their website, you can actually only buy a ticket online for a "station" as listed in the drop-down menu. I have emailed through the contact page and asked... I will report back, if I do get an answer.


Is there really anything at I-70 and 177? I don't see anything (outside of a business selling prefab homes) unless something was built recently.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/KS-177+%26+I-70,+Manhattan,+KS+66502/@39.0614272,-96.5389771,17z/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x87bc2dd3a4c31dd1:0xd1b224d3d7ef2809

As far as I can tell, they don't have any "rest stop" that isn't otherwise listed. For 1683, the only rest stops listed are Sliding Rock, PA and the Barstow (CA) Travel Center. However, the former is not really a town and I found one claim that it's the Sideling Hill Service Plaza on the PA Turnpike. I can't find anyway to book a trip to or from this rest stop.

https://www.paturnpike.com/travel/plaza_locations/sideling.aspx

I can't even book 1683 to Barstow, so there are some bus stops where one can't officially buy a ticket for a specific bus number. Even though 1683 has a rest stop there, the official schedule forces a transfer in Las Vegas to 6021, even though the "station" location for Barstow is the same as the rest stop.


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## BCL

fairviewroad said:


> But those "curbside stops" are included in the Greyhound booking engine, right? It sounds like you're talking about asking the driver to pull off the freeway to make a stop at a non-scheduled location. That seems like a stretch. You _might_ get a sympathetic driver, but more likely they'd stick to company policy rather than risking a delay.
> 
> That said, it's bizarre that Greyhound skips Manhattan considering its home to a large state university.


Sure it's odd. What transport options are there to get to KState? I suppose there's the airport, but I looked it up and all they have is service to DFW and Chicago via American Eagle. Doesn't make that much sense for a large state university. I also found this:

http://www.rileycountyks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11711

The Wikipedia page on Manhattan claims that Amtrak discontinued service when they took over from UP.

However, the OP clarified that she doesn't really want Manhattan but some point closer to her relatives. It sounds like the OP is grasping at straws to get something out of Greyhound that they've never done. The junction that she mentioned doesn't really have anything other than the interchange and one random business. As far as I can tell, the "middle of nowhere" pickups and drop-offs they did were always published locations, even if they were only simple curbside bus/flag stops or stops at gas stations or other businesses.


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## BCL

Chaz said:


> Road Runner goes from KC airport to Manhattan some 6 times a day but this shuttle costs $85.
> 
> http://www.kciroadrunner.com/schedule.php


$80. $85 is to Junction City.

That being said, they do have a $35 Junction City to Manhattan fare. However, I'm not sure if walking 1.5 miles at 3 AM is such a great idea if you're combining the Greyhound ride. It looks like the first bus is at about 6 AM at the Holiday Inn Express.


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## Swadian Hardcore

Guys, I will attempt to explain things clearly. What I am about to say is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. If you do not believe me or attempt to challenge me, then you are mistaken, because I have the facts and I know that I am right.

Greyhound doesn't go to Omaha and Greyhound doesn't go to Manhattan. You cannot ride a Greyhound bus to/from Omaha and you cannot ride a Greyhound bus to/from Manhattan. Period.

Yes, you can find an "Omaha" address on Greyhound's website. That doesn't mean they go to Omaha. Johannesburg is shown on AA's website, but AA doesn't fly to Johannesburg.

Yes, one may book a bus ticket on Greyhound's website that goes from Omaha to Kansas City. But that ticket would be for a schedule operated by Jefferson. Just like how one may book a flight on AA's website to Johannesburg, even though AA doesn't go to Johannesburg.

Neither Jefferson nor Greyhound nor any other carrier available on Greyhound's website goes to Manhattan.

The Greyhound service to Junction City is on the New York City-Las Vegas/Los Angeles route. After departing from Kansas City, it stops at Topeka and Junction City before reaching the driver change location at Salina. Those are all the stops and the only stops that this route makes between Kansas City and Salina. The route stops for an hour (or more) in Kansas City and for 30 minutes in Salina. There is no need for further rest stops. From Salina it will continue to Denver and beyond.

