Greyhound seats and fleet questions

[Swadian Hardcore]

The detour to get into Orlando is bad enough from the north, but it's really bad from the west. The 1262 Houston-Miami takes huge detours just to make various stops in Florida. Just look at its route on BusTracker. From Pensacola, it dives down on US 98 to Fort Walton Beach and Panama City. Then it takes US 231 north to Florida 20, makes a right turn, and continues to Tallahassee, then rejoins US 90. It also makes a big detour on US 441 to make the Gainesville stop. There's the huge detour from the Florida Turnpike to reach Orlando, and finally, a detour in Fort Lauderdale because the Greyhound station there is far off I-95. They should just stop at the Amtrak/Tri-Rail Fort Lauderdale, which is right by I-95 and had excellent transit connections.

Would it be viable to run a really fast route from Pensacola straight to Fort Pierce or West Palm Beach with a single break stop in Ocala? Then have another run connect at Pensacola to make all the other stops far from the freeway, similar to NYC Subway operation.

 

[mightyjoe1201]

Swadian, I know how you feel about the D4505 so I figured you'd get a luck out of this. I know it's not greyhound, but one of Fullington trailways D4505 is broke down at our bus station again. I was told it's been there since Saturday. Not sure what happened but was told it just won't go anywhere.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I hear a lot of complaints about Fullington. They must be doing something really wrong. Looks like they have even worse maintenance than Greyhound. Dead Greyhound buses generally get towed away to get repaired and put back into service. But it looks like Fullington has just put it off.

Here's their SAFER record: https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/SMS/Carrier/120909/Overview.aspx.

I forgot to tell you, Joe, but on my way back from Texas, I was riding westbound SLC-Reno and passed a transit bus heading east in the middle of the desert. Must have been a delivery run. It was going at a fair speed. We also passed a huge convoy of Coach USA buses heading east, including D4505s, C2045s, 102D3s, and maybe others. There was at least ten buses in the convoy.

Also, we were overtaken on the freeway by a pair of 102D3s. We were going about 70 mph, and they must have been going 75 or 80. Speed limit is 75. They were going really fast in the rain. Those 102D3s without a governor can leave a D4505 in the dust with its powerful Series 60 and relatively small size.

Edit: I also saw tons of OVERSIZE LOAD trucks throughout the trip. They were usually escorted by pickups with flashing lights both ahead and behind. One was carrying a John Deere tractor eastbound on I-80 in Wyoming, many were carrying huge fan blades down US 287, and a few in Texas were carrying various blue and orange pressure tanks.

 

[rickycourtney]

I think that even synthetic carpet is a bad choice on a Greyhound bus. Seems like a good way to absorb and trap smells.

In fact I can't recall ever being on a bus with carpet (tour, intercity or transit).

 

[mightyjoe1201]

Swadian, yeah, it's not first time they've left a bus at our station for days. They're too cheap to have it towed so it sits till they're guys cam get to it from I think state college.

There's a good chance it was one of two that we just got. Our one was delivered this past Wednesday morning and the other contractor's came that night.

80 is a main route for oversize loads.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

The synthetic carpet wasn't on the floor. The floor is just classic black rubber. The carpet was on the seatbacks, sidewalls, and headliner. I think passengers stomp their dirty shoes onto the seat back in front and leave dirt and grime all over. Disgusting.

Joe, how are Fullington's guys going to get it from State College if it's broken down and won't go anywhere?

 

[mightyjoe1201]

Sorry, they're guys usually come from out state college area after it to try to get it running enough to get the bus back to their shop out there. If that don't work then they get a row truck for it. Last time the bus sat for a week and ended up being towed amyway

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

No need to apologize. These bus companies should realize that it's cheaper to just maintain their buses properly and not purchase particularly unreliable models like the D4505. Sure, any bus can break down, but the D4505s simply break down too much considering how new they are. A bus that's sitting isn't making money. A bus that's falling apart and smelling like urine is driving away passengers.

I don't understand why bus lines keep making these mistakes. They keep deferring maintenance. They keep taking huge loans to buy new buses then struggle to pay monthly payments. They keep buying unreliable and/or inefficient buses. They keep buying painful seats like the Premier. They keep making stops and detours that don't generate much, if any, passengers.

