Thread by @milesintransit1

Our home for the next three days!!! #Greyhound #LongestBusRideInAmerica

I'll be attempting to live-Tweet our entire journey on Greyhound Schedule 1675, the one-seat ride from New York to LA.

Stops on the way-too-long New York to Philly leg are Newark, Mount Laurel, and Camden. We did a really depressing industrial deviation to Newark; the bus was near-empty until then, but now a ton of people are getting on.

The amount of time it took to deviate to Camden was definitely not worth it for the two people who got off and zero people who got on. Especially when PATCO to Philly is $1.40.

"Next stop Pittsburgh." ... "Negative. Next stop is uhhh Philly. I skipped ahead."

Philly! 63 hours to go! For some reason, Greyhound gave us separate tickets from New York to Philly, and Philly to LA; the driver did NOT like that and didn't give us a reboarding pass. Lots of confusion but we've made it back on! Still sans reboarding pass...

Also, kudos to the Greyhound scheduler who decided it would be a good idea to have two buses heading toward Pittsburgh depart at the same time from the same city at the same gate. No confusion resulting from that at all.

So the stop after Philly is "Norristown King Prussia E". We make our way down tiny roads to the SEPTA Norristown station, when the driver makes an announcement...

"To the one person who's getting off here, where is the Greyhound stop?" ... "Hello? I'm asking where the Greyhound stop is."

Passenger: "It's near the mall. It's not here. It's like a park and ride."

Now the driver is going around in circles trying to figure out where to go. I wonder how much time this is going to cost us down the road...

I should also point out that Norristown is the stupidest stop ever. It's only served by our bus going toward LA, and another bus going from LA to New York. And there's just one person getting off there???? All this trouble for one person? Eliminate this thing.

The driver is now calling the Greyhound employee hotline to figure out where to go. Enjoying the smooth jazz of the hold music!

We're shouting out directions to the driver to help her out.

Okay, rescind the previous rant: there are, like, 25 people waiting here for us! Guess this is a necessary stop after all, even if it was a real rollercoaster ride to get here.

Looks like a lot of Pitt students heading back to school.

We're waiting in Harrisburg. It's a full house - a lady got on and said "One ticket, one seat! If you have a child who doesn't have a ticket, they're either sitting on your lap, or I'm making them buy a ticket!" Also something weird about paying for empty seats next to you? Uh...

Leaving Harrisburg ten minutes late, but we've made up the lost time from Norristown. Now it'll feel like we're really moving: nonstop to Pittsburgh from here, aside from a rest stop!

We've just made the realization that if we were to turn around and drive directly to New York, it would take three and a half hours.

It's been over seven.

WE WERE SCHEDULED TO STOP AT THE SIDELING HILL REST STOP, WHICH HAS AN AUNTIE ANNE'S WHERE I COULD GET A CINNAMON PRETZEL!!!!! BUT BUT BUT WE JUST SKIPPED ITTTTTTTTT :'(

So now we're hoping we'll just drive to Pittsburgh without making ANY rest stops. At least then we'd arrive there early and have time to go somewhere cool for dinner.

We ended up stopping at the North Somerset Service Plaza. Luckily we should still get to Pittsburgh on time, assuming we leave here when the driver said we would.

"If you don't get on the bus by 4:45, you're getting left behind."

And yet we've yet to leave...

Here we go! Next stop Pittsburgh!

Things accomplished in Pittsburgh:
-Brushing our teeth (yay!)
-Getting dinner
-Experiencing a morale boost from walking in the cold for a bit

We finally got reboarding passes! But the gate attendant took Nathan's in order to read out the number and then disappeared. Nathan tried to explain the situation to the driver and she was very upset. So...now only I have a reboarding pass. They seem to be cursed on this trip.

But hey, at least we got our worst bus selfie so far. We were supposed to have left 11 minutes ago and we've only just finished boarding the reboarders...

We've departed Pittsburgh with a refueled bus and a new driver. Next stop is Cambridge, which is only served by this bus and one from Phoenix to New York!

We just pulled over onto the side of the highway. The driver got out without saying anything and went to the back of the bus. Everyone heard a thump. The driver came back. We're off again.

