Riding the Greyhound Bus

I have used the Greyhound bus quite a bit during my stay here in the United States; I enjoy looking out of the window for hours, and the rides have always been a bit of an adventure. Greyhound bus stations mostly seem to be located in a not very nice part of town. I have heard horror stories from other passengers about being threatened and robbed at gunpoint just outside of certain Greyhound stations. This has luckily not happened to me but I have been warned about not leaving a station at night “because it is NOT safe” as a security guard assured me.

I have had many conversations with people who either sat next to me at the various stations or in the bus itself. Most of the people are people who simply cannot afford any other mode of transportation. They do not have a car and have to rely on the very spotty American public transportation that is available. I have seen people get an anger fit or a meltdown with lots of crying because Greyhound had overbooked a bus and there were not enough seats available for all passengers. In some cases, this meant that a person had to wait for 12 hours or more before the next bus would arrive at their very remote location.

I encountered a lot of Amish people at several stations; sometimes they traveled alone and sometimes as a couple or big group. I have always been fascinated with the Amish because of the way they cling to and preserve their very old cultures and traditions. They came to the United States starting in the mid-1700s because they were persecuted for their faith in Europe. The women always wear dresses and often a bonnet and the men always wear a suit and black hat or a straw hat (depending on the weather). At one of the bus stations an Amish couple and I were looking to find the same bus and we ended up having a friendly conversation. I was able to understand the German dialect they spoke; as the Amish have been so insulated they have also preserved the language of their ancestors though most of them also speak English. The husband's English seemed absolutely flawless and 100% American.

I had another conversation with an elderly woman who complained about the American healthcare system; she needed some dental care badly was unable to afford it. Even though she was on good terms with her children, as she said, they were unwilling to help her out with some money for this badly needed treatment. I felt very badly for this woman because she was clearly needed treatment but was unable to access it. 

Even though I already knew from my time and experience in Athens about the dire situation a lot of Americans face when it comes to healthcare and public transport, the conversations I had with people on the Greyhound really drove the point home.