 

[mightyjoe1201]

I apologized cause I thought maybe I'd typed it to you not understanding it.

I wish I had the answer to that question of maintenance myself. There is no reason to keep pushing maintenance off. They go into debt to buy these buses because the people doing the buying won't listen to the shop, drivers or passengers. They swallow whatever lies the manufacturer gives them. It also gives them the ability to saw they have an all late model fleet.

 

[mightyjoe1201]

As for the passengers it may just b that if they stop service there would b none in that area and people would have to go to far for a bus. That's one of those things where you have to take the good with the bad

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I think they just keep pushing maintenance off to save money, even though a breakdown causes more losses in the long run. The company owners don't drive or maintain buses. And every manufacturer claims they have the "lowest operating cost". So they just go into debt to buy new buses, even though the monthly payments and extra fuel consumption cuts into profits.

Greyhound seems to be doing better in this regard because they at least kept a lot of their older buses instead of jumping on the bandwagon to buy new buses. But they made the mistake of buying D4505s. That was my favorite bus until they started falling apart. Greyhound CEO Dave Leach used to be a mechanic for GLC, and the early D4505s seemed to have performed well for GLC, so that's probably why he purchased the model. Instead of buying D4505s, Greyhound could have rebuilt more 102DL3s and waited for Prevost to deliver more X3-45s.

Regarding the routes, Greyhound doesn't have to cut local routes, but can't they make the long-distance buses take the fastest route possible while short-distance locals connect to them?

 

[mightyjoe1201]

Fullington finally sent a wrecker from state college, pa to get their bus this afternoon. Another example of waste. They could have gotten a local company here to tow it for them and probably at a lower cost too.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Now they still have to fix the bus before they can carry passengers with it again. That'll probably take another day. I doubt five days of inactivity, an expensive tow truck, and repairs to the powertrain will cost less than the money they saved deferring maintenance.

A major problem with Greyhound has been people loitering around the bus terminal. Lots of suspicious people loiter around major Greyhound terminals like Reno, SLC, Denver, Amarillo, San Antonio, Houston, or Dallas. These people appear to have no job, no tickets, and no purpose. They just hang out in front of the Greyhound causing trouble or doing nothing. In Denver, the Greyhound is across the street from the Ritz-Carlton. The Greyhound side of the street is plagued by hoards of suspicious people, while the Ritz-Carlton side is free of loiterers. Can't Greyhound do something to boot the loiterers?

 

[mightyjoe1201]

That's easier said then done trying to get rid of people like that. Especially if they are outside on a public sidewalk. Best way would probably be to post guards outside to keep them away. Its easier if they are loitering inside. Its even harder if the terminal is owned by the city or local transit authority instead of greyhound or other bus line. We have that problem at ours cause its city owned. We have a guy that is banned from our buses and terminal. He can be chased if inside but not from outside on the sidewalk or the benches.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I understand, but I thought it was illegal to loiter on the sidewalks in some jurisdictions. I think the government should be able to do something about these loiterers. They really give Greyhound a bad image. Greyhound usually doesn't let loiterers into the station, but the guys outside drive away potential customers. People don't even want a Greyhound to stop in their neighborhood for fear of crime and vagrants.

Walking around Downtown Dallas or Denver, I saw no vagrants until I reached the block of the Greyhound bus station. All the vagrants were there. Though, in Dallas, CBD West End is also plagued by loiterers around the Transit Center and light rail station. Dallas also had homeless and vagrants around Union Station.

 

[tp49]

Loitering laws are a thorny issue because there is a belief it interferes with First Amendment rights. However, there are other ways to deal with that if the local constabulary is so inclined.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

But why do people always loiter around transit centers and bus stations? They have no business hanging around doing nothing.

 

[CCC1007]

Quick getaway maybe?

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Unlikely, because if they try to do anything, lots of people are going to see them. And Greyhound last-minute tickets cost tons of money and the bus could be sold out. Plus, there's random security checks and pat-downs at the Houston terminal.