Okay.

We're in West Virginia! Finally leaving Pennsylvania with our first state line crossing in about 10 hours! And it's the panhandle of West Virginia, so we'll be heading into Ohio in about ten minutes. Making progress!

The Cambridge, OH stop is just at a gas station. We're supposed to spend five minutes here, but it's being treated as an unofficial rest stop, despite the fact that we're 40 minutes late and counting.

"Don't smoke near the gas pumps." Sage advice.

Nathan: "This bus is incapable of being on time. Every time we make it up, they just wait and we end up late again."

Greyhound schedulers need to realize that their schedule does not match up with reality. If every trip treats Cambridge as a rest stop, make it a rest stop.

As Day 1 of the #LongestBusRideInAmerica comes to a close, we leave Columbus just 8 minutes late. Nathan and I used our reboarding power to both get windows so we could get some sleep on the 3-hour stretch before a layover in Indianapolis at 2:25 AM. Blech. Goodnight for now!

Arrived in Indianapolis ten minutes early! More time to not be sleeping...

But the terminal is kinda unique, at least.

Indianapolis's terminal was pretty bad, though. The bathrooms were horrible; the water fountain had a bucket beneath it to capture the residue leaking water; and we couldn't even see the Amtrak platforms because the darn Cardinal only runs three times a week!

We had a new driver from Columbus to Indianapolis; now the driver has switched again, and I think he's taking us as far as Saint Louis. Come tomorrow morning, we'll be in a new time zone and we'll have crossed the Mississippi!

And we're off, just three minutes late! It's a nice four-hour nonstop to Saint Louis...perfect for sleeping.

Oh my gosh, crossing the Mississippi with the Arch in view was magical.

We used our 70-minute layover to walk to the Arch! It's amazing, it's so big from up close. From there, we took Metrolink four stops to get back - it was awesome, at least on its downtown section.

We're probably gonna leave Saint Louis a few minutes late, but nothing too bad. Our fifth driver of the trip is at the helm of the bus. We're over a third of the way there - it's been a full 24 hours since we left New York!

Here's the scoop for today: today is hell day.

All of our daylight hours are spent in Missouri and Kansas.

Wish us luck.

We arrived early in Columbia (despite the tracker thinking we're 90 minutes late), so treating it as an unofficial rest stop makes a lot more sense. Plus, it's at a Midway Travel Plaza nowhere near Columbia, anyway.

No, I don't know why the bus's headsign says that.

We're definitely in the midwest now. The travel plaza had a country music soundtrack inside, and it's right next to a "western store". Next stop Kansas City!

Moo.

By the way, did I mention that this trip was free? Greyhound's rewards program gives you a point for every trip you make; when you hit 16 points, you get a free round trip anywhere in the country. As you can see, they literally mean ANYwhere!

A guy walking along the highway with a number of bags, including a pool noodle, waved to the bus as it went by. Uh...hello, sir! Hope you make it to wherever you're going!

So we got to Kansas City eight minutes early. This was our favorite bus station yet, with non-hostile benches and good use of the space.

We went "off-campus" as it were, walking to downtown KC from the bus terminal. Maybe it's because it's a Sunday, but it was DEAD, and it didn't seem like it would be any more interesting with more people. Maybe we went to the wrong places.

However, we did get hipstery sandwiches and pesto-pasta from @mikccafe that were pretty cheap! We also utilized their bathroom to brush our teeth (sorry).

@mikccafe Then we took the KC Transit "Prospect MAX" back to the bus station, which is free for some reason (the whole system hasn't been made free yet). There were four people on board. Kind of a strange local bus experience!

@mikccafe And now we've got a ton of local stops in Kansas. Missouri's scenery turned out to be somewhat hilly and interesting; hopefully Kansas can continue the trend.

@mikccafe The supposed zero-minute stop at Topeka turned into a 20-minute rest break. Man, if you thought Kansas City was dead, Topeka was DEEEEAAAAADDDDDDDDD.

Also, its Greyhound station is closed on weekends. Great.

@mikccafe Junction City was a 0-minute stop in the parking lot of a megachurch that got a surprising number of offs.

