Greyhound Lines, Inc., usually shortened to Greyhound, is an intercity bus common carrier serving over 3,800 destinations across North America. The company's first route began in Hibbing, Minnesota in 1914, and the company adopted the Greyhound name in 1929. Since October 2007, Greyhound has been a subsidiary of British transportation company FirstGroup, but continues to be based in Dallas, Texas, where it has been headquartered since 1987. Greyhound and sister companies in FirstGroup America are the largest motorcoach operators in the United States and Canada.
Video Greyhound Lines
History
1914-1930: Early years
Carl Eric Wickman was born in Sweden in 1887. In 1905, he moved to the United States where he was working in a mine as a drill operator in Alice, Minnesota, until he was laid off in 1914. In the same year, he became a Hupmobile salesman in Hibbing, Minnesota. He proved unable to sell the car. In 1914, using his remaining vehicle, a 7-passenger car, he began a bus service with Andy (Bus Andy) Anderson and C.A.A. (Arvid) Heed, by transporting iron ore miners from Hibbing to Alice (known for its saloons) at 15 cents a ride.
In 1915, Wickman joined forces with Ralph Bogan, who was running a similar service from Hibbing to Duluth, Minnesota. The name of the new organization was the Mesaba Transportation Company, and it made $8,000 in profit in its first year.
By the end of World War I in 1918, Wickman owned 18 buses and was making an annual profit of $40,000. In 1922, Wickman joined forces with Orville Caesar, the owner of the Superior White Bus Lines. Four years later, Wickman purchased two West Coast operations, the Pioneer Yelloway System (the operator of the nation's first transcontinental bus) and the Pickwick Lines, creating a national intercity bus company.
The Greyhound name had its origins in the inaugural run of a route from Superior, Wisconsin to Wausau, Wisconsin. While passing through a small town, Ed Stone, the route's operator, saw the reflection of his 1920s era bus in a store window. The reflection reminded him of a greyhound dog, and he adopted that name for that segment of the Blue Goose Lines. The Greyhound name became popular and later applied to the entire bus network. Stone later became General Sales Manager of Yellow Truck and Coach, a division of General Motors (GM), which built Greyhound buses. Wickman, as the president of the company, continued to expand it so that by 1927, his buses were making transcontinental trips from California to New York. In 1928, Greyhound had a gross annual income of $6 million.
In 1929, Greyhound acquired additional interests in Southland Transportation Company, the Gray Line, and part of the Colonial Motor Coach Company to form Eastern Greyhound Lines. Greyhound also acquired an interest in Northland Transportation Company, and renamed it Northland Greyhound Lines.
1930-1945
By 1930, more than 100 bus lines had been consolidated into what was called the "Motor Transit Company". Recognizing the need for a more memorable name, the partners of the Motor Transit Company decided to rename it after the "Greyhound" marketing phrase used by earlier bus lines.
Wickman's business suffered during the Great Depression, and by 1931 was over $1 million in debt. As the 1930s progressed and the economy improved, the Greyhound Corporation began to prosper again. In 1934, intercity bus lines (of which Greyhound was the largest) carried approximately 400,000,000 passengers--nearly as many passengers as the Class I railroads. The film It Happened One Night (1934) centered on an heiress (Claudette Colbert) traveling by Greyhound bus with a reporter (Clark Gable). The movie is credited by the company for spurring bus travel nationwide. In 1935, national intercity bus ridership climbed 50% to 651,999,000 passengers, surpassing the volume of passengers carried by the Class I railroads for the first time. In 1935 Wickman was able to announce record profits of $8 million. In 1936, already the largest bus carrier in the United States, Greyhound began taking delivery of 306 new buses.
To accommodate the rapid growth in bus travel, Greyhound also built many new stations in the period between 1937 and 1945. To unify its brand image, it procured both buses and bus stations in the late Art Deco style known as Streamline Moderne. starting in 1937.
For terminals, Greyhound retained such architects as W.S. Arrasmith and George D. Brown. Notable examples of Streamline Moderne stations have been preserved in Blytheville, Arkansas, Cleveland, Ohio, Columbia, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C.
For new streamlined buses, Greyhound worked with the Yellow Coach Manufacturing Company for its Series 700 buses, first for Series 719 prototypes in 1934, and from 1937 as the exclusive customer for Yellow's Series 743 bus, which Greyhound named the "Super Coach" and bought a total of 1,256 between 1937 and 1939.
