"Usually," he said, "on Sundays, I leave right after I drop off the passengers. You'd be about thirty minutes early. However, on the way here, I was told on my radio, 'are you alright?' I said, 'yeah I'm fine,' and they had told me that someone on this bus had called in and said that I was swerving all over the road and falling asleep.'"
I personally noticed this a bit along the way.
"And, since someone said this, and aggravated me, I'm going to aggravate you. We aren't going to leave until 5 o'clock [25 minutes from then]. And no, you can't go out and smoke."
The driver kept us captive on the bus. Some people voiced their opinions, some even apologizing for whomever called the company that he was swerving. One person said, "I don't know why you're punishing all of us for something one person said," and he replied, "one apple spoils all of the rest." A woman asked if he could continue "because of the baby." He said, "What baby?" The woman replied, "my baby," picked up her child and showed it to him. "No way," he said, and stood there, staring at us.Peter Pan—which calls themselves "The People Professionals"—has suspended the driver and launched an investigation. The driver claims that he didn't know he could continue straight to Boston, which is almost as believable as the mysterious letter of support sent to Peter Pan:
[Director Of Safety And Security, Christopher 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.To: Peter Pan Customer Service
If anyone cares, the driver's name is Neil Bryant, according to a New York Post article.
Name and picture are here:
Best way to get from Boston to NYC and back is probably limoliner (www.limoliner.com) My wife and I used it last Labor Day weekend. Admittedly, it *does* cost more, but the amenities you get are definitely worth it.
On-bus wifi, food and drink service (the bus has a porter!) XM and CNN. Probably the best bus trip I've ever had.
(Note- I do not work for Limoliner, I'm just a fan.)
I spent plenty of time doing the greyhound/Peter Pan thing in college. Most of the time, the biggest problem was other passengers, not the driver.
]]>I'm not a violent person by nature, but I definitely would have rounded up as many of the people as possible to offer the driver the choice of being beaten within an inch of his life or continuing to the destination. 50 passengers and 1 driver - why was this guy not quickly subdued and dealt with? Do they arm those guys?
]]>When they plan the bus schedule, they take into account a certain level of traffic on the roads. If that traffic is not there for some reason, you end up ahead of schedule. It's more common for the traffic to be worse than expected, but it's not unheard of to be less.
The 2nd (and last) time I took Greyhound/PP, I got there about 10 minutes early. I was concerned that I wouldn't get a seat, and it was the last bus out of DC. My fears were assuaged though, because there was still a line at the gate even though the bus was idling at the berth. The driver was sitting in the bus eating her dinner while our departure time (not boarding time, departure time) ticked past. 15,25, 35,40 minutes passed and there she sat eating her box 'o' noodles, chatting up the porter and watching us all getting more and more frustrated. There was no reason she couldn't have let us start boarding the bus. I can understand that she's entitled to a break and she should have time to go eat, but if you want privacy go eat in the lounge or something. We were 40 minutes late before we were even allowed on the bus, which took another 25 minutes, and then she tried to be all sunny and "funky fresh" with her attitude... we were not having it.
After that I started taking the Chinese bus. They don't speak english, or even engrish, you are lucky if you can figure out which bus goes to DC and which one goes to NYC, and if it's full it leaves early, no matter what time the schedule says. But, it's cheap, clean, fast (only makes a half-stop in Baltimore) and you get to feel somewhat like you've had an adventure when you get to your destination in one piece. I think that's pretty cool.
]]>Unacceptable by any of the stretch of the imagination, unless there's something we're missing here. Peter Pan can refund their money (all $20 or whatever it is) but that doesn't compensate them for the way they were treated. At a bare minimum, Peter Pan needs to be heavily fined so they are frightened into training their drivers differently, or just hire better drivers. The passengers should get some kind of compensation, i.e. punitive damages for "pain and suffering" but I won't get into that as I'm sure it will provoke an assault of new comments about how class action lawyers cause all the problems in this country. Well, chances are the tickets had some kind of arbitration clause on them anyway, so a lawsuit will just result in some heavily biased arbitrator (hired by PP) denying the passengers relief anyway. So, I probably would have simply forced the door open myself (not hard, the lever for it is right up front) and then opened the luggage compartment myself (sometimes I've had to do that myself too) and then flipped the driver off. There is a train station in Framingham I believe so it wouldn't be hard to get to Boston.