A Greyhound driver on Facebook answered my question about the D4505 odor. He says all the buses with flushing toilets have the odor, which means the D4505s and X3-45s. Residue gets stuck easily in those toilets, he says, and it's hard to clean out. Plus, we all know Greyhound isn't the most detailed when it comes to maintenance. The newest X3-45s (#60401-60420) have a metal flap at the bottom of the toilet bowl to block the odor; I don't know if this is on the other X3-45s or the newest batch of D4505s (#86578-86586). But the old D4505s certainly don't have them, and smell terrible.

IMO, Greyhound should stick to non-flushing toilets, which are much easier to clean, and restrict the D4505s to short-distance routes.

 

[rickycourtney]

Greyhound has signage at the Seattle station prohibiting loitering and trespassing amongst other things, and threatening that the local police make frequent patrols. Not sure how strictly the rules are enforced or if Seattle PD actually makes frequent patrols.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Are there many loiterers around Greyhound Seattle? I guess there wouldn't be much anyway since it's a new location, but I'm sure the signage helps.

 

[railiner]

Transportation terminal's have always attracted loiterer's for a few reasons.....first, there is shelter and public restrooms available, (regardless of what that sign pictured above states)...second, the "predator's" have easy pickings (could be financial or sexual) with the many naive traveler's to choose from......third, its a convenient place for illegal drug courier's to meet their connections.....

 

[railiner]

Unlikely, because if they try to do anything, lots of people are going to see them. And Greyhound last-minute tickets cost tons of money and the bus could be sold out. Plus, there's random security checks and pat-downs at the Houston terminal.

A Greyhound driver on Facebook answered my question about the D4505 odor. He says all the buses with flushing toilets have the odor, which means the D4505s and X3-45s. Residue gets stuck easily in those toilets, he says, and it's hard to clean out. Plus, we all know Greyhound isn't the most detailed when it comes to maintenance. The newest X3-45s (#60401-60420) have a metal flap at the bottom of the toilet bowl to block the odor; I don't know if this is on the other X3-45s or the newest batch of D4505s (#86578-86586). But the old D4505s certainly don't have them, and smell terrible.

IMO, Greyhound should stick to non-flushing toilets, which are much easier to clean, and restrict the D4505s to short-distance routes.

Agreed! The 'flushing' toilet is a terrible idea....the residue does stick to the sides and the flap. In addition, they simply recycle the waste water (not separate fresh water) to flush with. Over time, tiny bits of toilet paper get clogged into the water jets, and cause bad odor's. They are supposed to be removed and steam -pressure cleaned periodically, but.....you know how that goes....

A plain toilet with a simple hole is much better on a bus..If the toilet ventilation is working properly, there is very little odor from them. The worst odor in a restroom, is actually not from the waste water which is chemically treated, but rather from urine residue on the toilet rims and the floor around it....

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I guess if Greyhound checks tickets for everyone trying to enter the station, that would get rid of the shelter and public restrooms. As for the predators and drug couriers, those people could easily be arrested if they commit a crime in the middle of Dallas CBD in broad daylight. I guess they will always operate covertly, but Greyhound could potentially call the police on them. I guess Greyhound doesn't take action for fear of creating a conflict with the vagrant community.

Seems very foolish to flush with recycled waste water. You're essentially not flushing anything at all. It all comes back and stuff gets stuck in the pipes. Plus, there's always going to be passengers throwing trash down the toilet.

 

[jebr]

I booked a few tickets for a couple of upcoming trips on Greyhound via will-call. A couple of questions about the will-call tickets:

1. Can I print out more than one copy of the ticket? For example, could I print out a ticket in advance from the kiosk at the Greyhound station where I live and if the ticket is lost, reprint the ticket either at that Greyhound location or the day of at the Greyhound station that I board at?

2. The Greyhound app and website states that will call tickets must be picked up at least one hour prior to departure. Is this strictly enforced, or can it be picked up 30 minutes or so prior to departure?

2a. If they have to be picked up at least an hour prior to departure, is there a way I can change a reservation from will-call to print-at-home? If it's that strict, I'd rather print at home.