By the outbreak of World War II, the company had 4,750 stations and nearly 10,000 employees.
1945-1983: Expansion, desegregation, and diversification
Wickman retired as president of the Greyhound Corporation in 1946, being replaced by his long-time partner Orville S. Caesar. Wickman died at the age of 66 in 1954.
Greyhound commissioned noted industrial designer Raymond Loewy and General Motors to design several distinctive buses in the 1930s through 1950s. Loewy's first was the GM PD-3751, the Greyhound Silversides produced in 1940 - 1941. 1954 saw the debut of the first of Greyhound's distinctive hump-backed buses. In 1944 Loewy had produced drawings for the GM GX-1, a full double-decker parlor bus with the first prototype built in 1953. The Scenicruiser was designed Loewy and built by General Motors as model PD-4501. The bus' front was distinctly lower than its rear section.
After World War II, and the building of the Interstate Highway System beginning in 1956, automobile ownership and travel became a preferred mode of travel in the United States. This, combined with the increasing affordability of air travel, spelled trouble for Greyhound and other intercity bus carriers.
In October 1953, Greyhound announced the acquisition of the Tennessee Coach Company's entire operation, and the negotiations for the Blue Ridge Lines, and its affiliate White Star Lines, that operated between Cleveland and the Mid Atlantic Seaboard.
In 1955, the Interstate Commerce Commission ruled in the case of Keys v. Carolina Coach Co. that U.S. interstate bus operations, such as Greyhound's, could not be segregated by race. In 1960, in the case of Boynton v. Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court found that an African American had been wrongly convicted of trespassing in a "whites only" terminal area. In May 1961, civil rights activists organized interracial Freedom Rides as proof of the desegregation rulings. On May 14, a mob attacked a pair of buses (a Greyhound and a Trailways) traveling from Washington, D.C., to New Orleans, Louisiana, and slashed the Greyhound bus's tires. Several miles outside of Anniston, Alabama, the mob forced the Greyhound bus to stop, broke its windows, and firebombed it. The mob held the bus' doors shut, intending to burn the riders to death. Sources disagree, but either an exploding fuel tank or an undercover state investigator brandishing a revolver caused the mob to retreat. When the riders escaped the bus, the mob beat them, while warning shots fired into the air by highway patrolmen prevented them from being lynched. Additional Freedom Riders were beaten by a mob at the Greyhound Station in Montgomery Alabama.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964's Title II and Title III broadened protections beyond federally regulated carriers such as Greyhound, to include non-discrimination in hotels, restaurants, and other public accommodations, as well as state and local government buildings.
Later in the 1960s, Greyhound leadership saw a trend of declining ridership and began significant changes, including using the profitable bus operations to invest in other industries. By the 1970s, Greyhound had moved its headquarters to Phoenix, Arizona and was a large and diversified company, with holdings in everything from the Armour meat-packing company (which in turn owned the popular Dial deodorant soap brand), acquired in 1970; Traveller's Express money orders, MCI and TMC bus manufacturing companies, and even airliner leasing. Indeed, Greyhound had entered a time of great change, even beginning to hire African American and female drivers in the late seventies.
In 1972, Greyhound introduced the special unlimited mileage "Ameripass." The pass was initially marketed as offering "99 days for $99" (equal to $579.19 today) or, in other words, transportation to anywhere at any time, for a dollar a day. For decades it was a popular choice for tourists on a budget who wanted to wander across the cities and towns of America. Over time Greyhound raised the price of the pass, shortened its validity period and rebranded it as the Discovery Pass, before finally discontinuing it in 2012.
Greyhound acquired Premier Cruise Line in 1984. Between 1985 and 1993, Premier operated as the "Official Cruise Line of Walt Disney World" with onboard Disney characters.
1983-2001: Consolidation, strikes, and bankruptcies
1983 Greyhound drivers' strike
In 1983, Greyhound operated a fleet of 3,800 buses and carried about 60 percent of the United States' intercity bus-travel market. Starting November 2, 1983, Greyhound suffered a major and bitter drivers' strike with one fatality in Zanesville, Ohio, when a company bus ran over a worker at a picket line. A new contract was ratified December 19, and drivers returned to work the next day.
1986-1990: Spin-off, merger, and first bankruptcy
By the time contract negotiations with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) were due again at the end of 1986, the bus line was in the process of being sold to Dallas-based investors. By early 1987, Greyhound Lines had returned to being a stand-alone bus transportation company. Under CEO Fred Currey, a former executive of rival Continental Trailways, Greyhound's corporate headquarters relocated to Dallas, Texas.