*In summary, Greyhound DOES NOT serve Omaha or Manhattan. Anybody wishing to travel from Omaha to Manhattan may not travel on a Greyhound vehicle. If one insists on booking through Greyhound's website, it is possible to book a Jefferson schedule from Omaha to Kansas City. However, neither Jefferson nor Greyhound serves Manhattan.*

After presenting the facts above, I will now give my opinion. If you're going to be riding on Jefferson, book on Jefferson's website, not Greyhound's website. It is better to completely forget _any _notion of riding "Greyhound" from Omaha to Manhattan, because you will not see a single Greyhound vehicle in Omaha or in Manhattan.

http://extranet.greyhound.com/Revsup/schedules/.


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## railiner

In some cases, Greyhound's rest stop is not always the same location as a station stop....indeed, sometimes the trip will make both stops.

This thread has me thinking back to 'once-upon-a-timetable', in Greyhound's history....

At one point they were allowing driver's to pick up and discharge passenger's at regular toll road rest stops, provided all appropriate local traffic restrictions were in compliance.

In another case, specifically in North Dakota on I-94, many of the schedules displayed an 'X' reference mark at local towns, indicating: "Interstate Highway. Will stop at interchange for local passengers." Source: Table 509 dated 23 Jun 1971. It is somewhat vague, as it doesn't say what if any arrangements would have to be made to board. What is even more confusing is some of the schedules showed a time at the city, rather than an 'X'. There was also some schedules that showed an arrow clearly indicating that it would not make a stop there. Based on all that, my guess is that they would discharge at any interchange with an 'X' or time shown, and that they would pull off and look for boarding passenger's only where there was a time shown...

There are other timetables around the country that indicate "OC" or On Call...or sometimes "CD" or Call and Demand....in those cases they published a telephone number and time limit to call to arrange pick up.

While it would be nice if they would make such accommodation today, I kind of doubt that they would want to complicate the status quo......


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## Swadian Hardcore

To Jeb: Yeah, I know.

To BCL: Just stop it. You don't know half of what you're talking about.

To Railiner: Unfortunately, Greyhound doesn't serve North Dakota anymore.

To the OP: I've given you the facts. Don't try to ride a Greyhound bus to Manhattan. It ain't happening.


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## railiner

Swadian...a trivia question for you: 

What was the largest city in the USA, that was not served by Greyhound originally?

Hint...when they bought Continental Trailways in '87, that finally got them into it....


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## BCL

Swadian Hardcore said:


> To BCL: Just stop it. You don't know half of what you're talking about.


Dude, I'm just bored ducking the family on Christmas Eve. And what does it matter to someone that there's an interlining agreement? If I book a trip on Amtrak with a bus segment, does it really matter if it says Amtrak on the side of the bus or some unknown coach service?

To the OP, it's a trip that can be booked on Greyhound and she was clear whose name on the bus is irrelevant to the discussion. The same question could be asked about KC to this mythical on demand stop, and I'm pretty sure the answer would still be no.

That being said, the OP clarified that she wants to be let off near the junction of I-70 and 177. There is nothing there except "Little Apple Quality Homes".


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## jebr

By the way, one reason to book via Greyhound is that sometimes booking through Greyhound's website is cheaper than booking through the carrier directly. I've seen it frequently enough that I check both before booking, and if Greyhound's interline booking is cheaper than purchasing direct, I'll do so.


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## oregon pioneer

jebr said:


> By the way, one reason to book via Greyhound is that sometimes booking through Greyhound's website is cheaper than booking through the carrier directly. I've seen it frequently enough that I check both before booking, and if Greyhound's interline booking is cheaper than purchasing direct, I'll do so.


To me, It's just simpler to book a single connecting ticket all at once. I know the Greyhound buses are nicer and offer the amenities like wi-fi, but if Greyhound does not serve a town, I have to choose from what's available. Hubby, who grew up in Kansas, said there were service businesses (gas station/mini-mart) at that I-70 junction, but I can't see them on Google maps either, so I think BCL is right. It looks like Junction City is the only option, so Junction City it will be (if we decide to do the trip).

And Swadian, I am not arguing any of your points in any way. I know you are the expert on Greyhound questions, and I was certainly hoping to hear from you on this topic.