And you were right: Kansas is very very very boring.

@mikccafe We pulled into a gas station for an "emergency stop". Maybe a refuel? We were told to stay seated.

@mikccafe We're off! Must've just been a refuel. Calling it an "emergency stop" was pretty excessive!

@mikccafe We made a stop and a driver switch at Salina, where the bus just parked up outside of a gas station. They told us to be back on the bus by 4:20, which is 15 minutes before our scheduled departure, but lo and behold, we're just sitting here. I could've ran and gotten popcorn :(

@mikccafe "If you have a ticket I haven't scanned yet, please come up to the front so I can scan it."

Salina apparently uses the honor system...

@mikccafe Kansas has a lot of wind turbines! Also grass. And hay.

@mikccafe We got off the highway for Hays, looped around, and got right back on. Guess no one wanted on or off.

@mikccafe It's amazing how long the sunset in Kansas lasts when the land is so flat! It's been setting for over an hour!

@mikccafe As we proceed along through the dark Kansas plains, the bus fills with the smell of defecation. Part of the experience, right?

@mikccafe The smell is gone thanks to the power of air freshener. We continue through the endless plains in peace.

@mikccafe We arrived at Goodland 15 minutes early, so we'll probably leave early too! This is basically a dinner stop; I got a meatball sub from Suouobway and Nathan's eating soup.

Also, the bus's new headsign is very friendly!

@mikccafe Yes, we're leaving about 13 minutes early! So here's the scoop for the next part of the journey: it's 3-4 hours nonstop to Denver. We leave Denver at 12:15. And then the ENTIRE night is spent making a ton of stops no longer than an hour apart.

Hopefully we can get some sleep...

@mikccafe "Leaving Kansas - Please Come Again"

UHHHHHH NO WAY!!!!! WELCOME TO COLORFUL COLORADO BABYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #LONGESTBUSRIDEINAMERICA #FINALLYOUTOFKANSAS

@mikccafe I've now heard the same scene from Avengers: Infinity War twice, from two different people watching it on the Greyhound entertainment service without headphones. And like the first time, I now can't get the darn Avengers theme out of my head.

@mikccafe Denver Bus Terminal. Outlets don't work. Bus delayed until 3 AM. They've locked us in.

It had to go wrong at some point.

Wish us luck.

Please.

@mikccafe HELLO AGAIN TWITTER! BOY, HAVE I GOT A STORY FOR YOU!

@mikccafe Soooooo, we arrived in Denver half an hour early, meaning that assuming the bus left on schedule, we would get a full hour and 45 minute layover (10:30 PM to 12:15 AM).

@mikccafe (Here's our Denver selfie)

As usual, the driver said to leave our stuff on the bus. I left my overhead bag, Nathan left his checked bag below the bus.

@mikccafe And we headed out to explore! First we visited a hotel to brush our teeth, then we checked out the RTD Free MallRide, which was REALLY interesting. It has a road all to itself, and the lights are timed so that it can stop at every block.

@mikccafe At rush hour, it runs every light cycle. Every light cycle!!

So we took that to Union Station, which was beautiful. It has an underground bus terminal as well as a commuter rail station.

@mikccafe (as you can tell from our faces, morale was very high. We were exploring a brand new city, and the first legit city in a really long time)

@mikccafe Then we returned to the Greyhound station. And @GreyhoundBus, you're gonna wanna listen to this next part of the thread.

So we find out the bus is delayed until 3 AM, but the outlets didn't work and my computer had barely any juice (hence the rushed Tweet from before).

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus We were pretty okay with it. I mean, we figured something like this would probably happen at some point. We passed the time until 3 AM by listening to the programs for Nathan's upcoming Emory Wind Ensemble and Orchestra shows.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus At one point, one of the many out-of-it people at the station nearly overturned a pole as he tried to sit down, so paramedics were called to take him to the hospital.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus The station "closed" at midnight. So the only people left were two presumably contracted security officers, who locked the doors, aside from one so that people could take smoke breaks. The bus was late because they didn't have a driver to continue the journey.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus The security people were sympathetic, although they understandably had no idea when the driver was going to come. 3 AM came and went.