In February 1987, Greyhound Lines' new ownership and the ATU agreed on a new, 3-year contract. In June 1987, Greyhound Lines acquired Trailways, Inc. (formerly Continental Trailways), the largest member of the rival National Trailways Bus System, effectively consolidating into a national bus service. Greyhound was required by the ICC, in their action approving the merger, to maintain coordinated schedules with other scheduled service operators in the U.S.
Between 1987 and 1990, Greyhound Lines' former parent continued to be called Greyhound Corp., confusing passengers and investors alike. Greyhound Corp. retained both Premier Cruise Lines, and ten Greyhound-brand non-bus subsidiaries, such as Greyhound Leisure Services, Inc. (an operator of airport and cruise ship duty-free shops), and Greyhound Exhibits. In March 1990, the former conglomerate parent changed its name to Greyhound Dial. Because Greyhound Dial's switchboard continued to get questions from misdirected bus passengers, it ultimately changed its name to Dial Corporation in March 1991, to eliminate any association with bus travel.
1990: Greyhound drivers' strike
In early 1990, the drivers' contract from 1987 expired at the end of its three-year term. In March, the ATU began its strike against Greyhound. The 1990 drivers' strike was similar in its bitterness to the strike of 1983, with violence against both strikers and their replacement workers. One striker in California was killed by a Greyhound bus driven by a strikebreaker, and a shot was fired at a Greyhound bus. During the strike by its 6,300 drivers, Greyhound idled much of its fleet of 3,949 buses and cancelled 80% of its routes. At the same time, Greyhound was having to contend with the rise of low-cost airlines like Southwest Airlines, which further reduced the market for long-distance inter-city bus transportation. Without the financial strength provided in the past by a parent company, the strike's lower revenues and higher costs for security and labor-law penalties caused Greyhound to file for bankruptcy in June 1990. The strike would not be settled for 38 months under terms favorable to Greyhound. While the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) had awarded damages for unfair labor practices to the strikers, this liability was discharged during bankruptcy reorganization.
Early 1990s: Bankruptcy and antitrust cases
At the end of 1990, the company had $488 million in assets and $654 million in liabilities. During bankruptcy, the company ultimately had to address claims for $142 million in back-pay for its striking drivers, and $384 million of pre-bankruptcy debts owed mostly to the investor group led by Fred G. Currey.
According to the company, upon emergence from bankruptcy in August 1991, Greyhound had shrunk its overall workforce to 7,900 employees (from 12,000 pre-bankruptcy), and trimmed its fleet to 2,750 buses and 3,600 drivers.
In August 1992, Greyhound canceled its bus terminal license (BTL) agreements with other carriers at 200 terminals, and imposed the requirement that Greyhound be the sole-seller of the tenant's bus tickets within a 25-mile radius of such a Greyhound terminal. In 1995, the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division brought suit to stop this practice, alleging that it was an illegal restraint of trade, bad for consumers, and reduced competition. In February 1996, the United States won its case, and Greyhound agreed to permit its tenants to sell tickets nearby and permit its tenants to honor interline tickets with competitors.
Greyhound's total revenues in 1994 were $616 million.
2001: Trailways-Laidlaw mergers and bankruptcy
In the late 1990s, Greyhound Lines acquired two more members of the National Trailways Bus System. The company purchased Carolina Trailways in 1997, followed by the intercity operations of Southeastern Trailways in 1998. Following the acquisitions, most of the remaining members of the Trailways System began interlining cooperatively with Greyhound, discontinued their scheduled route services, diversified into charters and tours, or went out of business altogether.
On September 3, 1997, Burlington, Ontario-based transportation conglomerate Laidlaw Inc. announced it would buy Greyhound Canada Transportation ULC (Greyhound's Canadian operations) for US$72 million.
In October 1998, Laidlaw announced it would acquire the U.S. operations of Greyhound Lines, Inc., including Carolina Trailways and other Greyhound affiliates, for about $470 million. When the acquisition was completed in March 1999, all of Greyhound and much of Trailways had become wholly owned subsidiaries of Laidlaw.
After incurring heavy losses through its investments in Greyhound Lines and other parts of its diversified business, Laidlaw Inc. filed for protection under both U.S. and Canadian bankruptcy laws in June 2001.
