Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with bus

Getting to Atlanta on the Chinatown bus

greta simone — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:11:08 -0800

Please tell me about your experience on the Chinatown bus from NYC to the southeast. Should I put my friend on it so she can get home? I have had a friend visiting me in NYC this weekend whose flight to Atlanta today got canceled. All the flights that the airline can reschedule her for will make her miss her Christmas plans.

So I looked up buses at gotobus.com and found a bus that leaves Chinatown run by Horse Run Tour. I am assuming this is the Chinatown bus, as it's the only bus leaving from Chinatown that I could find.

I have read previous threads about the Chinatown bus but they either seemed like they were from people who hadn't necessarily taken one or by people taking a different route (i.e. possibly run by a different carrier).

For what it's worth, we have already looks at tons of other options, and they are either too expensive or won't put her in Atlanta on the day she needs. Also, this trip says 14 hours to Greyhound's 23, so we figured it would be better.

Could you tell me if this bus is reasonably safe and reliable or any other experiences you have had?

How do you get from Houston to Dallas?

bluefly — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:57:13 -0800

Is there a cheap way to get from Houston to Dallas without renting a car? I'll be in Houston for a week over New Year's, and I'd like to visit Dallas for a couple days. Is there a bus or a train? Airplane tickets are ~$200 with tax, which is a little pricey for the sort of jaunt I was imagining. Thanks.

Pseudo-geeks, Google Maps, bus routes and the quest for happiness.

eytanb — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 14:56:24 -0800

How complicated is it to create a bus map on the Google Maps API? So I saw this Google Maps mashup with NYC subways and I was wondering how hard it would be for a someone with decent geek-fu to figure out how to do it. I know that any self-respecting geek would just tuck down and tinker but I am a little stressed for time.

I am a little familiar with Javascript, PHP and MySql (more in terms of adapting then writing) and am willing to learn. I just need to know that this is not going to be a time sink. I can spend my commute throwing the actual bus routes into a KML map (is that what it is called? My knowledge in this field is limited at best.)

So what I ask of you, oh Giant Seething Meta-Brain, is what are the main steps I need to take for this? What will this require of me? How long would this take someone who is relatively proficient? What about someone with the coding skills of a drunk duck?

Bus bent my bike; am I stuck with the damage?

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:18:18 -0800

Locked my bike to a post, and a bus sideswiped my bike. Am I stuck with the damage? I stupidly locked my bike to a garbage can near a bus stop. A bus driver trying to squeeze past a left-turning car clipped my bike and pretzeled my wheel.

The damage is probably about $300 (unless the frame is bent in which case it's $1500). I don't have insurance. I do have photos of the scene of the collision, and two witnesses. I've made a report to the Toronto Transit Commission, and in three weeks I'll know what their claims department thinks of it.

Has anyone else tried to claim property damage from a Canadian transit system? What should I expect? If their claims department says no, what should I do?

Any not-legal-advice would be much appreciated

The Blunderbus needs a makeover.

twirlypen — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:12:34 -0800

Where can I paint a bus? I have an old minibus that I've been slowly doing up over the last year, and now I want to paint it. I've got an air compressor and paint gun and some paint, but nowhere to go. I can't do it in my driveway, don't have a backyard or garage, and don't have any friends who do. The store I bought the paint from didn't have any suggestions. It's a Toyota Coaster, would seat about 15 (if it had seats), so it's a little big for your normal car garage, but isn't a giant public bus.

Friends have suggested:
- drive for ages until I get to some empty car park, hire a generator, and do it there. This feels pretty dodgy.
- Hire a generator, find somewhere close by, drive there at 2am and do it then. This feels even dodgier.
- Hire a garage. Great! But can't seem to find anything.

Any suggestions, or comments on the above suggestions, would be great. I'm in Perth, Australia, if it helps. I'm happy to pay a little bit to rent a garage or something for a weekend, but can't find anything like that.

What is the optimal National Express bus stop near Clerkenwell, London

srboisvert — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:41:02 -0800

What is the best national express bus stop to go to in order to end up near Clerkenwell, London?

Why isn't it illegal to stand on the bus?

