Gothamist: Chinatown Bus Too Fast, Say Police

Devin M

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 00:55:53 -0500

A week or 2 before the Fung Wah bus roll over, I saw it on the news that a Grey Hound or Peter Pan bus rolled over too and there were deaths. Why is everyone making it a big deal about Fung Wah but not those other bus lines? They drive equally fast to me. I usually drive 75 - 80mph on the highway and couple of times I had Peter Pan/Grey Hound buses tailgating me. IT was some scary Sh!t.

gogo

Thu, 07 Sep 2006 00:01:20 -0500

Pony up and take the train you cheap bastards.

kwanito

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 20:42:15 -0500

Good. This should mean there will be fewer seats filled which can allow me to get comfy and sleep for 3 solid hours. Rude, loud, unclear? We're in New York City, fer crissakes! I've taken Fung Wah and it's main competitor for the past 6 years. I've seen nothing but progress from these companies. There were times when the buses were tourist vans. Lacking a bathroom. The first row (2 seats) was designated as luggage storage. Once white people caught wind of it, business increased. And it is inevitable that changes were made to reflect this fact. There is however 1 Chinatown bus that I would not recommend. It's the one to Atlantic City. Ridiculously seedy. It is highly likely that you will be sitting nextto, behind, and in front of the dregs of society- if you can even get a ticket. There's a wonderful scam that some desperate folk involve themselves. It's a hustle that truly depresses me. This would be the only time I recommend Greyhound. Actually, rent a car. Ride a bike, if you must. Very unfortunate incident, but at least there weren't any fatalities.

GilloD

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:34:58 -0500

If you want to expirence hell, go to the PA bathrooms on the subway level. It was literally poop-encrusted. I've never seen anything like that. Ever.

basket kase

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:23:20 -0500

I just went to the lower level of the Port Authority and found a chicken bone by the stairs.

MissPinkKate

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:02:38 -0500

I just went to Port Authority this weekend for the first time to catch a bus (to Atlantic City) and it was totally gross. Chinatown busses forever.

La Leone

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 14:23:16 -0500

All around I have had MUCH better experiences on the several Chinatown bus lines than w/Greyhound. It's just not worth schelpping to Port Aurthority to pay more $ for a longer communte! I stopped taking Greyhound when the genius concept of the Chinatown bus was "invented." The people behind the bus businesses often shout at you, and are often rude & unclear. But mostly everyone realizes that you can find that all over Chinatown. You only have to know what you're getting into. The actual vehicles are bascially the SAME, except on the Chinatown buses they tie plastic deli bags to the seats so you have your own garbage. It's kind of unappealing, but I do not generate much (if any) garbage on an nyc ---> boston trip. I can understand that they are there for the sweaty slobs that are slurping their fried chicken & crap though. I will never stop riding the Chinatown buses. Unless of course someone stops THEM from operating....

JT

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 13:56:44 -0500

Bus story: http://www.jt10000.com/tales/dredd.htm

mamfeman

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 13:28:47 -0500

The worst public transportation experience I ever had- and I was in the Peace Corps for two years in Africa- was an overnight Chinatown bus from Norfolk to NYC. The toilet was broken and completely filled with piss and I had the unfortunate luck to be sitting right next to it. The guy next to me had a six pack of Miller High Life that kept rolling around between my feet. And he kept touching himself. The smell was unbearable. The riders kept screaming at the driver, calling him "Won Ton" and "Ching Chong". I will never, ever again take that bus ride back from Norfolk. (Going down is actually fine).

Rebecca

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 12:45:04 -0500

The Chian town bus is the only way to travel and from nyc you don't have to deal with the zoo also known as the port authority. Besides riding it for the past 6 years i think that's the biggest selling point for me. Not going to time sq from Brooklyn is key

Meredith

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 12:21:30 -0500

I've taken it more times than I can count -- I'll be on it again this weekend -- and I can say with certainty that I've never had a problem other than a slightly smelly bathroom once in a while. Although they are not spotless, they are clean enough, and the price simply can't be beat. I actually enjoy the whole experience, for the most part.