Also, apparently I'm supposed to tag @GHoundBusHelp if I need "customer care". So listen closely, @GHoundBusHelp, this is the awful part.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp We heard the security guy talking about how he announced that he had to take all the luggage off of "the bus that just showed up", but not everyone came to claim their luggage, so he "put it in the back".

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp We went up to investigate. "Yeah, like, one of them was a yellow duffel bag," he said. "That's my bag!" I exclaimed, "What happened?"

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Apparently at around 11 PM, he made the announcement that everyone "on the bus that just came" (yeah, really freaking helpful at a giant Greyhound station where lots of buses come and go) had to get their luggage off the bus.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp We weren't at the terminal at 11 PM. None of Greyhound's public media says you have to remain in the terminal during layovers. What about people taking smoke breaks, for example? There were three other people who didn't hear this announcement, so we weren't alone.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp They had my carry-on and Nathan's checked bag. "Well, can we get them?" Nathan asked.

"I can't legally get them for you," the security guy said. "You have to wait until 5 AM when the station opens up again."

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp "But what happens if the bus comes?" we asked.

"Uh, they'll just put your bags on the next bus," the security guy said.

Yeah, because Greyhound really proved how trustworthy it is at handling luggage by taking it all off without telling us.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp "Well, I guess you better hope it doesn't come until 5, then," the guy said.

So now we just stood around, checking our watches every three seconds in fear that the bus would come and leave our bags behind.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Luckily there was a passenger who was a "Greyhound expert." She assured us that the bus wouldn't board until 5. And as the time ticked by, we realized she was probably right. But we needed to be first in the ticket line by 5 AM when the station opened so we could get them quick.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp "Excuse me, you can't wait there," the security guy said.

Okay, fine, so we stood BEHIND the ENTRANCE to the ticket line to be first by 5 AM.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp I saw some luggage behind the counter and checked to see if any of it was mine. It didn't look like it...

"Get away from the counter!" the security guy yelled.

Ugh. Fine. Sorry.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp The bus showed up at around 4:45. Nathan ran to the driver to plead for him to wait for us to get our luggage. Luckily, he was really understanding and said he'd wait!!!!

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp So now the ticket line has a crowd of people waiting both to get their luggage back, and a group trying to change their tickets from a trip that was cancelled tonight (so that goes to show the situation can always be worse).

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp "YOU CAN'T WAIT THERE. GET BACK HERE UNTIL 5!" the security guy yelled. Okay. Fine.

Thank goodness the bus was waiting, so it didn't really matter...although not prioritizing the luggage people was only making it more late.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp "Okay, people who need luggage, c'mere. I need a single-file line," the security guy said. "You cannot touch any luggage unless it's yours. If you had your luggage checked, you're good."

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp "Can I just see it to make sure it's there?" Nathan asked.

"YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN. YOU'RE GIVING ME ANXIETY," the security guy said in all sincerity.

Oh yeah, because your "anxiety" definitely matters more than the anxiety of those who had their valuables stolen by Greyhound.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Thank goodness all of the bags were there. So we boarded the bus and left 5 hours and 22 minutes late. At least we have our bags and we're heading toward LA now.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp But you know the worst part about all this?

WE'RE ON THE SAME VEHICLE. THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE THE BAGS OUT AT ALL. ALL THAT STRESS AND ANXIETY WAS FOR NOTHING.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp So first of all, HUGE thank you to the driver for waiting for everyone to get their luggage. You're a lifesaver.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp But what say you, @GHoundBusHelp? Taking our valuables with unclear and inaccessible communication? Security staff pushing a narrative that the bus could leave without us? Absolutely no sympathy for the customers who lost their stuff?

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Let me remind you, we were initially told to LEAVE OUR BAGS ON THE BUS. So we were lied to, and then treated like sheep despite being worried about losing our stuff. One poor guy had his BIRTH CERTIFICATE in his bag.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp This may be of-the-moment anger, and if it comes off as overly dramatic, I'm sorry. I seriously don't mind that the bus is really late - Greyhound has a driver shortage, I get it. But the customer service shown tonight regarding our valuables was inexcusable.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp So yeah...that's been our night! Also, here's a selfie of us in the station:

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Next stop: a bunch of tiny Colorado stops less than an hour apart each. I'm gonna try to get at least some sleep before the sun rises, which is quite soon.

