Greyhound non-station stop and booking questions

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

8356334_1_l.jpg


Oh - Merry Christmas everyone.
 
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.
Click to expand...
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.
 
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.)
 
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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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.
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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.
 
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.
Click to expand...
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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Interesting. I'm curious: how long ago?

(My story was from, oh about five years back.)
 
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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Curbside? What curbside? :p

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

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.... :)
 
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...
79951_Greyhound_Bus_Tie-In_122_946lo_t500x370.jpg
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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 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!
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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....
 
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.
 
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....
 
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. ;)
 
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....
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I have a July 1956 Official Guide (actually a reprint from several decades later), and it doesn't list the line/car numbers, either.
 
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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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).
 
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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