Mwongozi — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:34:57 -0800

Why (in the UK, or anywhere else where this applies) is it illegal to drive without wearing a seatbelt, but legal for bus passengers to sit, or even stand without one? At least in the UK, if a passenger in a car isn't wearing a seatbelt, the driver is breaking the law.

Wifi buses from NYC to Atlantic City?

bashos_frog — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 05:16:37 -0800

Does anyone know of any wifi-enabled buses from NYC to Atlantic City? I know about ACES, but it is only for weekends and it is relatively expensive. I'm looking for something more like the Bolt bus.

Lockers in Nashville Bus Station?

ITheCosmos — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:44:05 -0800

Does the Nashville Greyhound station have lockers?

There has got to be a better way!

carmen — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:01:35 -0800

Is there any vaguely reasonable way to get between Waterloo, Ontario and the University of Toronto at Mississauga by means other than private vehicle? It seems overly ridiculous to turn this into a 6+ hour (round trip) commute by taking the Greyhound to the main campus and taking the shuttle to UTM, but connecting to the Go bus via Guelph looks like it will take almost as long (although I'm finding it difficult to figure out exactly which routes/connections are best, so if you have done it, I'm all ears).

Cheapest way from Tokyo to Kumamoto?

0bvious — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:09:56 -0800

Last minute Japan travel: after making an error with timing I need to arrange one-way travel from Tokyo to Kumamoto quite quickly. What are the cheapest options? I have looked into flights and trains (for the 17th of August) and both seem expensive (about £200-£250 a ticket). I am in the UK at the moment. Would it be worth waiting until we arrive in Japan? Perhaps trying to get last minute flights at the airport? Information on this site suggests cheap train travel, but has no links to buy: frommers.com

Air travel is looking pricey: farecompare.com or skyscanner.net

Is it possible to book overnight traisn from the UK? what re the other cheap-cheap train options?

Any help or advice you have would be much appreciated

Chinatown (NYC) bus to Foxwoods

dorisfromregopark — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:41:31 -0800

Info needed on taking the Chinatown (NYC) bus to Foxwoods. Friends, I will be travelling to the MGM Grand at Foxwoods a few weekends from now and, to get there, I am interested in taking the Chinatown bus from Manhattan. This website lists the beginning points for a few bus lines, but I cannot find any information beyond that. I called Foxwoods and they simply gave me the number for Lucky Star. I have not called Lucky Star yet, but their site does not mention the casino.

Does anyone have any experience with taking a bus from Chinatown to Foxwoods? A schedule and price would be most helpful (as well as any advice for when/where to buy tickets and arrive for departure).

Greyhound from the Port Authority is an option, but if a Chinatown bus is cheaper and quicker (no stops), then I'm compelled to go with the latter.

Habla inglese?

djgh — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:37:09 -0800

Getting from Benicassim to Madrid. Speaking no Spanish, trying to get three bus/train tickets from Benicassim to Madrid on the 21st July, arriving before 19:00, is proving virtually impossible.

Can anyone point to a website in English where this route is available, on that date for that time?

Many thanks for any help which you can offer.

location, location, location!

evadery — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:31:41 -0800

Am considering buying a house both on a bus route/busyish street and a few houses down from a school. What should I be aware of before I make this purchase? Found a very reasonably priced house in downtown toronto - almost TOO reasonable. One of the reasons is that it right next to the pretty tree lined streets, but it is itself on a decently-busy street. Not afraid to cross the road busy, but one lane each way, wait for a couple cars to pass busy. On that road is a bus. While I know this drops the price, I actually think this is convenient and will help in my commute to work, but I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts both positive or negative about living on a busy-ish street with a bus route.

As well, another positive (or negative) is that the house is a couple doors down from a school, kindergarden to grade 6. While this would be very convenient when we have kids, is there anything we should worry about due to the proximity, or is there any way to effectively check out if this is brings bad elements out in the neighbourhood?

A third question - any idea how much these factors above would influence price (either percentage-wise, or something like 'greatly', 'hardly at all' would be helpful).