2002-2007: Laidlaw years
Naperville, Illinois-based Laidlaw International, Inc. listed its common shares on the New York Stock Exchange on February 10, 2003 and emerged from re-organization on June 23, 2003 as the successor to Laidlaw Inc.
After this bankruptcy filing, Greyhound dropped low-demand rural stops and started concentrating on dense, inter-metropolitan routes. It cut nearly 37 percent of its network. In some rural areas local operators took over the old stops (often with government subsidies) particularly in the Plains states, parts of the upper Midwest (such as Wisconsin), and the Pacific Northwest.
Starting in 1997, Greyhound had faced significant competition in the northeast from Chinatown bus lines. By 2003, more than 250 buses, operated by competitors like Fung Wah and Lucky Star Bus were competing fiercely from curbsides in the Chinatowns of New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. When operating on inter-city routes, the Chinatown buses offered prices about 50% less than Greyhound's. Between 1997 and 2007, Chinatown buses took 60% of Greyhound's market share in the northeast United States.
2007-present: FirstGroup ownership
On February 7, 2007, Scottish transport group FirstGroup purchased Laidlaw International for $3.6 billion. The deal closed on September 30, 2007 and the acquisition was completed on October 1, 2007 Although FirstGroup's interest was primarily the school and transit bus operations of Laidlaw, FirstGroup decided to retain the Greyhound operations and in 2009 exported the brand back to the United Kingdom as Greyhound UK.
As of 2014, Greyhound's 1,229 buses served over 3,800 destinations in North America, traveling 5.5 billion miles (8.8 billion km) on North America's roads.
The "New Greyhound"
Almost immediately after acquiring the carrier, FirstGroup sought to improve Greyhound's image and create what it called the "New Greyhound", by refurbishing many terminals, expanding the fleet with new buses, refurbishing old buses, and retraining customer service staff. Greyhound also started a new advertising campaign with Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners aimed at attracting 18- to 24-year-olds and Hispanics back to "The New Greyhound".
The "New Greyhound" also saw the introduction of a refreshed logo and a new navy blue and dark gray livery for buses, which was rolled out to the nationwide fleet over several years. As the older buses were repainted, they were also refurbished, receiving wireless Internet access, power outlets, and new leather seating with increased legroom.
Addressing "overbooking"
During its ownership by Laidlaw, Greyhound had come under criticism for its ticket sale practices, specifically that although tickets had departure dates and times printed on them, Greyhound did not always stop sales after all the seats were purchased for each departure. In periods of high demand, Greyhound added additional "sections" (buses), but the threshold required to trigger an additional section varied, often leaving passengers behind to wait for the next bus departure.
Shortly after the sale to FirstGroup closed, Greyhound began a program in select markets, where riders could reserve a seat for an additional $5. However, only a limited number of seats could be reserved and the fee would have to be paid at the terminal's ticketing counter, even if the ticket was bought in advance online.
The problem was further addressed in 2014, when Greyhound rolled out a new yield management computer system. With the new system, Greyhound is now able to more closely manage the number of tickets sold for each departure and dynamically adjust pricing based on sales. Although the amount of overbooked buses has been sharply reduced with this new system, Greyhound still does not explicitly guarantee a seat to everyone with a ticket (except on Greyhound Express routes).
Services launched since 2010
The next major change made by FirstGroup was the launch of a brand of premium bus routes called "Greyhound Express" in 2010. This came at the same time that competitor Megabus launched its third and fourth US hubs at Philadelphia and Washington D.C. and began to emphasize express services. Greyhound's express routes make fewer stops between major cities (compared to regular Greyhound routes), use only newer model or refurbished buses, have guaranteed seating, and tickets start at $1. Expansions in Greyhound's network and upgrades in its services in the early 2010s were at least partly a competitive response to Megabus. In 2014, Greyhound CEO David S. Leach claimed a profit of $73 million on revenues of $990.6 million, and attributed the company's success to a mix of changing urban populations, less attractive driving options, and competition that was benefiting all carriers.
In July 2015, the company announced that it would open terminals in Monterrey and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and begin services between the two cities with onward schedules to existing terminals in Texas. In so doing, Greyhound claimed to be the first American bus company to operate an intra-Mexican route. In September 2015, Greyhound announced expanded service in Missouri and Kansas shortly after Megabus announced that it would be ending service to several cities and college campuses.
