And that's precisely one of the concerns, that there's reputed to be, ... uhh... "Family" involvement in the Chinatown buses.
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By eeka - Jan 18, 2005, 5:27 PM Post #52 of 82 [In reply to]
*SNORT* What are the safety records of the various bus companies? Anyone know where to find this info?
By eeka - Jan 18, 2005, 5:28 PM Post #53 of 82 [In reply to]
Yes, whenever I take them, there are mothers and fathers and children and grandparents traveling.
By Ron Newman - Jan 18, 2005, 9:48 PM Post #54 of 82 [In reply to]
Which I don't care about one way or the other. But I do want to know that the buses are well-maintained, that the drivers know where they are going, and that they can speak and read at least some English.
By eeka - Jan 18, 2005, 9:54 PM Post #55 of 82 [In reply to]
The only word you really have to be able to read in order to drive is STOP. And if that's too much for ya, they even put a big octagon around it to make it that much easier.
In my mind speaking English is absolutely, without question, part of the job function of driving a bus here in this country, whether it's reading "Bridge unsafe for vehicles over 6,000 lbs", or understanding the person who flags down the bus and says "There's a chemical spill ahead, take the route 15 detour," or answering questions about where the bus is going, or understanding it when a passenger says "There's a guy in the back having a heart attack."
By eeka - Jan 19, 2005, 11:36 AM Post #57 of 82 [In reply to]
Duh. My way was funnier.
This sight is great for booking chinatown bus tickets. http://gotobus.com
By ladytravel - Feb 28, 2006, 7:52 AM Post #59 of 82 [In reply to]
Fung wah rocks. You can buy your tickets online, I have taken this to NYC many times and never had a problem. As a matter of fact the drivers and attendants were very courteous. I can leave Boston at 7am and can take the subway and be in Times Square by 11:30.
By ladytravel - Mar 5, 2006, 5:21 PM Post #60 of 82 [In reply to]
"Supporting local family-owned businesses instead of large national corporations? " This is a very good reason to support this small business. Fung Wah We get to put our money where our mouth is. we don't like it when a walmart dominates a market and can drive out competion just the entrance of the fung wah to the market place has already benfitted the consumer "greyhound lowers prices to NYC" and even if you don't use Fung Wah you have already benfitted from them in the marketplace . everybody fung wah tonight!
I've heard other stuff about them that really isn't so great: On at least 3 different occasions, buses have caught fire, and some of the drivers have gotten lost due to not knowing the way, plus sometimes there's a language barrier, also. A little bit unpredictable.
By eeka - Mar 6, 2006, 10:05 AM Post #62 of 82 [In reply to]
It's infrequent though; I've taken the bus many many times and it's always been fine. Miki likes to give third- or fourth-hand opinions.
By Neal - Mar 6, 2006, 10:19 AM Post #63 of 82 [In reply to]
I recall a few years ago a news story in which a Peter Pan bus careened off of I-91 and landed on its roof near New Haven enroute to Boston from New York. A couple of years back, my sister was stuck on a Greyhound bus for four hours after it broke down outside of Hartford because it ran out of oil and the engine seized. Incidents like this aren't limited to the Chinatown Buses.
By eeka - Mar 6, 2006, 10:47 AM Post #64 of 82 [In reply to]
Exactly. And if people base their opinion only on what they've heard in the papers and whatnot, of COURSE they're only going to hear about disasters. Front page of the Globe: EEKA HAS SEVERAL UNEVENTFUL BUSRIDES TO NEW YORK Uh, not so much.
where's Miki?
By Ron Newman - Mar 28, 2006, 7:39 AM Post #66 of 82 [In reply to]
in Somerville, near Union Square.
By ladytravel - Apr 2, 2006, 12:07 PM Post #67 of 82 [In reply to]
I think if people are really concerned about "bus saftey" you should be much more concerned about the T buses in Boston. than the commercial lines.
By triquetra - Apr 2, 2006, 1:54 PM Post #68 of 82 [In reply to]
Supports? *~*~*~* Luceo non uro
By ladytravel - Apr 3, 2006, 5:17 AM Post #69 of 82 [In reply to]
as unbeliveble as it sounds the t buses are exempt from vehicles inspections, that all passenger and commercial vehicles must have. we all must submit our vehicles to inspection but the t bus your riding on does not have a mandatory inspection.
By Neal - Apr 3, 2006, 10:07 AM Post #70 of 82 [In reply to]
Supports?
By Spatch - Apr 4, 2006, 12:34 PM Post #71 of 82 [In reply to]
also T bus drivers can drink all the mountain dew & crown royal they want before heading out on a route for serious guys
By triquetra - Apr 4, 2006, 8:52 PM Post #72 of 82 [In reply to]
Well, this talks about buses failing inspections, but take it with a lick of salt, since it's an anti-T site. I know the T has its problems, but at least there's a public transportation system that sort of works here. Don't make me talk about the "buses that stop at 5:30 PM" thing again. *~*~*~* Luceo non uro
By ladytravel - Apr 5, 2006, 10:29 PM Post #73 of 82 [In reply to]
Most of the concern I hear for the safety record of the fung wah ,I take with a grain of salt. After all the fung wah is a non-union competitor, the union is quite good at creating hate campaigns against non-union competition. The unions were the ones that started the rumor that Coors was a natzi. the fugh wah is subject to state mandated vehicle inspections. I am far more concered that the state saftey agency (the registry ) gives the t buses a pass and does not require inspections at all. I wish I could self inspect my car! "then, when Ryan included the fact that the MBTA, under a special deal with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles are actually allowed to issue their own inspection stickers, and that it was found that 20% of the time the MBTA failed to conduct the annual safety inspection at all, she asked, "Why aren't these buses being inspected?". Pesaturo returned a weak, "er, it's slipping through the cracks". Imagine having a deal like that for your car?"
By ladytravel - Apr 5, 2006, 10:40 PM Post #74 of 82 [In reply to]
I think it's a little creepy when the kid delivering your pizza has to inspect his car, but the bus your kids are riding around in is un-inspected.
By adamg - Apr 5, 2006, 11:22 PM Post #75 of 82 [In reply to]
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