Greyhound Bus - is their new motto 'Never on time'?

[Teresa]

Has anyone relied on Greyhound Bus to get them anywhere lately?

My story: I booked two seats online on Greyhound from Atlantic City to NYC for this past Monday. Supposed to leave at 6 AM and arrive in NYC at 8:25 AM. We had a tour booked for 10 AM start time. Bus wasn't even there at 6 AM. Arrived about 6:05 AM. Left at 6:15 AM. Okay - gonna be a little later - but still workable. Driver stopped en route but traffic whizzing by on highway. ??? Another passenger said he was checking tires. About 5 minutes. Okay - still have plenty of time to get about 10 blocks from NYC Port Authority to where tour bus was. Hit traffic near NYC (getting nervous but Greyhound should know about 'regular' traffic - right?). While 'standing still' in traffic, GPS on phone was telling us we would get there AFTER our tour started. Yikes! BUT arrived at Port Authority about 9:45 AM. Sorta 'ran' toward the tour bus - and made it!!!! Hurray for us!!!

Going home, booked a 'casino ticket' (suggested by Greyhound agent in AC) at the NYC Greyhound station at 5:05 PM to leave at 6 PM. Saw on display board that 4:30 bus with same destination was delayed. Uh-oh. Several other AC buses also delayed (going to different casinos). Some of the passengers scheduled for our bus decided to ask if they could go to another casino just to get there earlier. After a LOT of hemming and hawing, Greyhound ground person let them on (passengers knowing that they wouldn't get the casino bonus). That bus left NYC around 5:40 PM. 6 PM came and went. No bus for us. Another bus - scheduled to leave at 6:30 PM to same place as us (casino too) arrived. We were NOT allowed to switch to that bus (they had about 8 passengers, we were 7 passengers in line). Our bus showed up right after that 6:30 bus left (around 6:35). We boarded about 6:40. Had to wait for a driver. Left about 6:50 PM. Arrived at AC bus terminal (not the casino) about 9:40 (original arrival was supposed to be 8:40 at casino). Sat there about 10 minutes (don't know why) then went to casino and there was trouble with getting bonus (confusion). Finally got it but had to sign up for the casino's card (not hard). HAD to use the bonus (slot play) before 5 AM the next day.

After trying to lodge a 'complaint' (the above), found out I can't do it online (very savvy those Greyhound people). Turns out we were lucky to get to our bus tour as the horror stories I read online were truly horrible (sitting for nearly days sometimes). And an hour delay coming back - nothing!

So take this as a 'warning' or perhaps find an alternative if you can. The prices were reasonable ($25 to NYC, $15 for casino ticket to AC plus some small booking fees) but if you NEED to be somewhere it is gambling at its finest (and we're in Atlantic City).

 

[Seaport104]

I commute M-F from NJ to NYC for almost 17 years and I can tell you that unfortunately 8:25 arrival into Port Authority and 6:00 pm departure on a weekday is the ultimate height of commuter traffic so I am not suprised you were delayed both ways.

Just to give you an idea of how the regular commute is, in non-rush hour times, the bus takes 45 minutes to get from Port to my town. I am 7-8 exits way from the Lincoln Tunnel off the NJ turnpike. During rush hour, for me to get to NYC by 8:25 am, I should be on the 6:45 am bus or 7:00 am bus at the latest.

So leaving AC at 6 am (only 45 minutes earlier from when I would leave) and AC is about 1 hour and 15-30 minutes away from me was not going to do it unless it was a holiday and there was less commuting traffic.

 

[wackymother]

I commute M-F from NJ to NYC for almost 17 years and I can tell you that unfortunately 8:25 arrival into Port Authority and 6:00 pm departure on a weekday is the ultimate height of commuter traffic so I am not suprised you were delayed both ways.

Just to give you an idea of how the regular commute is, in non-rush hour times, the bus takes 45 minutes to get from Port to my town. I am 7-8 exits way from the Lincoln Tunnel off the NJ turnpike. During rush hour, for me to get to NYC by 8:25 am, I should be on the 6:45 am bus or 7:00 am bus at the latest.

So leaving AC at 6 am (only 45 minutes earlier from when I would leave) and AC is about 1 hour and 15-30 minutes away from me was not going to do it unless it was a holiday and there was less commuting traffic.

That's what I was going to say! Many years of commuting into NYC from NJ. I'm glad OP made the tour, but squeezing into the Port Authority right at rush hour and then trying to squeeze back out at rush hour is unfortunately a losing game. That said, it seems crazy that Greyhound would have several different buses all setting out for Atlantic City at practically the same time.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

I'm not familiar with the route between NYC and Atlantic City, but isn't there a commuter rail line that runs there or do you have to make too many changes along the way?

 

[pedro47]

Greyhound motto: Go Greyhound and Leave the driving to us.
You can plan your travel schedule and you will arrive at your destinations on time.
Just not at rush hours in metropolitan area’s LOL. IMHO.

 

[Patri]

I am surprised you made your connection with the tour bus. Congratulations. If Greyhound is consistently late for rush hours, they should change their timetables to reflect that.

 

[wackymother]

I'm not familiar with the route between NYC and Atlantic City, but isn't there a commuter rail line that runs there or do you have to make too many changes along the way?

There is a train from Atlantic City, but it doesn't run very often and it stops in Philadelphia. AC is really too far from New York to have a lot of commuters. There are quite a few buses, though, and some are very inexpensive bc the casinos subsidize them.

I needed to get to AC a few years ago, and I was surprised by how difficult it is to get there in the off-season. I think there are more choices in the summer.