Maps Greyhound Lines
Services
Greyhound operates 123 routes serving over 2,700 destinations across the United States. Greyhound's scheduled services compete with the private automobile, low-cost airlines, Amtrak, and other intercity coach bus companies.
Greyhound Express
Greyhound Express is a low-cost express city-to-city service that makes either fewer stops or no stops compared to a traditional route. Fares start at $1 and seating is guaranteed since buses are not overbooked. Greyhound Express was designed to directly compete with low-cost carriers like Megabus, Chinatown bus lines and Flixbus.
The service began on September 28, 2010, with several routes radiating from New York to major cities in the Northeastern United States and rapidly expanded to serve destinations in the Midwestern, Southern, and Southwestern United States. Currently the Greyhound Express network has expanded to serve 930 city pairs in nearly 120 markets, with further expansion planned.
Greyhound Express routes are assigned new or refurbished buses that are equipped with Wi-Fi, power outlets, leather seats, and extra legroom. In many stations Greyhound Express customers can take advantage of dedicated waiting areas, separate from passengers traveling on other Greyhound services or other carriers. Some stations also board passengers onto Greyhound Express buses using numbers printed on tickets. This number is assigned in the order in which the ticket was purchased, which means that passengers who bought their tickets earlier get to board the bus and choose their seats earlier.
Greyhound Connect
Greyhound Connect is a connector service that operates shorter routes to take passengers from stops in smaller, rural cities to stations in larger, urban cities. Buses are either from Greyhound's existing fleet or smaller, mid-sized buses (that are not equipped with a lavatory). Currently the Greyhound Connect service is offered in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Utah, and Vermont. Some routes are operated using funds from the "Federal Formula Grant Program for Rural Areas" from the Federal Transit Administration.
The cities served include (terminal cities in bold):
Alabama: Alexander City, Alexandria, Anniston, Atmore, Bay Minette, Birmingham, Chattanooga (Tenn.), Childersburg, Columbus (Ga.), Dothan, Enterprise, Evergreen, Fort Payne, Gadsden, Mobile, Opelika, Pell City, Steele, Sylacauga, Talladega
Arizona: Cocopah Casino, Fortuna Foothills, Gadsden, San Luis, Somerton, Wellton, Yuma (along with stops at Arizona Western College and in Downtown Yuma and West Yuma)
Arkansas: Bald Knob, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Marked Tree, Newport, Searcy, West Memphis
Colorado: Craig, Denver (along with a stop at Denver's Greyhound station), Dinosaur, Granby, Hayden, Hot Sulphur Springs, Idaho Springs, Kremmling, Milner, Steamboat Springs, Winter Park
Maryland: Aberdeen, Baltimore, College Park, Edgewood, Elkton, Havre De Grace, Laurel, Washington (D.C.), White Marsh, Wilmington (Del.)
Missouri: Cabool, Columbia, Jefferson City, Houston, Huntsville, Kirksville, Macon, Mountain Grove, Ottumwa (Iowa), Rolla, Springfield
Montana: Arlee, Evaro, Kalispell, Lakeside, Missoula, Pablo, Polson, Ravalli, St. Ignatius, Whitefish
North Carolina: Ahoskie, Edenton, Elizabeth City, Goldsboro, Greenville, Jacksonville, Kinston, New Bern, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Smithfield, Wallace, Washington, Williamston, Wilmington, Wilson
Utah: Duchesne, Fort Duchesne, Heber City, Myton, Park City, Roosevelt, Salt Lake City, Vernal
Vermont: Albany (N.Y.) (along with a stop at the airport), Burlington, Hanover (N.H.), Rutland, White River Junction
Greyhound Charter Services
Greyhound Charter Services arranges charter buses for customers using Greyhound's fleet of motorcoaches. Unlike many smaller charter operators, Greyhound is able to operate nationwide and offer one-way services, due to its network of routes. In addition to providing transportation to individual groups, schools, and event operators, Greyhound Charter Services is also approved by the military and the government as a charter bus vendor.
Greyhound Package Express
In addition to carrying passengers and their luggage, Greyhound buses also carry packages. Through Greyhound Package Express customers can book expedited cargo shipping door-to-door or station-to-station. The company says that shipping by bus offers a cost-effective alternative to other ground or air carriers for same-day delivery.
Special routes
Lucky Streak
Lucky Streak is Greyhound's brand for routes between cities with casinos and other nearby cities. All fares are sold as open-ended round-trips, with passengers allowed to return to their origin at any time. On the Atlantic City routes, casinos offer special bonuses (gambling credit, room/dining discounts) to Lucky Streak passengers.
