July 30, 2007
BlogHer Adventures Part I: Monkeys and Buses
I spent Wednesday evening getting all my last minute tasks for BlogHer completed. I tried to go to bed early because I chose to take a Greyhound bus to get to Chicago and my departure from Green Bay (an hour and forty-five minutes from my house) was scheduled for 5:40 a.m. Also known as the ass crack of dawn or insanity in the making.
I set my alarm clock for one o’clock in the morning so that I could gas up, grap some coffee and hit the road. Greyhound advised me to arrive at the station no later than an hour for my departure. My internal alarm clock went off at 12:30 a.m. I loaded my luggage into my car, had a hardboiled egg for breakfast, and kissed my husband and my Doodlebug (they were fast asleep) and hit the road.
Halfway to Green Bay I got caught in an awful thunderstorm, with lightning, thunder and hard rains that even the fastest setting on the windshield wipers couldn’t handle. I was terrified. I love T-storms but I hate driving in them. I have this irrational fear of lightning striking the car and causing a terrible accident.
I got to the bus depot at 4 a.m. and waited patiently for the bus to arrive. At 5:40 the bus was not there. At 6:15, I began to worry. Did I fall asleep in the car and not realize it? No. I was awake. It may have been dark in the wee hours of the morning, but I had the radio on and I was watching for that bus.
At 6:45 I was getting angry. The bus depot didn’t open until 7:30 and there was no one to ask about late buses. I didn’t know which phone number to call for information.
When the depot attendant finally arrived I went in to ask about the delay. The man working was the same one I met when I picked up my bus tickets over a week ago.
“Sir, the 5:40 bus never showed up. Can you please check the status of this?”
“Lemme see your tickets.” he replied.
I handed him my tickets and he scanned them over.
“This isn’t a Greyhound this is an Indian Trails bus. I can’t help you with this.”
“Excuse me? I bought these tickets online at the Greyhound website. I picked them up last Saturday with you and you never mentioned this wasn’t a Greyhound.”
“There’s nothing I can do. It’s not Greyhound.”
At this point, I was hot. I was madder than a hornet. I felt my cheeks getting red. I was now two hours late for my trip and I was going to miss my connection in Milwaukee.
“Sir, I paid for a Greyhound ticket and I didn’t get what your company sold me. What are you going to do for me?”
“Tickets are non-refundable.”
“No. NO. You did NOT just say that to me. I expect a full refund AND I need to know when the next bus departs because you’re going to fix my tickets.”
The guy, who I found out later is named Mike, looked at me with a blank yet sassy expression as though I had no right to demand anything of him or the company he worked for.
“Fine, I’ll refund your credit card the $58.00.”
“Great, but I still need a new ticket for the next bus.”
He reluctantly agreed to correct the ticket, but told me he needed to call the Indian Trails bus line and find out why the bus didn’t show up. He insinuated that I missed the bus and it was my fault. As I listened to him speak to the person on the other end of the line, Mike said into the phone, “He just didn’t show up? Okay.”
After he hung up and changed my ticket he gave me a long spiel in a very rude tone about buses breaking down all the time and it’s not his problem. I hit the roof.
“Sir, you just repeated that the driver didn’t show up.”
“Ma’am, it’s and Indian Trails bus, I’m not going to say it again.”
At this point I was so mad I started to tear up. This happens whenever I’m angry.
“I don’t care if it’s a Happy Trails bus. I bought tickets with Greyhound, I didn’t get what I paid for, and you’ll need to yell at whoever you need to for this fuck up.”
When Mike gave me my new tickets, he failed to give me the refund receipt for the credit he promised. When I confronted him, he completely denied, TO MY FACE, that he said he was giving me a refund. He then told me that he just changed the new tickets because they are non-refundable.
The other passengers waiting for the 8 a.m. bus had heard the entire exchange. One woman stood up and told me that what Mike was doing to me was wrong. I asked for the manager.
“I’m it,” he said.
“I want the number for your supervisor.”
“Lady, there ain’t nothing they are gonna do for you, the ticket is non-refundable.”
