My mother and I had a terrible experience with one of your drivers, and I am extremely disappointed with the way we were treated.
I booked a one-way ticket from Miami to New York for $560. The trip took approximately two days and involved four bus transfers. Everything went smoothly until our final transfer, when we encountered a driver whose behavior was rude, aggressive, and completely unacceptable.
From the moment she began boarding passengers, she was yelling at people to have their barcodes ready before approaching her. After scanning my QR code, she instructed me to place my luggage in the third compartment for Newark. I immediately explained that I had told the ticket agent I was traveling to New York and had paid $560 for my tickets. She insisted that my ticket showed Newark and that I would need another transfer.
Since it was around 1 a.m., I tried contacting customer service but couldn't reach anyone. However, after the driver announced that New York was her final stop, I hung up and tried to get some rest. We had already been traveling for two days, and both my mother and I were exhausted.
Unfortunately, the driver's behavior continued. At one point, another passenger politely asked if she could sit next to her husband. Instead of handling the request professionally, the driver made a scene and threatened to kick the woman off the bus. Her lack of patience and compassion was disturbing.
Later, the driver woke me up and informed me that we had arrived at our destination. I calmly explained that my mother and I were traveling to New York and that the ticket agent had mistakenly put Newark on our tickets. I showed her that I had paid $560 and pointed out that it made no sense for us to get off in Newark when she had already announced that New York was her final stop.
Rather than listening to my explanation or attempting to resolve the misunderstanding, she escalated the situation and called the police. She told them that we were refusing to get off the bus because our tickets said Newark. I explained to the officers that my mother is 70 years old, that we had been traveling for two days, and that the situation resulted from a simple booking mistake made by the ticket agent.
The driver showed absolutely no willingness to listen or help us find a reasonable solution. She seemed determined to force us off the bus, regardless of the fact that we were exhausted travelers simply trying to reach our destination.
Thankfully, the police officers showed us the kindness and compassion that the driver lacked. They understood our situation, helped us with our luggage, and arranged to take us to the PATH train so we could continue to New York. They even paid for both my mother and me to take the train and made sure we boarded safely, explaining that we should get off at Penn Station after two stops.
I was honestly in tears on the train. I could not understand how someone could show so little compassion toward two women, especially when one of them is a 70-year-old mother who had already endured two days of travel. As a Black woman myself, it was particularly heartbreaking to feel that another Black woman was treating us with such hostility rather than showing us understanding and kindness. I genuinely believe that a male driver would have shown more compassion toward us.
What made the experience even more disappointing was that the police officers, who had no obligation to go out of their way for us, treated us with far more kindness, dignity, and respect than the driver did. Their actions reminded me of the importance of treating others with humanity, regardless of the circumstances.
Overall, this was an unacceptable and deeply upsetting experience. I felt disrespected and humiliated after paying $560 for a trip that should have brought my mother and me safely to our destination. No customer should have to endure this kind of treatment, especially after such a long and exhausting journey. The way my mother and I were treated was unacceptable, and I would not wish this experience on anyone. read more