I was traveling with my family ( husband and 5 year old child) today from Michigan (8-15-09) when i came to chicago. In chicago i asked to make sure ( as i was promised would not be a issue when i purchased the tickets) that i would be able to sit by my 5 year old child. However 4 different greyhound employees told me no i would not be able to accompany my 5 year old child along the 6 hour trip by his side at 1 am in the morning to st louis. They had no compassion or understanding of my need to be with my 5 year old and to be beside him on to take care of him on this trip. They quoted saying its first come first serve for the seats. That they would not be able to provide my child who is 5 a seat next to me or my husband. They said i would have to sit him by a stranger... Please keep in mind this bus travel 6 hours without any light whatsoever except one short stop. My child would have been sitted by a stranger where i would not have had any visibility or been able to observe him. had i not become hysterical and finally after 20 minutes almost of me crying and screaming saying i will not put my 5 year old child on the bus with a stranger in the dark night without even bus lights for 6 hours and I also begged for management which never came they finally made us a seat together. However this seat was right behind a man watching pornography. I had been under the impression that greyhound was a family site... but they tried to separate me from my baby and tried to force me to neglect his safety and allowed us to be exposed pornography... he is five years old... and when i complained about it all they said was go get a complaint form. When i tried they said they were out of complaint forms. Please alert other families who are concerned about there children's well being, that they very well may be separated completely from there young children, and there children and themselves can very easily be exposed to pornography, by alerting people to my experiences, so they can protect themselves, and there children from such traumatic happenings, by making this public. You may use my name and any other info you need.

I'm back.I'm on bus #5 by now, just as disgusting as the rest, nasty toilets, filthy windows, nothing opened and more rude people.By the time we got to jacksonville we were at least 4 hrs. late.Suppose to go to Tallahasee on bus #6, wrong we went to daytona then to orlando, and another bus #7 to ocala.On our way the bus driver was all over the road and i wanted off that bus.I was only an hour from home, and did not want to do another bus at least 6 more hours.the bus driver wouldn't tell which exit we were at, so i sat for 6hrs waiting for my ride.Oh yeah no cell service in the area of Piolet travel center in Ocala.I finally got home at4:30p.m sunday.Next time i'll take the train.

I purchased a non-refundable ticket online about two weeks before my planned trip. The ticket informed that passengers arrive 1 hour before the scheduled departure. I arrived about 45 minutes before in Tallahassee. While checking my baggage and being issued a ticket the counter clerk informs me rather casually that I did not arrive 1 hour before the buses departure time and therefore may end up having to take the bus at 5am. Mind you, my departure time was 11pm. Inquiring into this, she informed me that the seats on the bus are "first come first serve physically" (does not matter when you buy) and that their are only 55 seats so I'd better get in line if I want to make it. Panicking I quickly scattered toward the line. Upon securing a spot in line I approached the counter again and asked for the supervisor.

First of all I asked where on my online ticket it states that seats are first come first serve? His answer was that if I had come to his station to purchase my ticket his agents are trained to verbalize that important bit of information.

Second I stated that it really does not matter then what time I get here because it is first come first serve. So if I really want to be on a bus I should arrive well before the 1 hour stipulated time then. The supervisor seeing my frustration started to become defensive. I tried to tell him that it is not his policy, but that he is the supervisor and I was trying to get somewhere on a schedule as laid out in my itinerary, and expressing my discontent with him. Nothing personal. But, really how the heck can greyhound sell more tickets than they have seats available. Then he started to attack me, threatening to not let me on the bus. Telling me not to let his greyhound uniform fool me. Ignorance. I was blown away by his behavior. I just told him to forget it and walked away.

So, missed the bus, but, fortunately they had another come about two hours later.