There are currently three Lucky Streak routes:
- Atlantic City: Baltimore, Brooklyn, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
- Connecticut (Mohegan Sun & Foxwoods Casino): Boston, Bridgeport, New Haven, New York City, Providence, and Stamford
- Las Vegas: Anaheim, Barstow, Claremont, Compton, El Monte, Hollywood, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Ana, and Victorville
QuickLink
QuickLink is Greyhound's brand of commuter bus service that runs frequently during the peak weekday commuting hours. In addition to one-way and round-trip tickets QuickLink offers monthly and 10-trip passes. Passes and tickets on QuickLink are flexible and passengers can board any bus with available seating. Currently the only QuickLink route is between Mt. Laurel, New Jersey and New York City. Routes were formerly operated from Sacramento, California to the San Francisco Bay Area and Macon, Georgia to Atlanta.
Other brands and partnerships
BoltBus
BoltBus is Greyhound's brand of non-stop and limited-stop, premium-level bus routes. Fares start as low as $1, with the lowest fares depending on how far in advance a trip is booked and demand for the trip, with fares increasing for trips booked closer to departure. BoltBus uses newer model coaches that are equipped with Wi-Fi, power outlets, and leather seats with extra legroom.
The first buses started running between Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C. on March 27, 2008. In the Northeastern US, BoltBus was originally operated in partnership with Peter Pan Bus Lines, but this arrangement ended on September 27, 2017, with Greyhound continuing the brand alone.
BoltBus expanded to the West Coast in May 2012 with a route in the Pacific Northwest (between Vancouver, BC, Seattle, and Portland). Service was expanded again in October 2013 with a route between the two largest metropolitan areas in California, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area (San Jose and Oakland). A stop in the city of San Francisco was added in December 2013 along with a new route between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach
Greyhound is one of the largest operators of Amtrak's Thruway Motorcoach service even though the two companies are competitors in some markets. Amtrak issues rail passengers a ticket for a regularly scheduled Greyhound route that connects with their train, often with buses making a stop at the train station. These Thruway Motorcoach routes allow Amtrak to serve passengers in areas without rail service and offer passengers in areas with rail service a wider selection of destinations.
Security
After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, government scrutiny of train and airplane passengers substantially increased, but bus passengers are largely free of it. Baggage is seldom inspected, and cash customers do not require identification. Greyhound says that security wands have been deployed on buses, but they do not appear to be routinely used.
In February 2013, in partnership with DriveCam, Greyhound deployed video cameras across its entire fleet to increase safety and driver compliance by combining data and video analytics with real-time driver feedback and coaching.
At some major Greyhound stations, passengers are subject to open-bag checks, ticket checks, and pat-downs with metal detectors.
Fleet
Greyhound operates 1,114 motorcoaches produced mainly by Motor Coach Industries and Prevost.
In an effort to improve its image, between 2007 and 2014, the company aggressively purchased new coaches and refurbished existing ones. As of 2016, the majority of Greyhound's fleet has the navy blue and grey "neoclassic" livery on the exterior, wireless internet access, leather seating, and 120-volt power outlets at most seats. Greyhound's coaches have one fewer row of seats than the industry standard, giving passengers additional legroom. All buses purchased since 2009 have three-point seat belts installed.
The majority of the Greyhound fleet consists of the following models:
Stations and stops
(This list covers stations within or adjacent to larger transportation centers.)
Greyhound serves over 2,700 destinations across America. There are 230 Greyhound operated stations in most major cities, where passengers can catch a bus and buy tickets. All stations have Greyhound branding and are staffed by company representatives. Some stations stand alone, while others are a part of larger transportation centers with a Greyhound ticket counter and waiting area.
In small to mid-size cities Greyhound buses stop at either locations operated by an agent (like a convenience store or another business) or at a curbside stop. At most agent operated locations, the staff can also sell tickets.
Greyhound buses also stop at stations belonging to partner bus companies. At most of these locations, representatives are able to sell tickets for Greyhound routes.
Notable incidents and accidents
Below is a list of major incidents and accidents on Greyhound buses and buses of subsidiaries in the United States.
- August 4, 1952: In Greyhound's most deadly collision two Greyhound buses collided head-on with each other along the then-U.S. Route 81 near Waco, Texas. The fuel tanks of both buses then ruptured, bursting into flames. Of the 56 persons aboard both coaches, 28 were killed, including both drivers.