He gave me the number for Greyhound’s accounting/refund department and said sarcastically, “Good luck.”
Since I was already late to Chicago, and missing the White Sox game with Deb, I didn’t feel like fighting anymore. I took the number and said, “Thanks for nothing, you ape.”
(An aside: This guy looked like he belonged on Planet of the Apes. I so wish I had a camera phone just to post his photo here. I also wish I’d have given him my business card and told him I was blogging this. And, I know I stooped to his level but at least I didn’t call him a fucktard like I wanted to.)
When the 8 a.m. bus finally arrived, I got on board and tried to relax. Soon I would be in Chicago enjoying the company of smart women who would give great advice on how to deal with beligerent Greyhound attendants.
That is until I got to Milwaukee. Did you know you can’t take coffee on a Greyhound?
See what happens tomorrow in Dana’s BlogHer Adventures…
Posted by Dana @ 9:44 AM • BlogHer,Travel Mama
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July 30th, 2007 at 10:41 AM, yoshi Says:
Wow, holy crap. You know in those situations it’s always good to have a video camera. I swear everytime I go to any customer service relations i’m going to bust out my video camera and if they say something…I’ll have to rewind and play it for them.
That dude pisses me off and I wasn’t even there!
Jay and Silent Bob really come to mind right now. LOL
July 30th, 2007 at 3:09 PM, motherofbun Says:
Oh Dana, I am SO SORRY that guy was such an ass. HOLY COW.
If it makes you feel any better, Slackermommy and I grabbed a train to the airport and the attendant at the station was horribly rude and even yelled at Slackermommy. He was a total ass too.
It was wonderful meeting you. I wish we could have talked more.
July 30th, 2007 at 4:18 PM, cry it out! Says:
I am sitting here seething for you. I have no idea how you kept your composure for so long. And very well written, I might add. I was PO’d!
Mike
July 30th, 2007 at 4:40 PM, Dana Says:
Yoshi, thank you for making me laugh. I’ve been trying to call Greyhound all day and I have been put on hold and no one wants to talk to me. I may have to “BlogHer” this and get a letter writing campaign started!
Lisa, thank you. I’m not so much angry anymore as I am annoyed and depressed. I noticed that nearly 80% of Greyhound passengers are minorities and women. If I was treated this way, how many others were as well? Some of these passengers cannot afford another method of transportation, but they should at least get what they pay for!
Mike, thanks! I dont’ know how I remained calm either. I wanted to rip his tongue out for talking to me that way!
July 30th, 2007 at 11:22 PM, Leslie Says:
Oh Dana! What an adventure – and before you even hit Chicago! That guy was a jerk. You held your own well. Good for you!
July 30th, 2007 at 11:40 PM, Dana Says:
Thanks, Leslie!
I really missed you at the conference!
Maybe next year?
July 30th, 2007 at 11:43 PM, Violet the Verbose Says:
Oh my god – that frickin’ bites. I am also impressed at how you held your own – I totally don’t know how to do that in situations like that. Do you teach classes? ha ha!
July 30th, 2007 at 11:45 PM, Violet the Verbose Says:
Um, duh, forgot to mention, though I suppose it goes without saying, that I am very much looking forward to reading what you have to say *after* BlogHer. I’ve been reading around and following links and it sounds like the State of the Momosphere conference was quite interesting.
July 31st, 2007 at 12:23 AM, Dana Says:
Caroline, I don’t know if I can teach that because I usually fly off the handle in situations like this. I think I was just so tired and that made it difficult for me to be mean and nasty right back at him.
And the Momosphere session was heated. I have lots to say about that.
August 1st, 2007 at 12:44 PM, Believer in Balance Says:
Oh Dana! That is so infuriating!!! I’m glad you stuck up for yourself. I wish you had your “Screw You, Dickhead!” shirt on. Maybe you should get a new shirt for this “fucktard.” I love that name, by the way.
August 1st, 2007 at 1:35 PM, Dana Says:
I’m cracking up because I can’t even picture you saying “fucktard”! You kill me!