Next, I arrive in Orlando for a 3 hour layover. This time I was ready and in line as the crowd was getting large. Their are two lines. Originating line and Reboarding Line. Come boarding time the employee at the door of the reboarding line starts rudely telling the majority of the people in the line that they are in the wrong line, including myself. I said, no I came from Tallahassee. He angrily stated "well this line is for people that got off this particular bus that are reboarding to get their seats back". I was like ooohhkay! So I went into the originating line all the way in the back and missed the bus. I went to talk to the supervisor. Expressing my dissatisfaction, she unbelievable stated "what did you expect, this is greyhound". I said, I have never travelled greyhound and after her statement never will again. I tried to ask how I could possibly be an originating passenger, but she kept rudely interrupting me saying the same thing over and over about how next time I should stand in the right line. I asked her to listen and she told me it did not matter what I had to say...so I walked away in disbelief.

So, an 11 hour trip ended up taking 17 hours. I have never witnessed such a display of poor customer relations in all my life.

I went traveling on Greyhound twice, and on both times, one from San Antonio to Wisconsin, and San Antonio to North Carolina. If I didn't have a fear of flying I would have rather put up with the security checkins at the airport. I went both times to bee my husband before he went to Iraq and he was training in both those states, in both of those trips coming to and from I experienced agressive, rude drivers, when I would ask about where to go, they would respond with smart ass questions, they threw people off the bus for no reason, at one point in one state, the bus smelled of smoke, the bus driver slammed on his brakes, stopped on the side of a highway and demanded to know who was smoking on the bus, thing was noone had been smoking, we told the bus driver and for some reason he thought we were trying to cover up for the "mysterious smoker" well he put a shield up so noone could exit the bus, and called the cops, while we were all sitting there, some sparks flew out of a passenger's seat and when we told the driver about it, he said we were all lying! Then the troopers arrived and just pretty much yelled at the bus, it was unbelievable! and then to top that off, while I was coming back from Columbia, N.C and arrived at the Atlanta greyhound station, I asked a staff member which door do I stand at, they directed me to the wrong door and I missed my bus and had to wait 4 hours for the next bus to come along, it is horrible. It's bad enough that you have to travel with some odd people, but the staff doesn't make anything easier or better, either employees on the bus, or in the stations. Everyone is plain rude. Don't fall for the commercials and their deals, it's NOT worth it! Not to mention you get stopped randomly by immigration people and they ask you if you're from Mexico or not, it's crazy. Don't travel the Greyhound.

I bought a round trip ticket from Canton Ohio to Clarksville Tn.The price was great, I bought it on the 14 day advance purchase and it was cheaper to go this way than to drive my vehicle. That is where the benefit ends. I am a larger male and I found the seats way to narrow so that when someone who is smaller or larger you become attached at the hips because you have no room. Then combine that with no leg room in front of you especially when the person reclines back into your lap. Very uncomfortable. The buses are so dirty that the only thing I could think of while riding the bus is what a great way to spread viruses. Bathrooms on the busses just about all of them had something wrong with them. But when you get off the bus to use the facilities those bathrooms are really dirty. Very disgusting, donot sit on the toilets. Also when you get off the bus and the bus driver announces which door to go to for your next connection you better check when you go inside more than half the times on my trip the bus driver was wrong and you would be standing in the wrong line. There are no signs or notices in the terminals to assist you which door you should go to. Greyhound should learn about electronic signs. On we go the bus driver in Cincinati, Ohio is one of the rudest and most arrogant and inconsiderent so called proffesional I have ever met he goes by the name of CJ. He has an attitude and acts like he is better than everyone else riding the bus. He wanted me to lug my luggage around the terminal to get a destination ticket for my luggage which the terminal in Clarksville failed to do there job and put one on. We had already made stops in Nashville, Louisville and it was fine. But he caused a rucus in cincinati. my other complaint is when you transfer busses and you get on a bus the other travelers will take up two seats and pretend like they are sleeping as so they donot want someone to sit by them, and some will cause a comotion when you try to sit there. I found this to be very accurate with african americans. This has to rate as one of the worst transportations ever to take if you have another option use it. But unfortunately some have no other choice, may God be with you and keep you safe.