]]>As a general rule where I live people who ride the bus are scary and I would imagine that if you tried to hold them hostage they'd cut you...deep.
I also know that if I were trapped on a bus with scary people or a rude and inconsiderate bus driver, I might be forced to start pepper spraying people. Women and children first.
]]>That Peter Pan bus driver needs to grow up.
/rimshot
]]>To follow up:
"I can't get your bags."
@Pylon83:
What are you talking about? It's been widely reported that someone tried to get out, asked for their bag, driver refused. Is that clear enough for you?
However, from Boston to points north, the regional is Vermont Transit, which rocks. The drivers are very competent and genuinely nice and the buses are very well-maintained.
I made the mistake of not knowing this the first time I traveled to New England - I flew out of Hartford, and so had to switch from VT to Peter Pan at Boston on my way back from northern Vermont. Nothing as horrid as this story, but unpleasant enough to keep me always flying into Logan, Manchester, or Burlington thereafter.
]]>As much as people fear Fung Wah, their buses always make the trip on time. The majority of drivers have a GPS device which they use to avoid traffic, and they rarely, if ever, go over the speed limit. (I like to sit right behind the driver for that extra leg room) If the news reports have you scared, there's always Lucky Star where you can stop by a buffet on the way, and still make it before the Greyhound.
Then again, I'd much rather take a train if it wasn't $85-$115, or a plane if it wasn't $200.
]]>I'm shocked he didn't threaten to call the police or TA over someone "questioning his judgment."
]]>From all reports he was also refusing to give passengers their luggage from under the bus. So it wasn't just a question of disembarking, he also would not release their property.
]]>He doesn't deserve to work for a company named "Peter Pan" at all!
In all seriousness though, what the hell? That's just messed up. Seems like he just wanted to do it to abuse his power and he's probably done this more than once.
]]>The bus driver is an ass and the passengers (based on the description here) were stupid. I know this seems harsh, but honestly, there is so much they could have done in this situation and it sounds as if they did nothing. I'd guess that at least 50% of the people on the bus had a cellphone and they could have all called the bus company and complained. There would have been nothing for him to do but give in and take off. At least there's an investigation going on and hopefully the driver will be fired.
]]>How did the bus get 25 minutes ahead of schedule? Did he leave early from the departure point and subsequent scheduled stops, causing passengers to miss the bus? Or was he driving dangerously again by speeding, not just weaving?
And why did he cause the bus to be 25 minutes ahead of schedule? So he could end his trip faster and sit around or go home?
This must have been the origin of the phrase "power trip". (Magus, you missed the chance for the pun.)
]]>It's amazing how quickly and how fully the passengers collapsed into craven cowardliness. People are fucking sheep. A totalitarian regime created instantly in a drop of water.
]]>Seriously, what is with their power trips?
]]>(If anyone wants proof of the $4 charge. Go to the web site and go through the ordering process. The $4 charge appears on the screen where they ask for you name, address, etc.)
]]>He's actually kinda lucky no one threw a punch. Especially with a busful of Massholes. [Nobody get offended, I use that term self-inclusively.]
]]>Also once the bus driver from Peter Pan/Grayhound stopped us for 45 minutes because the bus was making too much noise... he drove for an hour before it bothered him enough to stop.
All in all though I don't really mind the issues that come up with taking either Peter Pan/Grayhound or the Fung-wah(china town), because either way it only cost me $15.