- May 13, 1972: Near Bean Station, Tennessee, between Knoxville and Bristol, a Greyhound Scenicruiser on a scheduled trip from Memphis to New York City collided head-on with a tractor-trailer truck. The driver of the bus had begun to pass a car. Fourteen people, including both the bus and truck drivers, died. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the cause of the crash was the Greyhound driver's overtaking maneuver and his failure to avoid the truck.
- May 9, 1980: A cargo ship collided with the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, near St. Petersburg, Florida, causing a part of the roadway to collapse and causing several vehicles, including a Greyhound bus, to fall into Tampa Bay. All 26 people aboard the bus died, as did nine others.
- December 18, 1990: A Greyhound bus left Salt Lake City for Chicago and was caught in a driving snowstorm on I-80. Just short of the Wyoming border, the bus was hit by a semi-tractor trailer that had crossed the median heading in the opposite direction. The force of the collision tipped the bus onto its right side and it fell down a steep embankment. The bus slid for 150 feet and came to rest against a fence, about 35 feet below the eastbound lanes of I-80. Seven passengers were killed and more than 40 injured.
- June 20, 1998: A Greyhound bus on a scheduled trip from New York City to Pittsburgh ran off a road near Burnt Cabins, Pennsylvania, and hit a truck parked in an emergency parking area. Six passengers and the driver died. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the accident was the driver's use of a sedating antihistamine and driver fatigue, due to an irregular work-rest schedule.
- October 3, 2001: At approximately 4:15 a.m. local time, a passenger, Damir Igric, assaulted the driver of his bus, attempting to slit his throat, and causing the bus to crash near Manchester, Tennessee, killing Igric himself and five other passengers and injuring 32 others. Since the incident occurred three weeks after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Greyhound temporarily suspended all schedules as soon as the company learned of the incident for fear that it may have been part of a larger co-ordinated attack. After investigation by the company and the FBI, it was confirmed that Igric had acted alone and service resumed later that afternoon. After the incident, Greyhound bus stations increased security, though not nearly to the same level as airports or train stations.
- September 30, 2002: Arturo Martinez Tapia assaulted a Greyhound driver near Fresno, California, resulting in two passenger deaths after the bus then rolled off an embankment and crashed. Following this attack, an aisle gate and driver's shield were installed on most Greyhound buses which prevent passengers from having direct contact with the driver when the bus is in motion, even if the aisle gate is forced open.
- January 23, 2014: Maquel Donyel Morris, 'who reportedly was hallucinating, screamed "Everybody's going to die," pummeled the driver and grabbed the steering wheel' of a bus traveling on Interstate 10 near Tonopah, Arizona, 50 miles (80 km) west of Phoenix. 24 passengers were injured, including 21 who were airlifted to nearby hospitals. Police credited the driver for keeping the bus upright and preventing it from crossing into oncoming traffic.
- January 19, 2016: An overnight bus carrying 20 passengers that had departed from Los Angeles the previous night crashed on Highway 101 in San Jose, California, killing two and hospitalizing eight others. Investigators have ruled out mechanical failure, leaving driver fatigue as the likely cause.
- July 12, 2018: On a bus traveling from Columbus to Cincinnati three Colombian athletes on Comunidad el Oso Ultimate club claimed they were thrown off one of the buses for speaking Spanish. Greyhound indicated the players had become unruly due to them not being dropped off where they wanted to be dropped off, rather than their ticketed destination. The driver left them and all their luggage at a gas station. The players were traveling to the World Flying Disc Federation's World Ultimate Club Championships. They were picked up by the Ohio police soon after, and dropped off at their hotel in Cincinnati.
In popular culture
Films
- The 1934 film It Happened One Night shows the main character on a Greyhound bus from Florida to New York City.
- The 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's shows the main character seeing her ex-husband off from New York City.
- The 1969 film Midnight Cowboy shows the main character holding his hustler friend on a New York City to Florida bus.
- The 1974 film Harry and Tonto shows the main character, played by Art Carney, traveling cross-country with his cat aboard a Greyhound bus.
- The 1988 film Cocktail sees the main character and his friends catching up to a Greyhound bus bound for New York City.
- The 1991 film Sleeping with the Enemy sees the main character escape from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Cedar Falls, Iowa, on a Greyhound bus.
- The 1998 film Smoke Signals sees the main characters traveling from Coeur d'Alene, ID to Phoenix, AZ via a Greyhound bus.
