Night Ride Home

Seating is important. First on, first off. If you’re lucky. If not, you’re not. I was so close to the front that I could hear the veteran driver teach a younger drive where to turn. She was a fine driver. She just had to learn the tricks and traps of the route.

As I said yesterday, there’s nothing wrong with a Greyhound bus that the removal of a few seats couldn’t fix. And, maybe some new deeper recliners. And, better electrical outlets. And, a more modern wifi.

But, other than that….

It seems like I can’t get away from buses. I spent most of the summer on tour buses. They were built on the same platform as this bus, but they are purpose built. Once the shell is attached, the window configuration looks nothing like a Greyhound bus. There are fewer windows. Some of them may be longer. Some may be square.

The interior is custom built by the owner of the buses that we lease. We have a front lounge, a galley, a two rows of bunks, a bathroom and a private lounge reserved for the people aboard the bus. Guests must stay in the front area.

Anyway.

Unlike a tour bus which can be home for weeks at a time, this particular Greyhound bus was good for three hours as far as I was concerned. As I said yesterday, I could not imagine trying to sleep on this bus. There are people who ride the bus from coast to coast.

They probably get off the bus folded into a pretzel, exhausted and fat. Fat from all the bad food they eat for three or four days. The really long haul buses don’t always stop at stations or terminals. Sometimes they stop at “Joe’s Eat Here And Get Gas.” The passengers get about an hour break from the thrill of folding and unfolding themselves in their seats as they roll on down the highway.

During the break passengers run in to the cafe, general store and souvenir shop and eat some grease, lard and starch. If they have time they wander into the store and buy some road food and drink that will make them burp down the highway.

Hey. It’s no better on a tour bus if we are running late. After a few hours the driver stops because he needs a break and everyone runs into the cafe and store to load up on carbs, sugar and salt. No liquids are needed because we have all that on the bus. We have good food on the bus. But, who wants that? We want junk food, fried food, sweet food.

Big bags and boxes of the stuff.