Other than those issues, we like everything about the place. So, should we be nervous about them? Thanks!

games on the bus for kids

cheemee — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:12:10 -0800

Looking for fun (equipment-free) games to play on the bus with a group of 6th and 7th graders. Taking a few classes of 6th and 7th graders on a field-trip involving a long bus ride. Can anybody offer any good (engaging/no materials needed) games or activities that we can do on the bus to help pass the time? Looking for games/activities that are appropriate for just a few students at a time, as well as games that can involve the entire group. Thanks!

Preventing panic attacks on an airplane flight?

wastelands — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:39:32 -0800

What else can I do to help prevent a panic attack on an airplane? I'm flying next month for the first time in almost five years. I have flown four times before, and I never had a problem with panic. Hell, I enjoyed it. I love planes.

But in 2006 and 2007 I had panic attacks on trains and buses. It's not the mode of transportation that bothered me, it was being crowded into a confined space with lots of people, which would be the same on a plane.

The last couple months I've decreased my caffeine intake dramatically (which seemed to make the panic worse), been able to be in crowded situations (like meetings at work) without panic, and started meditating 10 minutes a day in the morning.

But I'll be going from the west coast to the east coast, so it's not a short hop. It'd really suck to have a freak out when I'm stuck on a plane for hours.

Anyway, does anyone here who flies regularly and deals with anxiety have any tips?

Two things I already did: 1) I requested an aisle seat, so I can get up easily and not feel "trapped"; 2) I have been watching videos on YouTube of planes landing and taking off, from the perspective of passengers.

Thanks!

Extreme (bus) makeover- ideas required

twirlypen — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 04:54:03 -0800

I have a bus. I'm going to take out most of the seats and convert it into a wonderful adventure machine. What are some wild and wonderful ideas for modifying a bus? This bus has 14 seats, but I'm thinking I'll take out 9, leave 5 at the front, and have a good chunk of space (about four metres long, two and a bit wide, two and a bit high) to play with. I'd like to have some regular camper-van things (something to sleep on, cook on, store things in, etc.) but I also want to do something fantastic with it. Something unique.

So far, I've thought of making the entire thing a sandpit (could be a bit heavy though), a swimming pool (not entirely practical), or a mini-golf course (fun, but wouldn't leave much room for other things). I'm also looking into building an aerial circus rig on the roof to hang a tissue or trapeze from.

Anyway, I'm looking for other wild ideas.

Also, I bought it from nuns. I don't know why that's relevant, but I feel like it needs to be said.

What if a key BART station goes offline?

potsmokinghippieoverlord — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:22:16 -0800

[Bay Area Transit Filter] -- How to get from Oakland to Walnut Creek without BART? There's been some talk reported in the local soon-to-die paper that there will be a protest at the Fremont BART station today. Now, I don't travel on that line, but it got me to thinking: how would I get back home to Walnut Creek from my office in Oakland if either the Macarthur or Rockridge stations were closed, for any reason? I've heard of BART creating "bus bridges" to unaffected stations but that seems to take forever for them to set up.

I looked at 511.org, AC Transit, and the County Connection web sites, but I can't find a bus line that goes through the Caldecott Tunnel.

Should I just get ready to climb the Berkeley/Oakland Hills? Share a cab?

Getting to Newark from Manhattan

greta simone — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 09:41:15 -0800

Cheapest way to get to Newark airport from the city? I have a flight out of Newark at 9pm Monday night. I'll be running around Manhattan most of that day with only a small overnight bag, so luggage isn't an issue. I'm trying to find the cheapest way to get to Newark from where ever in the city I can get to by subway. I took the Blue Van into the city, which was cheap, but I don't think they do pick-ups to take you back to the airport. I prefer something uncomplicated, meaning I don't want to have to take two trains and then two buses or anything like that, but also cheap, so no NYC cabs straight there. Something in the middle would be best. I don't know exactly where I'll be in the city when it's time for me to leave, but I'm open and can catch a train anywhere.
Thanks for your help!

Vermont ski resort bus trips from New Jersey?

exhilaration — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:09:41 -0800

Anyone know of any Vermont ski resort bus trips that leave from New Jersey? I just finished reading this entry on a Times blog about about day trips to Vermont from New York City. What I want to know is if similar trips are run out of New Jersey, preferably North Jersey.

