This Saturday, I'm taking the Megabus up to Philadelphia for the day to attend a Bike Expo. The last time I went to Philadelphia a couple of years ago, was via Amtrak because there was NO bus service. But since that time, a few cheap bus lines have popped up. So, I got my roundtrip bus ticket for $14 - - not bad at all. Hopefully the return trip will be less hectic than when I take the bus to NYC...I will report back.RESULTS :)
Well, I should've left home about 5 minutes earlier than I did....because just as I rode up to the bus parking lot, my 5:30 a.m. bus rode off! :/ RATS!! :/ So I asked the bus attendant there (who checks people onto the bus), if I could catch the next bus up. He said he wasn't sure if there would be a 6:30 or not, but if so, all I had to do is pay $5 (credit card only) to board. So that was good news! He saw my folding bike and said that it would have to be put in a bag or something, and I said sure, no problem. The problem was to try and keep warm in the 40 degree temps with the wind blowing lightly....I had dressed slightly warm, but I didn't anticipate standing for almost an hour in those conditions.....and there's nowhere to take protection...it's just a parking lot, so you're standing out there like a cow in the pasture...walking around and stomping your feet to try and stay warm, while a cold breeze is at your backside. :) While me and some other standby passengers were waiting, we watched a lady bus driver roll up on a Bolt Bus. It was dark, and she was trying to back the bus up to the curb to pick up her passengers. She slowly backed the bus up, but was way too close to the curb and a railing by the steps....and she unfortunately ripped off half of the back bumper!! Ack!
I had been talking to another lady who was going standby for the same bus as mine, and she was headed up to Philly to visit her ailing grandmother in a nursing home. She had a reservation on a later bus, but had gotten to the parking lot early, and decided to take the 6:30 bus. However, she evidently didn't have her credit card with her in order to pay the $5 fee to board...so I offered to pay it for her, and she gave me the cash. :) Glad to help out a fellow passenger. :) She sat with me on the bus and said this was her first time taking Megabus. She was amazed at how nice it was...how clean, roomy, and much better smelling than the Greyhound bus she took previously. :) Plus, Megabus was A LOT cheaper than Greyhound. So she was quite happy with riding the Megabus. :) We arrived in Philly about a half hour early, which was nice, since my friends were arriving about the same time as I was, to attend the expo. :) The drop-off and pick-up location was easy to find, and there weren't the massive crowds on the return evening bus like there was in New York City. So it was a good experience taking the Megabus to Philly. :)