Kojak

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 12:09:24 -0500

Theres another kind of Bus that you can take, if you can afford it... www.LimoLiner.com Internet Access + power plugs, Leather Seats, DirecTV, Lunch served to you by a bus attendent... What more could you want???

Tedster

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 11:57:12 -0500

Seriously. I love the Chinatown bus and the drivers got much better than the previous years. Before the evaluation I was able to make Boston-NYC in three hours. Nowadays it takes at least 4-5 hrs. After taking the bus many times I only had one incident when one tire burst in flames and the driver did not notice. The bus stopped and an hour later they picked us up. So no problem.....I still will take the bus as often as possible.

patrick

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 11:22:07 -0500

The students on the Chinatown buses are hotter than Greyhound or Peter Pan.

Kojak

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 10:16:04 -0500

"Jetblue charges $180 round trip" I don't think I ever paid more then 108 bucks for a RT to boston from JFK, but then I always picked off peak flights which were the cheapest.

old and slo

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 10:08:36 -0500

I forgot, the Greyhound bus I was on looked very old like it was in the movie The Getaway or The Gaultlet. I was hoping for one of them new European inspired type buses. Not something belching out black diesel soot.

Undeterred

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 10:04:50 -0500

I'd take a Chinatown bus over Greyhound any day of the week -- even the worst of them are usually cheaper, cleaner, quieter and faster than Greyhound.

GilloD

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 10:04:35 -0500

Man, the Chinatown bus might not be the cleanest or safest ride in town, but at least they show up. I waited in DC for the AMERICAN bus (Washington Deluxe) for 4 hours until the dispatcher stopped answering the phones. I took a train down to Chinatown and got on a bus in like 20 minutes, no problem.

Dmitriy

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 10:03:04 -0500

People relax! Other bus companies are just as dangerous, and charge more. Chinatown bus is not smelly, it is just as clean if not cleaner. I love the Fung Wah buses!!! Do not contribute to the overbearing culture of fear that already exists.

blubyu stater

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 10:00:25 -0500

I took a Greyhound bus before thanksgiving to SC. Overnight ride to arrive in the morning. I clocked the bus driver going 85mph on my GPS. Then the bus broke down on the off ramp. Other than that no problems.

ray

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 09:53:51 -0500

i took a ctown bus to dc last week and the driver drove crazy fast. he seriously almost hit a few pedestrians in the city.

yo

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 09:52:57 -0500

I took an 11 hour Chinatown bus here from Indiana once...they secretly have them going all over the country. it is really quite amazing.

pay now or later

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 09:37:37 -0500

A bus in Staten Island just had an accident. Jetblue charges $180 round trip. Those $50 fares are long gone and as hard to find as a needle in a haystack.

Toby

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 09:33:15 -0500

ny upstater state asks: Wasn't there a Greyhound bus accident just last week that killed Seven? Why don't Chuck look into more regulations for them? And now the answer Greyhound is a large company. Large companies give money and other things to politicos.

Kojak

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 09:32:25 -0500

I can't stand the Chinatown buses. They usually stink and the people can't drive for shit, not to mention a few drivers I've had didn’t even know how to pump their own gas... one of the passengers had to help. Jetblue is my only way to Boston from now on.

ny upstater state

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 09:28:46 -0500

Wasn't there a Greyhound bus accident just last week that killed Seven? Why don't Chuck look into more regulations for them?

Barry P.

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 09:24:21 -0500

A slight chance of death is a small price to pay for getting to Boston ON TIME DAMNIT!

good job chuck

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 09:13:05 -0500

How are more regulations going to help if bus companies don't follow the ones they already have like SPEED LIMITS?

Jeebus

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 08:59:04 -0500

"It appears the bus was probably traveling too fast..." A Chinatown bus driving fast??? Well obviously a chinese person wasnt driving Obviously