- The 1995 film Boys On The Side shows one of the main characters traveling to Pittsburgh on a Greyhound bus.
- The 1999 film Life has a scene of one of the main characters at a Greyhound bus station.
- The 2015 film Tomorrowland has several scenes featuring Greyhound, including a character traveling to the 1964 New York World's Fair on a historic bus (a 1969 GMC), a Greyhound Glide-a-Ride trackless train on the World's Fair midway, and the main character traveling on a Greyhound bus in 2015 (a MCI 102DL3) from Cape Canaveral, Florida to Houston, Texas. Greyhound also sponsored a sweepstakes tied in with the film, wrapped several Greyhound buses with imagery from the film, placed promotional items inside terminals, and sponsored the film's Los Angeles premier.
Songs
- 1945 song, "Love on a Greyhound Bus", lyrics by Kay Thompson, Ralph Blane and music by George Stoll
- The Ian Hunter (singer) 1975 song "Once Bitten, Twice Shy"
- The Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil 1963 song "On Broadway" (remade most famously by The Drifters and later George Benson) mentions "I'll catch a Greyhound bus for home".
- Chuck Berry rides a Greyhound bus from Norfolk, Virginia, to Birmingham, Alabama, in his 1964 song "Promised Land".
- Country singer Roy Clark sang about a romantic breakup in his 1970 song "Thank God and Greyhound."
- The Allman Brothers Band referenced Greyhound Lines in their 1973 song "Ramblin' Man".
- Simon and Garfunkel referred to Greyhound Lines in their 1968 song "America".
- In his song "Me and the Devil Blues", blues singer and guitarist Robert Johnson expresses a wish that his body be buried beside a road so that his "old evil spirit" can "catch a Greyhound bus and ride".
- Country star Sara Evans' 2003 song "Backseat of a Greyhound Bus" describes a pregnant woman who escapes the confines of a small town and gives birth in a Greyhound bus.
- On indie rock band The Hang Ups' album So We Go, the last song is called "Greyhound Bus".
- Creedence Clearwater Revival mention Greyhound in their 1969 song, "Lodi".
- Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" from the Turnstiles album, released on May 19, 1976, refers to taking "a Greyhound on the Hudson River Line".
- American rock band The Mountain Goats references the narrator being "headed for the greyhound" in "See America Right" off of the album Tallahassee.
- Kenny Chesney's song "Pirate Flag" describes the singer's escape from a small mountain town by taking a Greyhound bus to (what is implied to be) Key West, Florida.
- Dexter Freebish's 2000 hit "Leaving Town" mentions Greyhound ("Take a drag and wait for the Greyhound, the world is your playground").
- Los Angeles-based rapper Skee-Lo recites Greyhound's advertising slogan in his 1995 hit single "I Wish" ("Cause if you don't want me around, see I go simple, I go easy, I go Greyhound").
- Death Cab for Cutie's 2005 song "Soul Meets Body" contains the lyric "Cause in my head there's a Greyhound station...".
- The Cowboy Junkies' 1999 song "Leaving Normal" contains the lyric "Funny how the smell of a Greyhound bus now smells like a fresh start to me, and how the sound of the steel-belts on the blacktop is now the sound of breaking free".
Theater
- The musical Violet, like the short story "The Ugliest Pilgrim" on which it is based, follows the title character on a Greyhound Bus trip from Spruce Pine, North Carolina, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and back.
See also
- Former operating subsidiaries
- Atlantic Greyhound Lines
- Capitol Greyhound Lines
- Dixie Greyhound Lines
- Florida Greyhound Lines
- Great Lakes Greyhound Lines
- Southeastern Greyhound Lines
- Teche Greyhound Lines
- Museums and Preserved Stations
- Greyhound Bus Museum
References
Further reading
- Schisgall, Oscar (1985). The Greyhound Story: From Hibbing to everywhere. Chicago: J.G. Ferguson Publishing Company (Doubleday). ISBN 0-385-19690-3.
- Margolis, Richard J., "Sic paratransit gloria omnibus. (decline of rural bus service by Greyhound has led to services provided by vans and minibuses)", The New Leader, June 3, 1985.
External links
- Greyhound Lines home page
- Greyhound Canada
- Greyhound Mexico
- Greyhound Lines timetable
- Greyhound Bus Museum, in Hibbing, Minnesota
Source of article : Wikipedia
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