Morale is at an all-time low. But it'll be really funny to look back on this when all's said and done!

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp So if I'm listening to the passengers from Frisco correctly, our bus ran straight through Frisco (I was in a sleepy daze) and has now returned to pick up a bunch of people who have been stranded here for 36 hours by Greyhound.

The situation can always be worse.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp These mountains are amazing, though. Hopefully I didn't miss any super incredible parts.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Apparently it snowed so much last night that they closed off the highway. We probably would've been this late anyway. But now it leaves us with beautiful snowy mountains to admire! I reiterate: this is incredible scenery.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp The fact that they were not only able to design and build a highway through terrain like this, but also somehow sign it for 75 miles an hour, is really really impressive.

Also, all resort towns look the same.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Glenwood Canyon was absolutely INCREDIBLE. And yeah, I was sitting on the wrong side so none of my footage is very good, but it doesn't change the fact that that thing was mind-blowing.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp We made a "meal stop" at Glenwood Springs, despite the fact that:
A) We're six hours late and counting
B) Glenwood Springs is supposed to be a zero-minute stop
C) The only "meal" place open here is a convenience store

Current LA ETA: 4:39 AM

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp The driver stopped the bus because someone was apparently vaping.

Don't vape on the bus, kids. It only makes us more late.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Western Colorado is just as pretty as the Rockies! We're getting closer to the weird alien landscapes of Utah.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp We're both exhausted here in Grand Junction. We were scheduled to stay for 35 minutes, but we ended up being here for an hour. The station is a converted gas station - impressively, they converted the auto garage portion into a fueling bay, so buses can be serviced right there!

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp The panel on the back of the bus heading to New York was broken, but instead of taking it around to be serviced, two drivers and a mechanic just stood around talking blocking our bus from coming out to the berth.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp And then when our bus finally boarded, our new driver made his announcements STANDING AT THE FRONT. I.E. NOT MOVING. WHEN WE'RE ALREADY CHRONICALLY LATE. Our new LA ETA is 5:05 AM, and that's with the tracker thinking we left Grand Junction half an hour ago.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Nathan: "If Greyhound was an airline, it would be beaten to the ground so quickly. Or even a railroad. Amtrak has its problems, but they're nothing like this."

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp But it's not an airline or a railroad. A few people today have said they're never riding again, but Greyhound doesn't care. They know that they can keep running their horrible service and people will still come because they have no other option.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Factors outside of their control like a driver shortage are one thing.

But the lackadaisical nature of everyone involved with this ridiculously late bus is truly frustrating. We just keep getting later and later, and seemingly no one at Greyhound cares.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp And we're just doing this for fun. Most people are actually trying to get somewhere. They're being screwed over.

Anyway: GO GREYHOUND, AND LEAVE THE DRIVING TO US

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Yay, we've entered Utah! There's some wild scenery here, too. Also a lot of cows.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Green River, at which the schedule proclaims we spend 20 minutes. "This'll be a 30-minute stop," the driver said.

Does the schedule even exist?

Why are we stopping for half an hour at a gas station?

How late can we possibly get?

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Also, I don't know how much longer I can stay awake, so here's the one picture I took in the desert before this stop. It came out strangely dark.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp We've departed Green River 6 hours and 46 minutes late. Can we make it to 7? Place your bets now!

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Oh my gosh, I opened my eyes and we were hairpin turning through huge red rock formations. The scenery remains incredible.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp I'm in this transcendent state where food and sleep don't matter. This scenery is simply unreal. It almost makes me forget how mad I was at Greyhound a few hours ago...

I'll share a photo once the internet gets better. There was a long bit with absolutely no service!

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp It should be noted that much more scenery footage will appear in the eventual video - most of my documentation of the surroundings have been in moving picture form.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Alright, why not, here's a bonus photo:

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Richfield: a stop scheduled for five minutes that the driver announced we're only going to spend five minutes at! It's a Christmas miracle!

