Summer Events...and a Greyhound Adventure

Okay, so I'm a little behind on blogging, but here are the topics I'm hoping you'll read about soon:

Life in Tiny Piney
Weekend in Bagley
4th of July Boat Parade (starring "The Sweetpea")
Camping at Winnie
The Garage Sale of the Year
Grand Marais Camping Trip
Iowa Road Trip
Greyhound Bus Adventure

So, here's the deal. You'll notice that the last on the list is the Greyhound Bus Adventure. However, after reading some absolutely horrible news this morning (only click HERE if you're prepared to be disgusted--seriously, it's really sad), I thought I'd reflect on it now. (P.S. Sandra, even after hearing about this, I still love Canada.)

After spending a great deal of time on public transportation in Taiwan this past year, I thought it might be worthwhile (and save some gas money) to try out the bus system in the US. To make a long story shorter, I needed to get back UP NORTH after a trip down to the Cities and a visit to NE Iowa. I checked out Amtrak, but no one was interested in picking me up from the train station in Staples at 1:30am. So, I opted for Greyhound. (Technically, I rode on Jefferson Lines. I guess they were bought up by Greyhound or something.) I bought my $36 ticket online (about 3x the amount I would pay in Taiwan for a similar ride), printed off my Will Call reference number, and found directions to the downtown Minneapolis bus station. My BFF graciously offered to wake up at 6am and give me a ride:)

So, I arrive at the station around 6:25--in plenty of time for my 7am departure. I see two lines and jump into the short Will Call line pleased with myself for thinking ahead and saving some time! Uh, oh...the guy at the front of the line seems to be having a problem of some sort. Ever curious (especially at the people-watching mecca of the Greyhound Bus station), I listened in on the conversation.

GUY: Yeah, but you've gotta have 'em.
GREYHOUND BUS LADY: I'm sorry, sir, but I need to see your luggage claim number.
GUY: Yeah, but I never got a number or anything.
GBL: Sir, all luggage that is put under the bus is given a luggage tag and you are given the claim number.
GUY: Yeah, but I didn't get a number. I mean, where is my stuff?
GBL: (makes phone call) I'm sorry, sir, there is really nothing we can do if you never checked your luggage in and received a claim number.
GUY: Yeah, but...
GBL: We have no way to track your luggage.
(pause)
GUY: Okay, you gotta help me out here...see, I was just soooooo drunk...I just didn't know what was goin' on...
GBL: I understand, sir...
GUY: I was just soooo drunk...

At this point, I could barely contain my laughter! The GBL was so smooth; she didn't even crack a smile. I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation, but soon the "SOOOOOO drunk" young man shuffled off through the bus station.

Okay, so now I'm third in line. The ticket purchasing line is moving faster, but I'm confident the Will Call will speed up...(haha!) Next in line is another young guy who looked like a cross between Screech (from Saved By the Bell) and a skinnier Peter Parker (from Spiderman). He dug through a backpack and pulled out his MacBook (so he must be pretty cool:). Obviously, he hadn't printed off his Will Call reference number, so he just plopped his laptop on the counter and had the GBL read off the screen. While she was working on that, he began to put his luggage on the scale under the counter.

Okay, so the luggage--let's talk about that for a bit. On the wall, there was a sign clearly posted that discussed Greyhound's luggage rules. Each person was allowed one checked piece of luggage for free and additional pieces (up to 2 more) could be checked for an additional fee. If you had more than 3 pieces, you had to send them via some other bus (maybe a luggage-only bus?) and pick it up at your destination. As for carry-ons, the more the merrier.

Now, back to Guy #2. He had (and I'm not exaggerating here) 12 pieces of luggage. Granted, most of them were really small, but in my opinion, they were kind of strange(clarinet case, briefcase, backpack, record player, dufflebag, Walmart plastic bags, make-up case, etc.). As I said before, he started to put things on the scale. He managed to fit about 4 things on the actual scale, and then he gathered up the rest of the stuff and tried to shove it in the little cubbie. Here's where it got interesting.