So here's a Christmas story about the "old days" on Greyhound: once upon a time (must have been between 1973 and 1980), I boarded a Greyhound bus at a street corner in North Bend, Washington (30 miles east of Seattle). I-90 traffic came right through town, as they had not built the bypass yet, so it was right on the bus route. Not sure how I bought the ticket -- perhaps I bought it in advance at the Greyhound station in Seattle, perhaps I only called them and arranged for it. But I parked my car on a side street, got on the bus, and rode Greyhound all the way to Albany NY, where I transferred to Vermont Transit and continued to Burlington, VT and my family. It was winter, so the trip across the northern prairies was lightly populated and I was comfy and warm in the bus. Rest stops were made. Drivers changed, but the bus did not. When we arrived in Chicago, I had to change buses and I was put on an overnight bus with a bunch of sweaty folks that had come all the way from San Francisco (probably that same route that goes through Kansas). The bus was completely full, and I was not so comfy. I changed again in Columbus OH for a bus that took me to Albany. When I returned west some time later, I was dropped off at the same street corner.

Hubby said they still picked people up from street corners when he went to Vegas for the training, but that was before the big shakeup in 2005. It's pretty obvious they don't do it any more. I feel like the question has been answered. Thank you all for your input.


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## BCL

oregon pioneer said:


> So here's a Christmas story about the "old days" on Greyhound: once upon a time (must have been between 1973 and 1980), I boarded a Greyhound bus at a street corner in North Bend, Washington (30 miles east of Seattle). I-90 traffic came right through town, as they had not built the bypass yet, so it was right on the bus route. Not sure how I bought the ticket -- perhaps I bought it in advance at the Greyhound station in Seattle, perhaps I only called them and arranged for it. But I parked my car on a side street, got on the bus, and rode Greyhound all the way to Albany NY, where I transferred to Vermont Transit and continued to Burlington, VT and my family. It was winter, so the trip across the northern prairies was lightly populated and I was comfy and warm in the bus. Rest stops were made. Drivers changed, but the bus did not. When we arrived in Chicago, I had to change buses and I was put on an overnight bus with a bunch of sweaty folks that had come all the way from San Francisco (probably that same route that goes through Kansas). The bus was completely full, and I was not so comfy. I changed again in Columbus OH for a bus that took me to Albany. When I returned west some time later, I was dropped off at the same street corner.
> 
> Hubby said they still picked people up from street corners when he went to Vegas for the training, but that was before the big shakeup in 2005. It's pretty obvious they don't do it any more. I feel like the question has been answered. Thank you all for your input.


It still sounds like the reference was to designated flag stops, and not random waypoints along the route. I know Greyhound Canada is only affiliated with Greyhound and has its own policies, but here's an article on someone who managed to get a bus to pick him up at an RV park once but not a second time. He was told conflicting things by customer service.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/120243204.html

They still have a reference to flag stops in their timetable symbols.

http://extranet.greyhound.com/revsup/csked/symbol.pdf

I found a photo of an old sign.







Oh - Merry Christmas everyone.


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## railiner

oregon pioneer said:


> jebr said:
> 
> 
> 
> By the way, one reason to book via Greyhound is that sometimes booking through Greyhound's website is cheaper than booking through the carrier directly. I've seen it frequently enough that I check both before booking, and if Greyhound's interline booking is cheaper than purchasing direct, I'll do so.
> 
> 
> 
> To me, It's just simpler to book a single connecting ticket all at once. I know the Greyhound buses are nicer and offer the amenities like wi-fi, but if Greyhound does not serve a town, I have to choose from what's available. Hubby, who grew up in Kansas, said there were service businesses (gas station/mini-mart) at that I-70 junction, but I can't see them on Google maps either, so I think BCL is right. It looks like Junction City is the only option, so Junction City it will be (if we decide to do the trip).
> 
> And Swadian, I am not arguing any of your points in any way. I know you are the expert on Greyhound questions, and I was certainly hoping to hear from you on this topic.
> 
> So here's a Christmas story about the "old days" on Greyhound: once upon a time (must have been between 1973 and 1980), I boarded a Greyhound bus at a street corner in North Bend, Washington (30 miles east of Seattle). I-90 traffic came right through town, as they had not built the bypass yet, so it was right on the bus route. Not sure how I bought the ticket -- perhaps I bought it in advance at the Greyhound station in Seattle, perhaps I only called them and arranged for it. But I parked my car on a side street, got on the bus, and rode Greyhound all the way to Albany NY, where I transferred to Vermont Transit and continued to Burlington, VT and my family. It was winter, so the trip across the northern prairies was lightly populated and I was comfy and warm in the bus. Rest stops were made. Drivers changed, but the bus did not. When we arrived in Chicago, I had to change buses and I was put on an overnight bus with a bunch of sweaty folks that had come all the way from San Francisco (probably that same route that goes through Kansas). The bus was completely full, and I was not so comfy. I changed again in Columbus OH for a bus that took me to Albany. When I returned west some time later, I was dropped off at the same street corner.
> 
> Hubby said they still picked people up from street corners when he went to Vegas for the training, but that was before the big shakeup in 2005. It's pretty obvious they don't do it any more. I feel like the question has been answered. Thank you all for your input.
Click to expand...

Enjoyed reading your anecdote...

You might be interested to know that at least one company....Pine Hill Trailways....still operates local rural bus service just like its been doing for more than a half century...

On its local routes between New York City, and Utica, NY, you can board or get off at designated station stops, or request a drop off at virtually any safe place along the route. You can also 'flag down' a bus at safe locations as well, although that is more limited.


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## NorthShore

I once was on a layover at the Indianapolis Greyhound/Amtrak station, awaiting my bus to continue to Chicago. A young man was begging the driver to take him to Lafayette. As he explained, it was a stop on other trips (just not this schedule.) He didn't even care if he were dropped off at the designated station there. Simply driving off the interstate ramp, opening the bus door to let him alight, then continuing on the way without any detour would be sufficient. After all, he had to be back at school in the morning. The driver politely, but determinedly, declined despite his repeated begging, noting it was against company policy and he could get in trouble for violating such, despite his sympathy with the situation.

Maybe not as critical, but if I'm traveling north out of Chicago, or returning from north of the city, my Greyhound bus passes within walkable distance from my residence. I'd love for the driver to hop off the highway and let me off. He won't. I have to spend another 15-20 minutes aboard and 45-60 minutes returning home on public transit (or less, if I want to spend $20+ on a cab.) The best I can do is if the bus happens to stop at a little auxiliary station in a CTA terminal along the way, which is closer and without doubling back. I have used that stop to catch up with a bus for which I was running late (and wouldn't have caught downtown.) But they aren't going to make any special stops there for me, beyond what is scheduled. I have had drivers allow me to alight there, though ticketed to downtown, when it made the stop, however.

I've used some gas station stops of interconnecting bus lines in places like Baraboo, WI and Peru, IN. Driver almost missed me in Baraboo. Again, they are scheduled stops. And, while I had tickets in both cases (it was hell trying to book Baraboo through the Greyhound system, though - had to make a special trip to talk to an agent that didn't want to bother) these lines clearly would take unticketed passengers to the next station which had ticketing services, if necessary.)


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## OlympianHiawatha

The top pic may be _*Greyhound's*_ most "famous" Curbside Stop!

http://faculty.cua.edu/johnsong/hitchcock/pages/stills-NxNW/various.html


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## BCL

There was a series of Bartles & Jaymes wine cooler ads where the fictional owners went on a trip to New York City to see how their product was being received there. I can't find the ad with the bus, but I recall it was in a rural setting where they get picked up at a flag stop. Probably wasn't Greyhound or Trailways due to trademark reasons, but that was the first time I understood the concept of a rural or flag stop for intercity buses. It frankly didn't make that much sense since the ads point out that they're in Modesto, which would have a real bus station.