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Despite Parowan being a scheduled half-hour stop, and it being dinnertime, and the stop being a place with actual food establishments, we only spent 15 minutes here.

I don't understand how this driver's mind works.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Wait, apparently he announced later that it IS a half-hour stop? AhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhgghAGHGhGHAHGahghaghaHGahgahgoihAGOIheoihaelkgamelgkmaelkgmealkgaOGHAIELGHaeligh

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp I'm glad I had time to get food. But I actually would've preferred just going. We're soooooo late as it is!

But hey, we're on I-15. That's a milestone.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp OH MY GOD WE LEFT A MINUTE EARLY AND LEFT SOMEONE BEHIND. THIS DRIVER IS INSANE. @GHoundBusHelp WHAT THE HELL GUYS

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp And 20 minutes later we're at Cedar City, a very very short stop. I still can't believe we just...left. A minute early. And left someone behind. I'm speechless.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Saint George: another gas station stop, and another five-minuter. "Don't get off," one passenger said when the driver announced we'd only be here for five minutes. Tensions are high after the leave-behind...

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp If you check the tracker now, it'll look like we magically travelled back in time to Las Vegas. It seems that they're running a second bus from Vegas to LA to serve those passengers...more on time, I guess? It's still three and a half hours late.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp But hopefully this second bus doesn't mean they'll kick us off in Vegas for some reason. I don't know why they would, but Greyhound has proven to be...unpredictable. It's the next stop, so we'll find out then!

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp We're in Nevada, and thus in Pacific time! We're getting closer!

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Wow, the endless yellow lights of Las Vegas suddenly appearing amongst the blackness of the desert is surprisingly magical.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp So...that 1675 we saw on the tracker...was 1675.

There is now a giant line of people, including us, who have to change their tickets to another bus to LA.

Apparently being on the same schedule does not guarantee through running on that schedule.

We are so mad right now.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Alright, so to be more specific, we were late for ourselves. That's literally what they said: "You came late." So they rebooked us onto another schedule, 6001...meaning we've officially failed. We haven't ridden the same bus from New York to LA.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp That being said, there are FAR worse places to be stuck for four hours than Las Vegas! First we checked out the Fremont Street Sensory Overload Experience, which was a trip.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Then we took the "Deuce" to the Strip, whose ticket was way too expensive at $6 for a two-hour pass. Once on the strip, we visited a few giant casinos. Man, Las Vegas is a weird place.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Giant castle, giant replica of New York, giant Roman temple...geez! And the desert water being wasted on huge fountains was insane.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Now back at Greyhound, we're waiting for our bus. Nathan and I have decided to bail at San Bernardino to take the Riverside Line into LA (since our goal while there is to ride all of Metrolink, and this is a perfect opportunity to ride that peak-only line).

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Because at this point, we're not on the same schedule. It doesn't matter. Plus the bus makes a million local stops that take forever, anyway. But we'll still keep you updated on when we arrive in LA!

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Just to cap it all off, it's a different vehicle. So we wouldn't even be able to say we've taken the same bus from New York to LA.

Greyhound had to throw one final punch. And I guess this time, they knocked us down.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Oh, almost forgot: Vegas selfie. Our last time seeing bus 86902 :(

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp We're now on the Riverside Line. By the time we get to LA, it will have been 77 hours and 25 minutes. Even if we had stayed on the bus, if it was bang on time, it would've been 76 hours and 20 minutes. So...over ten hours late.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp We're gonna make our way to where we're staying from LA...I'll do a conclusion Tweetstorm once we're settled. Thanks for reading this far into the thread!

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp I have never appreciated the wonders of showers or beds more than right now.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Now that some time has passed from the end of the ride, I feel like I can level my thoughts with more reason. Not that they've really changed.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp First of all, this was an incredible experience. Yes, a ton of stuff went wrong, especially near the end, but I will always remember this. And hey, one bus from New York to Las Vegas ain't bad...

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp What are some takeaways from the trip? First of all, the schedule seems all out of whack. I wouldn't be surprised if Greyhound hasn't changed anything in years and doesn't plan to (although I believe these coast-to-coast schedules are a relatively new addition).

