HA... I mean... Ok, this review is for the Providence - NYC route. It's like $60 RT IF you buy online - but if you show up at Penn Station, be prepared to get charged a WHOPPING $44 after waiting in line to finally speak to an agent. It's not computerized, you know, so there is no auto-ticket deal (again, this is a destination Providence-specific issue I think).
So recently I had the pleasure of taking a weekend trip to NY (AKA HOME) and on each leg of the journey was a unique adventure. Thursday at 11am the bus was full going down to the city. We had to pull off somewhere in CT to the police station in order to eject a "very confused" man from the bus. You could tell that when the driver pulled into the station everyone on the bus (well, most of us) were kinda freaking out wondering if we accidentally double bag our weed or if they'd confiscate our prescription meds that weren't in proper containers or otherwise figure out a way to heckle and hassle and lock us all up. Cuz bus peeps are cheap! Therefore we're criminals. Or are treated as such by SOCIETY.
Whatever.
The kid sitting next to me was like a strange outdated raver with wicked BO and called his friend immediately - presumably describing the situation in whatever language (Arabic? It was diverse... Very unexpected). We giggled nervously amongst ourselves and it was then I noticed the bathroom had been occupied this whole time. Now we were going on 15 minutes idling in the cop station parking lot and everyone was VERY curious to see *who* would be the *one* tot TOTALLY get BUSTED.
OH SHIT THE COPS! (Just so happen to be listening to Notorious BIG while writing this review, so I can't help but interject... that synchronicity)
So the beefy popo come in (Storm Troopers, naturally) and head to the back to extract the being who's been occupying the bathroom for the past 15 or so minutes... And gently escort him off the bus.
Another 15 minutes go by, and the bus driver is nowhere to be found!
Finally the bus driver re-emerges onto the bus and informs us increasingly exasperated customers that some fellow kindly riders were concerned by the man's erratic behavior, and alerted him to a potential problem. The man "apparently thought he was headed to San Antonio, Texas -- to the airport" but "had a ticket to Washington, DC."
"Anyways," says the bus driver, "this man was very confused and unstable" and "we wouldn't want him on the bus, for the safety of everyone on board."
He added: "The police helped the very confused gentleman and I promise you all that they were not mean to him, they were firm, but not mean." He thanked the people who brought this to his attention (rather bravely, I might add) and then thanked us profusely for our patience: "sit back, relax, and enjoy the remainder of the ride down to NYC!"
Now, the way this situation was handled made my heart soar. First of all, how can you not love a bus driver who first imagines then assuages our fears of police brutality? And secondly, the fact that he never once used the word "crazy" to describe the man ejected from the bus was unfathomably compassionate and professional: totally unexpectedly humane and rockstar-ish. As a certifiably insane individual, I appreciate not being lumped into the same category as 'confused man.' Though, if those cops came to get me off that bus... you betcha I'd be up for some straight-A man-handlin'.
------ Return to Providence on a Rainy Sunday -----
Had a ticket to take the 5pm bus, but ended up wanting to take an earlier bus. Arriving at the terminal at 2:25 I was certain I'd have to wait until the 4pm, as they often oversell space. Got to Gate 17 and there was a line stretching down beyond Gate 23. I laughed in the face of every incredulous college kid asking the lady in front of me (who I also asked) if "this was the line to Providence" and she'd laugh and look and me and I'd laugh and wonder why they didn't ask ME the question first. Am I that mean looking? Irrelevant?
So we stood in line for a GOOD 30minutes during this charade until finally boarding the bus.... Left the terminal at 3:15. Rainy day makes for iffy bus rides - the A/C was on and it was sort of wickedly uncomfortable, though the driver asked us to let him know if it got too cold... of course, no one did. Sometimes I don't know why I don't just speak up.
Got up to Providence by 7:45 - about an hour behind schedule. Coming into Providence we may have hit another car... It's hard to tell on the bus. But the old geezers sitting behind me kept scoffing - sighing loudly and commenting that he "was an asshole" and said things like "ax" instead of "ask."
RUDE!
I kinda liked the bus driver - he had FLARE. But whatever, I like all the bus drivers on this Providence to NYC and back route. I often wonder if they're based in NY or RI, and what time do they get home, and do they complete one RT a day for pay? How comforting the monotony of the job must be... read more