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## BCL

OlympianHiawatha said:


> The top pic may be _*Greyhound's*_ most "famous" Curbside Stop!
> 
> http://faculty.cua.edu/johnsong/hitchcock/pages/stills-NxNW/various.html


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## trainman74

NorthShore said:


> I once was on a layover at the Indianapolis Greyhound/Amtrak station, awaiting my bus to continue to Chicago. A young man was begging the driver to take him to Lafayette. As he explained, it was a stop on other trips (just not this schedule.) He didn't even care if he were dropped off at the designated station there. Simply driving off the interstate ramp, opening the bus door to let him alight, then continuing on the way without any detour would be sufficient. After all, he had to be back at school in the morning. The driver politely, but determinedly, declined despite his repeated begging, noting it was against company policy and he could get in trouble for violating such, despite his sympathy with the situation.


Interestingly, I've taken Greyhound exactly once in my life, on a trip from Chicago to Indianapolis -- and this same thing happened, someone asking the bus driver to be let off at the end of an Interstate off-ramp on what was otherwise supposed to be a nonstop run.

In my case, however, the driver acquiesced, and we did make that quick stop.


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## NorthShore

trainman74 said:


> NorthShore said:
> 
> 
> 
> I once was on a layover at the Indianapolis Greyhound/Amtrak station, awaiting my bus to continue to Chicago. A young man was begging the driver to take him to Lafayette. As he explained, it was a stop on other trips (just not this schedule.) He didn't even care if he were dropped off at the designated station there. Simply driving off the interstate ramp, opening the bus door to let him alight, then continuing on the way without any detour would be sufficient. After all, he had to be back at school in the morning. The driver politely, but determinedly, declined despite his repeated begging, noting it was against company policy and he could get in trouble for violating such, despite his sympathy with the situation.
> 
> 
> 
> Interestingly, I've taken Greyhound exactly once in my life, on a trip from Chicago to Indianapolis -- and this same thing happened, someone asking the bus driver to be let off at the end of an Interstate off-ramp on what was otherwise supposed to be a nonstop run.
> In my case, however, the driver acquiesced, and we did make that quick stop.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I'm curious: how long ago?

(My story was from, oh about five years back.)


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## railiner

OlympianHiawatha said:


> The top pic may be _*Greyhound's*_ most "famous" Curbside Stop!
> 
> http://faculty.cua.edu/johnsong/hitchcock/pages/stills-NxNW/various.html


Curbside? What curbside? 

Another fan of my all-time favorite movie, eh? 

You probably know that although 'Hitch' was a stickler for authenticity, that scene at "Prairie Stop, Highway 41", was in fact not filmed in Indiana, but rather at a location near Bakersfield, Ca....

Also...the route sign for Indiana-US 41 if authentic, should be a shield, not a rectangle....

Yeah....I've seen that movie too many times....


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## railiner

BCL said:


> OlympianHiawatha said:
> 
> 
> 
> The top pic may be _*Greyhound's*_ most "famous" Curbside Stop!
> 
> http://faculty.cua.edu/johnsong/hitchcock/pages/stills-NxNW/various.html
Click to expand...

Nice shot!

One more detail only a minute segment of the audience would pick up, was the bus in the photo, by its fleet number K 2334, indicated it as a Pacific Greyhound Lines coach.

It would be extremely unlikely to ever run on a Chicago to Indianapolis trip, but very likely to be used for a film shot at a California locale....


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## Bob Dylan

And of course the scene @ the end as the train enters the tunnel, supposedly on the way back to New York, is actually a SP Train in California!


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## trainman74

NorthShore said:


> Interesting. I'm curious: how long ago?
> 
> (My story was from, oh about five years back.)


21 years ago now (March 1995, at the start of a college Spring Break trip with a friend).


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## railiner

Bob Dylan said:


> And of course the scene @ the end as the train enters the tunnel, supposedly on the way back to New York, is actually a SP Train in California!


Absolutely!

Considering Hitch's usual attention to detail, it is a wonder that they allowed that flub...Everything about the trip on The Century was very authentic...from GCT to LaSalle Street Station. Even the background PA announcements were correct for the time of day.....

Only detail that puzzle's me...Eve invited Roger to join her in "Drawing Room 'E', car 3901".....I would have thought the cars line numbers would have a 2500 series number, to reflect the Century's trains number....don't have a period timetable handy to look it up, and the Streamliner's Schedule's website, only lists the type and amount in the consist, not the line number....