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp But clearly there's a need. Stop times are randomly lengthened or shortened based on driver discretion, and rest stops are skipped or added at will. This stuff needs to be more formalized.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp I would imagine most Greyhound schedulers wouldn't want to do a full trip across the country. But experiencing it firsthand showed how flawed the schedule is. Something needs to be done.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp But adding onto that, this experience has shown, I think, that Greyhound can't be trusted to run a single bus across the country. I had a sneaking suspicion that was the case for a lot of the trip, but missing our own bus in Vegas was the clincher for me.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Obviously long routes are still necessary. But split it into three: New York to Saint Louis, Saint Louis to Denver, and Denver to LA. Very few people are doing the whole thing, and the sense of security given from having it all be "one schedule" is false.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Transfers would obviously be timed to work out so that you could still do cross-country if you really wanted to. Transfers will still be missed, but it still beats missing yourself - I would be a lot less mad about it.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp But I think the most important takeaway here, and one that I was cognizant of before but not fully aware of until this trip, is that Greyhound simply does not care about its customers.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Not one apology for a delay.

Taking our bags and blaming us for it.

Leaving a minute early and leaving someone behind in the actual middle of nowhere.

So many other things I can't remember. There is no concept of customer service at Greyhound.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp They know they're the last resort. They know that people can complain, but they have no power to do anything about it.

When a high-profile businessperson experiences a problem with an airline, the airline listens; not so for the immigrant trying to take Greyhound to a new life.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Greyhound left its passengers stranded in Frisco in the cold for hours. They only gave them a hotel at the very last minute, and they only stayed there for four hours before they had to leave again.

"But we're the last resort! Why should we care about our paying customers?"

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp The security guards in Denver called the police on a group of people who had been stranded by Greyhound and were trying to sleep 'til the next bus, but didn't want to get up when commanded to.

"But we're the last resort!"

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Even small things like drivers and terminal staff. They often don't say "Hi" or "Thank you for choosing Greyhound." Instead it's yelling at people about reboarding tickets or waking passengers up at the terminal just to make sure they have a ticket.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp And Greyhound is certainly aware of how badly they treat people. How can they not be? 95% of reviews, comments, stories about Greyhound are negative. They know they treat their passengers like cattle.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp "But why should we care? These bums will still use our awful service. We don't have to make an effort, AND we still make money!"

It's disgusting. So many of Greyhound's riders, especially outside of busy corridors, have fallen on hard times. They're treated so horribly.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp I'm not sure what the solution is here. Make politicians take a long-distance Greyhound trip to see what the conditions are like? Can the government even intervene with the actions of a private company? What would the quantitative way to measure accountability here be?

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Unfortunately, the way I've seen Greyhound treat people this trip has really lowered my opinion of the company. The clear lack of regard for customer service is so much more obvious when going long distance than when doing short-haul trips in the Northeast.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp So lots to think about here. I'd love to hear people's ideas of ways Greyhound can improve within its control, and potential ways of seeing that they actually do it!

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp At the end of the day, this was still an amazing experience. We got to see parts of America that we had never seen before and may well never see again. We got to meet lots of people, some wonderful and some not. And we got a great story to share.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp As this thread starts to wind down, I'm gonna shill some stuff:
Check out my blog, Miles in Transit! I review local bus routes and train stations, mostly in Philly and MA. The "Hall of Fame" section on the blog has my favorite and most entertaining posts. milesintransit.com

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Also, keep an eye out on my YouTube channel for a video of the trip! It's gonna be a pain to edit and I have no idea how long it'll be or when it'll come out, but the end product should be awesome. There are other fun videos on there, too. youtube.com/channel/UC7XFP…

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Most of the followers I've gained from this thread (seriously, thank you - my count has nearly been doubled!!!!) probably only came for the Greyhound stuff. But even then, thank you all so much for joining us on our trip - it was great to know that so many people were watching.

@mikccafe @GreyhoundBus @GHoundBusHelp Finally, here's our bittersweet San Bernardino selfie. The security guy yelled at us for standing outside and made us go in the building to take the picture. How poetic of an ending is that?