Also some various tips if you ever plan on using Grayhound/Peter Pan:
1. If your ever going to take Peter Pan/Grayhound, and are going to or from New York, order online, as the price is almost twice as much if you buy your ticket on site.
2. When you buy a ticket from them, you are not buying a ticket for a certain time, they fill buses on a first come/first serve basis, regardless of what time your ticket says.
3. If you want to sit with a friend or group on the bus, get their earlier so that you can be first on the bus, people always fill up the empty seats so they can sit by themselves, or ask people if they would move for you,(I'm always willing to move, and most people are nice)
4. The bus drivers can be annoying, but they are usually nice, if you don't want to deal with it, take the train or fly. Remember, this is the budget way to travel.
]]>I would have tried to walk off the bus to see how he intended to keep everyone on board. I mean come on, a bus full of people against one dude? What would Chuck Norris have done?
]]>As for anyone calling about it. Most people don't know what false imprisonment is and most, in a situation of high emotions, may be unlikely to think, "Gee, I should call the cops, because I've been kidnapped or falsely imprisoned." On the other hand, you can bet someone would have if he had made them wait over an hour.
]]>I had to read this twice until I got straight that the driver didn't continue on "early" with the passengers that were continuing the journey. If he can explain away the "I'm going to aggravate you" as a misunderstanding, and explain the "you can't get off the bus" as No I meant and then get back on, because your ticket is used... Then they'll have a tough time really doing much to him.
Probably the person complained was one of the people who got off the bus at that stop... I'd have explained to the driver sure, you wait here until the published departure time, and not only are you not getting the person who complained, but everyone left on the bus is going to complain and get you jammed.
]]>Well the bus driver pulled off the highway, and started snaking through a bunch of back roads, and pulled up to a hospital. The gentleman was shocked. "I only wanted a drink of water." The bus driver said "You said it was an emergency." The bus driver then proceeded to kick the gentleman off the bus, in the middle of upper Westchester. This was pre-cell phones, so no one on the bus could do anything for the man. He (and his wife who also got off the bus) were left at the hospital by themselves with their luggage, while the bus continued on.
The driver then proceeded to get lost. At one point he turned down a quarry entrance, and had to back the bus up. A short time later, he took the wrong side of a fork in the road. To get back on the right side, he actually drove across someone's lawn (with a huge bus, mind you)!!
It took us six hours to get up to Hartford, which is generally a 3 hour trip. The whole time people were begging him to pull over and stop driving. When we got to Hartford, we were given the option of switching buses, which every single person did.
]]>He wouldn't release people's bags when they asked to get off. If a taxi driver does the same thing, it is false imprisonment.
]]>WOW! That busdriver has SOME NERVE! I hope he gets canned for doing something like that! He must not care if he loses his job.
"Oh noes! someone complained! Imma gonna throw a hissyfit & make a bunch of people pay!"
WHat a moron! Nice way to turn one complaint into a SHITLOAD of further complaints!
As for the investigation... easy peasy! Just contact some of the passengers & get their story on what happened.
]]>CONGRESS MUST ACT QUICKLY AND ENACT A BUSS PASSENGERS BILL OF RIGHTS!!!!!!!!!!!
My finger smells like poop.
]]>I'm a Crim. Just. major in Mass. right now and in my amateur opinion, it qualifies, although I tend to be a hanging judge.
If people are interested, I'll ask my prof who's both a lawyer and a cop here in the bay state.
]]>Sounds like a passenger called about the driver's unsafe driving. That passenger did the right thing.
Imagine the headlines if the driver had killed someone with his dangerous driving. The driver was clearly out of line from the very beginning.
Those people who apologized to the bus driver should have been thanking the anonymous caller! The driver could have gotten them all injured or killed.
Also, why didn't a group of people on that bus work together to put that driver in his place. If we want to get off the bus, we're getting off the bus, darn it! That ain't no airline and that driver ain't TSA!
]]>this is why i always carry one of those glass vile stink bombs. one drop and everyone would have exited the bus.
]]>