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## OlympianHiawatha

Back to the Buses in Northwest the one the local Farmer gets onto is pretty interesting with that classic rounded tail. But it is hard to beat a _*Scenicruiser.*_


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## railiner

This one..... seen early in the clip....



That's a Flxible Clipper. Can't quite tell the operator.

Here's a site with lots of them converted to motorhomes....

https://www.google.com/search?q=flxible+clipper&rlz=1C1SKPM_enUS438&tbm=isch&imgil=qpYHa5tX_VXK_M%253A%253BoYehNE15BRNJ2M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fflxibleowners.org%25252Fbreeds-of-flxibles%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=qpYHa5tX_VXK_M%253A%252CoYehNE15BRNJ2M%252C_&biw=1440&bih=813&usg=__2ik1UJktuX0zlWjluySTeK1KPBw%3D&ved=0ahUKEwi55fm7xI3KAhVEcD4KHb1CDpYQyjcIJg&ei=dAWJVrnbJMTg-QG9hbmwCQ#imgrc=qpYHa5tX_VXK_M%3A&usg=__2ik1UJktuX0zlWjluySTeK1KPBw%3D

The colors do look similar to those operated by Continental Air Transport....the Chicago airport express operator, but several other companies operated a similar livery....


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## JayPea

A few years ago, I was waiting at the Thruway bus stop in my town with my sister who was on her way back to the Seattle area after visiting on this side of the state of Washington. While waiting, a woman came up to the stop and asked us if we thought the driver would let her board there and drop her off at the grocery store where I work, 0.8 miles away. It's not that she isn't ambulatory; I have seen her at the store several times and she actually lives at least half a mile further down the street. It turned out she was afraid to walk across the bridge for fear it would collapse. Which bridge she was talking about I don't know as the street crosses and recrosses the same river three times in that 0.8 of a mile. At any rate we told her we didn't think the driver would allow that. I, being the kind soul that I am  "assured" her that the bridge hadn't collapsed too many times lately. That seemed to mollify her and off she went.

Sometimes I'm not nearly as nice as I should be.


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## trainman74

railiner said:


> Only detail that puzzle's me...Eve invited Roger to join her in "Drawing Room 'E', car 3901".....I would have thought the cars line numbers would have a 2500 series number, to reflect the Century's trains number....don't have a period timetable handy to look it up, and the Streamliner's Schedule's website, only lists the type and amount in the consist, not the line number....


I have a July 1956 Official Guide (actually a reprint from several decades later), and it doesn't list the line/car numbers, either.


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## Chaz

Trainman: Re Russell's Bus Guides: reprints...

I've been hoping someone'd make copies of 1 or more. Official Rail Guide reprints are very available but not Russell's Motor Coach Guides. Actual eBay originals are sparse these days.

Where did U get your 'reissue'?

I have a few (0nce had a bunch but alas they got discarded). Afraid to handle for fear it will disintegrate.

I wrote the head of R Guide suggesting it but he wasn't interested.

Soon folk who remember the 50's era of Greyhound etc. will be gone (I see you were born in the 70's)!

I'm expecting a book copier (hard copy to digital) from the crowd funder Indiego in Feb & hope to make digital copies of some of a Russell's. Was $140 but will retail for much more.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/czur-scanner-build-your-own-digital-library#/


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## trainman74

Sorry, I wasn't referring to Russell's Guide, but rather to the Official Guide to the Railways.

Sometime in the late '80s/early '90s, the Official Guide publisher put out a complete reprint of the July 1956 issue -- I believe it's on nicer paper than the original version (there are no other indications that it's a reprint).


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## railiner

The Official Railway Guide has issued a number of reprints thru the years...

As Chaz stated, Russell's (the Official Bus Guide) has not done that. Probably market research told them there was not enough interest in the latter to make it worth while economically...

I have a few older Russell's Guides in my collection, and the pages are crumbling as you turn them, so I rarely do so, and try to be as careful as possible.

The New York Public Library archives has a very extensive collection, but they have converted it to microfilm....


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