kong
02-27-2013, 09:28 PM
A bad bus trip has led a frustrated traveler to start an online petition, which has received more than 75,000 signatures so far -- and a pledge from Greyhound to address the issue with the partner bus line that was involved. The ticket Ankur Singh bought from Greyhound Lines sounded miserable enough to begin with: His trip home from Minneapolis to Bloomington, Illinois, left at midnight and included a five-hour layover in Des Moines, Iowa, from 4 a.m. until 9 a.m.
Still, the price was right, and the college freshman figured he could read or nap at the station until his morning connection arrived.
When Singh arrived at the Des Moines stop, he learned that the bus station didn't open until 5 a.m., meaning the connecting passengers would be left out in the cold for a frigid hour. Weather.com reports that the low temperature on Feb. 1 was 6 below zero. Singh says the wind chill factor made it feel even colder.
As Singh describes on his Change.org petition, "Everyone layered on all of the clothes they had with them and huddled for warmth -- they even wrapped t-shirts around their heads to keep their ears from going numb."
The frequent Greyhound traveler, who described his past experiences with the bus company as "good," said the bad connection would hopefully be his last. He added, "This was the one instance where they messed up."
Singh has since spoken to Greyhound representatives and understands that the bus station was operated by a partner carrier called Jefferson Lines. Still, he explained over the phone to Yahoo!, "I had bought my ticket from Greyhound. I expected I would be taking care of all the way through and I would be taken care of by them." According to Singh, that was not the case.
The petition continues to gather signatures and hundreds of comments from other travelers claiming to have had similar experiences being stranded at a closed bus station.
Rickey Smith from New York City posted, "Greyhound did the same thing to me at a Layover in Oh on a bus from Detroit to Fort Wayne IN and I remember being unprepared for this and freezing! They really need to change this! At the very least warn passengers that they might have a layover and be locked outside of the station for hours."
Neil Griffith from Kingston, Canada, added, "People need shelter, does this really have to be explained?"
In a statement sent to Yahoo!, Greyhound spokesperson Maureen Richmond wrote:
"Greyhound has not operated in Des Moines since August 2012, and the location is currently served by an interline carrier that sets the hours at its agencies. The use of an interline carrier is noted when a ticket is purchased, as well as on the ticket.
Greyhound terminals and agencies are open when buses are scheduled to arrive or depart.
We will work with the interline carriers to help ensure their hours are consistent with the scheduled arrivals and departures. In addition, we had the opportunity to speak directly with the petitioner and change.org on Tuesday to better understand the situation and offer assistance.
The safety and security of all motor coach passengers is a priority for us and we sincerely apologize for this inconvenience."
Singh has been happy with the response from Greyhound so far, but he wants the bus line to address the problem along all its routes, saying, "All of the signers and commenters on my petition make it clear that this isn't just a problem in one station -- it's a problem across the nation…The bottom line is that travelers stuck out in the cold aren't worried about who owns a station, they're worried about their health and their safety, and Greyhound and all of its partner carriers need to act to fix this problem."
Still, the price was right, and the college freshman figured he could read or nap at the station until his morning connection arrived.
When Singh arrived at the Des Moines stop, he learned that the bus station didn't open until 5 a.m., meaning the connecting passengers would be left out in the cold for a frigid hour. Weather.com reports that the low temperature on Feb. 1 was 6 below zero. Singh says the wind chill factor made it feel even colder.
As Singh describes on his Change.org petition, "Everyone layered on all of the clothes they had with them and huddled for warmth -- they even wrapped t-shirts around their heads to keep their ears from going numb."
The frequent Greyhound traveler, who described his past experiences with the bus company as "good," said the bad connection would hopefully be his last. He added, "This was the one instance where they messed up."
Singh has since spoken to Greyhound representatives and understands that the bus station was operated by a partner carrier called Jefferson Lines. Still, he explained over the phone to Yahoo!, "I had bought my ticket from Greyhound. I expected I would be taking care of all the way through and I would be taken care of by them." According to Singh, that was not the case.
The petition continues to gather signatures and hundreds of comments from other travelers claiming to have had similar experiences being stranded at a closed bus station.
Rickey Smith from New York City posted, "Greyhound did the same thing to me at a Layover in Oh on a bus from Detroit to Fort Wayne IN and I remember being unprepared for this and freezing! They really need to change this! At the very least warn passengers that they might have a layover and be locked outside of the station for hours."
Neil Griffith from Kingston, Canada, added, "People need shelter, does this really have to be explained?"
In a statement sent to Yahoo!, Greyhound spokesperson Maureen Richmond wrote:
"Greyhound has not operated in Des Moines since August 2012, and the location is currently served by an interline carrier that sets the hours at its agencies. The use of an interline carrier is noted when a ticket is purchased, as well as on the ticket.
Greyhound terminals and agencies are open when buses are scheduled to arrive or depart.
We will work with the interline carriers to help ensure their hours are consistent with the scheduled arrivals and departures. In addition, we had the opportunity to speak directly with the petitioner and change.org on Tuesday to better understand the situation and offer assistance.
The safety and security of all motor coach passengers is a priority for us and we sincerely apologize for this inconvenience."
Singh has been happy with the response from Greyhound so far, but he wants the bus line to address the problem along all its routes, saying, "All of the signers and commenters on my petition make it clear that this isn't just a problem in one station -- it's a problem across the nation…The bottom line is that travelers stuck out in the cold aren't worried about who owns a station, they're worried about their health and their safety, and Greyhound and all of its partner carriers need to act to fix this problem."