This is just way wrong.

DKSuddeth

Senior Member
Oct 20, 2003
5,175
61
48
North Texas
A bus driver here needs to lose his job, and quick.

US marine denied seat on greyhound bus

An area Marine says he wasn’t allowed on a Greyhound Bus, despite having his ticket for several weeks.

All PFC Jay Griffin wanted to do was make it to combat training camp on time, he had his ticket in hand and was at the Greyhound Bus Station in Greenville before the bus arrived, but he was not allowed to board the bus. He was dressed in full uniform, and his mother says that may be the reason why he was denied the ride.

It was Griffin ’s first time using Greyhound, so he asked plenty of questions to make sure he was at the right place at the right time. Fifteen minutes before the bus even arrived, he says he was waiting with his bags at the curb. His mother, Carol Holden says when the bus got there, no one attempted to load his camouflage bags. "So I tapped [the baggage loader] and said, 'what about my son's baggage? And he looked at me and said he may not have a seat."

That’s when the bus driver called for all ticket holders.

"So Jay went on around and he went to board the bus and when he did, the driver put his arm across the doorway and said I don't have a seat for you," explains Carol.

Greyhound says, “We do not have reserved seats, seating is on a first come, first serve basis. An advance purchase ticket guarantees a discounted fare, but it does not guarantee a seat.”

But Griffin ’s mother claims the ticket seller said any last minute tickets were clearly marked as “standby,” in red. And other ticket holders would have a seat. "He said the bus driver checked the tickets as they boarded the bus and that he knew the stand-bys were to be held until the regular ticket holders were seated."

According to Carol the clerk gave no explanation other than, "All he said was some of the drivers think they're God."

Carol says, "I don't think the driver intended to let him on from the very beginning."

Words that cut deep, especially for fellow Marines, like Sgt. Travis Schrowe, a local Marine recruiter, "Support to the troops and support to the Marines and anyone that's in the armed services is anything we ask for, just support….It would pretty much crush me."

Jay’s mother had to drive him to Jacksonville , North Carolina overnight, to make sure he wouldn’t be late for combat training the next day. If he was late, he’d face stiff consequences.

A Greyhound spokesperson says they are not familiar with the “stand-by” tickets used by the Greenville station, but an investigation is underway and Greyhound has zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind.
 
I have already started emailing the story to everyone I know! Newspapers, congress, Senators, etc.....this can not stand!

I call for a complete boycott...anyone care to join a picket line?
 
Having travelled by Greyhound a few times, I can tell you this guy probably just caught the ire of an (pardon my language) asshole driver, of which Greyhound has an abundance. I hope this wasn't a case of discrimination because he' s in the military or whatever, but either way Greyhound shouldn't continue to tolerate drivers treating passengers this way.

acludem
 
Where are all the Democrats who should be protesting this since they are against discrimination? See any picketing at the Greyhound bus stations?

And the Blacks too?

This guy was not only relegated to the back of the bus; he wasn't even allowed on it!

acludem: I don't buy your reasoning for a second. A uniform should carry more weight than just personal ire.

This incident also points out another reason why lack of a father is hurtful to their children. I don't know the specifics for why only the recruit's mother was there but I imagine that if his father had been there, things would have been resolved a little differently.

Greyhound had better clean up their practices. I sent them an email to complain. http://www.greyhound.com/ (I filled out the complaint form with made-up stuff and under the comments let them know that plus just how I felt about the situation :)
 
Here's another vote for Greyhound needs to control it's operators.

I had the misfortune of riding a bus from Portland, OR, to Colorado Springs, CO.

The driver for that leg of the journey was horrible. He'd often yell and scream at people to "Hurry up!" at bus stops. He'd threaten and yell - even once slamming on breaks because he thought he heard some music from a passenger's walk man. He'd say 'You had better (do whatever he asked) or he'd stop and kick you off "His" bus. I 'should' have written to GH because of it.

At once stop, me and my companion sat across from the driver at a restaurant. In an effort to kill-him-with-kindess, we jokingly offered him a beer, as my buddy and I drank a Bud with dinner. He smiled and refused good-naturedly.

As we finished, and went to board the bus, he stopped us in our attempt to board.

"You know, I don't HAVE to let you on right now"

'wha?'

"I saw you drinking at dinner. I should leave your asses right here - if ANYONE drinks, I have the right to keep them off the bus!" he said.

'Lemme get this straight...you saw us order a beer, jokingly offer one you do, you saw us drinking A beer each, but you wait until NOW to give us this warning? What's wrong with you?'

There was some bickering, before he 'let' us on - I was half hoping to be stranded there - can you imagine the lawsuits? wow.

Anywho - yeah...he was a prick.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about it. Too many people would find this to be an atrocity for Greyhound to not fire the driver, but I doubt they'll go on a spree. It's hard to find people willing to drive a bus for a living, especially since it pays less than driving a big rig. However, this bus driver deserves to be stuck with Gunny (Gunnery Seargent) Slaughter for a few hours. When I was at Annapolis, Gunny Slaughter was in charge of drill. 22 years the Corps. and biceps bigger than my head, and there were two things he couldn't stand, laziness and attitude. :dev1:
 
I would just like to find out if this story is true. Please let me know. I surely hope that it is not. Even if the soldier did have a "stand-by" ticket, he should have been given a seat if he was trying to get to his duty station.

Thomas
Veteran
Persian Gulf War
3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry

I sent my real email address cuz I want to see if they reply. I really would like to know if this is true. As I said, if he was in transit to a duty station, under the current war status our nation SHOULD be in, he should have been given a seat. Even if that meant asking for somebody to volunteer their seat or even requiring somebody to go on a later bus. Airlines often force non-standby travelers to take a later flight when they have "Premier" travelers that need a seat.
 
I received a reply from Greyhound. Here it is:

From: "Customer Service" [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 06:41:32 AM
Subject: Greyhound Lines, Inc

Thank you for contacting Greyhound Lines, Inc., with your concerns. We fully investigated the matter. There were only two available seats open when the bus arrived. Two passengers boarded prior to PFC Griffin. Two other passengers holding regular tickets also were not allowed to board due to lack of seating.

We recommend our customers arrive at least one hour prior to departure. We do not have reserved seats. Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis. An advance purchase ticket guarantees a discounted fare, but it does not guarantee a seat.

We have a long-standing history of supporting the military, from transporting troops dating back beyond World War II, to providing a military discount and transportation services for VA Hospitals. Many employees also currently serve in the military or are veterans.

It is unfortunate that this occurred, but we are not like the airlines where we have an airline-type reservation system. We apologized to the customer and refunded his ticket immediately after this occurred as a good will gesture, even though his ticket was non-refundable. And we offered a free travel voucher due to the inconvenience he experienced.

Sincerely


Greyhound Lines, Inc.




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