I've seen the NJ Ski Council trips, but most are longer than a day and require memberships to ski clubs. Aren't there any ski shops that organize no-commitment day trips like the ones mentioned on that Times blog, but from Jersey?

Minneapolis bus transfer two-for-one?

gauchodaspampas — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:53:59 -0800

In Minneapolis, MN, I put my money in the fare slot for the bus, and two transfer tickets came out. Will they both work? I live in Minneapolis, MN. I was getting on the bus, and put my money in the fare slot, and two transfer tickets came out, instead of one. This is a relatively frequent occurance. Sometimes they just get stuck together or the machinery accidentally grabs two somehow, but I've never thought to try giving one to a friend to see if it works. Not that I would necessarily want to cheat the system, but... well yeah, I want to cheat the system. I'm poor and it's rush hour. Will both transfers work? Only one is timestamped and all that. It's not like it accidentally grabbed and processed two transfers. It grabbed two and thought it was one. The tickets used in Minneapolis are just paper cards with a magnetic stripe on them. I guess I've only ever gotten day passes in Chicago, but if I recall, they look basically the same. I don't know what other cities have similar or the same ticket system. The tickets look basically like the one here. On the back, there's a black stripe that looks to be a magnetic strip.

Hurry! Only a few minutes before I need to catch my next bus. Actually, in all likelyhood, I'll have caught it before anyone can provide a definitive answer. If we try using the extra ticket, I'll report back on if it worked or not. And hopefully I won't have any really important questions needing answers in the next month.

Getting from OC to LAX on public transport

bsdfish — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:58:22 -0800

Useful transport from Orange County to LAX? I need to get from South OC to LAX. It's completely not a problem to be dropped off at a bus/train/etc stop, but I can't be driven to LAX.

It looks like one option is to take Amtrak over to Union station and then take the Flyaway bus to LAX. Do people have any experience with that? I know amtrak is great but potentially slow; I suspect the bus (that has to travel 20 miles through LA) may potentially be very slow and off-schedule. Also, is Union station and/or the bus particularly shady?

Any other useful options? There are some shuttle services for $50-60, but I''d prefer something a bit cheaper. Renting a car looks like an option too, but it seems pretty absurd ...

My Spanish is not up to the task

bricoleur — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:20:15 -0800

Where, exactly, in Chihuahua do you catch the bus to Santa Eulalia? We were told it was the Francisco Portilla bus and could be caught on Ave. Ninos Heroes. We´ve waited for literally hours and not seen it.

Cheap travel from Delaware to NYC?

viewofdelft — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:23:54 -0800

What are the cheapest ways to get from Newark, Delaware, to New York City? I'm a research assistant at the University of Delaware and as part of a long and wonkish I-95 corridor project, we've decided to produce a map or informational pamphlet letting students know the cheapest ways to get from here (Newark, Delaware) to New York City.

A few things to keep in mind:
1. Any mode of transportation is fair game (air, rail, highway, seaports, etc.), as is any type of vehicle (plane, train, automobile, bus, shoes, etc.).
2. Be creative, but within reasonable limits of safety (i.e., no airmailing oneself).
3. It's alright if many of the suggested travel methods begin in Philadelphia (and maybe even Baltimore) if these departure points are more familiar to you.
4. Cost is the most important factor, although I don't want to discourage that outlandish teleportation idea you've been waiting to uncork.

After we've completed the map or pamphlet, I'll contact each of the contributors about mailing them a finished product. Thank you.

What's the best way for a non-driver to get from central/downtown Los Angeles to Ontario Airport on a Tuesday?

mirepoix — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 22:01:06 -0800

What's the best way for a non-driver to get from central/downtown Los Angeles to Ontario Airport on a Tuesday? That's Ontario, California, in case there's any confusion.

Cost is a factor, time less so, although the Trip Planner at metro.net told me it would take 2 1/2 hours to get from my address to the airport using buses, and that's a BIT too long -- guess I'll reserve that for my worst-case scenario. Amtrak doesn't stop at its Ontario station on Tuesdays.