GUY2: Umm, do I like put this stuff on all at once?
(GBL looks puzzled)
GUY2: Umm, like I can't fit it all on the scale-thing.
(GBL looks below the counter)
GBL: Sir, you are allowed one piece of free luggage.
GUY2: Umm, yeah, that's what I've got.
GBL: No, sir, what you've got is (looking at the scale) one, two, three... (looking at the floor) is all that yours?
GUY2: Umm, yeah.
GBL: Sir, you are allowed one piece of free luggage. You can pay to bring the rest, but it will have to be sent on a different bus.
GUY2: Umm, how much is that?
GBL: (makes phone call) Well, it would be ___. [I couldn't hear the amount.]
GUY2: Umm, man... (looks around at his stuff)
GBL: If you had a box, you could maybe put all the little things together and check that as your luggage. We have boxes you can purchase.
GUY2: Umm, how much is a box?
GBL: $3
GUY2: Umm, yeah, I'll take that.
(GBL leaves and GUY2 looks back at the two of us still in line)
GUY2: Umm, yeah, like I'm sorry.
(GBL comes back with box and watches GUY2 try to put it together. He needs tape. GBL goes in the back to get tape. He starts to put stuff in the box. Things are falling out of the Walmart bags. Finally, he has his stuff in the box, but there is no way it will close since it is overflowing. He slides the box on the floor into the bus station.)

During the whole box-loading episode, I decided to jump into the other line and try to get some help with my ticket. It is now 6:55am, and I still need to check my luggage, get a ticket, find the bus, etc. By 6:58, I was in line at the appropriate door (yippee!). On my way, I had passed an Amish family, lots of teenagers, several families with little children and babies, the "SOOOO drunk" young man, and a couple of people who actually looked a little more mainstream. By the way, did you know that garbage bags make great pieces of luggage for the Greyhound bus? I had noooooo idea that so many people used the Greyhound Bus line for transportation around the country and even internationally! I saw luggage tags for Oklahoma, and the bus I would be taking would eventually end up in Grand Forks, ND where you could transfer to a bus bound for Canada. Interesting travel idea--although I think my days of riding on Greyhound are over. There was no security--no metal detectors. (I have a good idea that may change after the awful events of this week.)

So, we pile on the bus. Since I was so late in getting to the line, I boarded toward the end, and the seat selection was pretty poor. I ended up sitting near the front next to a younger girl who looked like she'd be sleeping, texting, or listening to music for the trip. I said, "Hi!" She said, "___" (nothing). We got going a little late, but I think the driver was new. He was friendly enough, but he didn't really know where he was going. His supervisor was riding along and they both were watching/listening to the GPS. The arrival time in Brainerd was supposed to be 9:25. The drive up was fairly eventless. I listed to some tunes, watched the scenery, and enjoyed the ride. We picked up a few more passengers along the way, and that, of course, was interesting:) One man sitting in front of me was pretty territorial. He was sitting by the window, and he had a bag on the aisle seat next to him. He was sitting in a prime location, so it was unfortunate that he didn't want to share his space. I felt badly for a lady we picked up. She was elderly and had a cane, but he refused to move his bag so that she could sit down near the front and not have to squeeze through the people to the rear of the bus. At the Brainerd stop (which was the parking lot of an Econo Inn hotel), the driver announced that this would also be a 5 minute rest stop for a stretch and a smoke (although we were already 15 minutes behind schedule). As a bunch of passengers stretched and smoked, I jumped into the little Horizon that my parents had left for me (thanks, Mom & Dad!) and got out of Dodge while I had the chance!

Reflecting on the experience now, I wistfully wonder if "SOOOOO drunk" GUY ever found his luggage and if GUY2 with the bazillion weird pieces of luggage ever made it on the right bus. I also wonder how long GBL will stay in the biz of working the counter at the bus station.

So, here's to the adventures of everyday life!