Triple Three

It's a little surface transit website that doesn't stop growing. Last year, there were just a few destinations along the NEC (I-95) and in Washington the state. Now, at least 15 states are rostered, with many destinations, and they keep on coming in. One day, the state gets colored. Next day, the destination in that state shows up, and soon, you can book a ticket. It's pretty incentful for the companies- you can be like a real bus line now! Then, this separates the MBA's from the hacks. Until today, the little bus- I have never seen it, but I was told it was an used job- that runs from Ohio to New York, was hiding. Now it came out online, and it's quite clear it's one driver and a bus. And there's the well-managed Eastern, 12 trips per day DC-NY, flashy website. Yes, yes. Then I can see that six companies work together to have a departure from DC-NY at least every 1/2 hour between 7 am and 7:30pm. Sort of neat. www.gotobus.com

Oh, and Little Brother's back.

End of a Golden Era

Today sadly ends a golden era for private enterprise in cities. Eastern Travel and Tours is enjoying its last day at the peak of a golden wave. Ever since 1998, a bubble was forming. In recent years, some companies have been, again, riding the wave of prosperity, but it is Eastern that had the upper hand. What am I referring to?
The so-called Chinatown buses. Fung Wah started in 1998, catering to the Chinese community, shuttling passengers for $10 between New York and Boston. Other companies soon followed for the same intention, within 5 years forming a network on the East Coast. Eastern took the lead in catering to the "wider population". Low Fares, Friendly People, and by far, Quicker Service and Better Schedules characterize Eastern, as well as others, against the government-subsidized Greyhound.
The bubble was bound to burst. New start-ups such as Tony Coach (blast to the past- has priorities mixed up- chooses quantity over quality) and the tasteless DC2NY, in the past year, proved that the clientèle was a bottomless well. Well, Greyhound wanted to be the bully that scattered the people. Their new service, Boltbus, will be a Trojan Horse. The system, starting tomorrow, will run just like a striving company, running buses from the street corner. But it's Greyhound. The government is sponsoring this non-capitalist act that is on the verge of offending Anti-Trust laws meant to protect the smaller providers. If they were only entering the market, it would not sting. However, they are using their bottomless cesspool of cash to push private enterprise into bankrupcy, or shutting down. Offering tickets that start at $1, range up through the $7 and $10 range and practically capping at $15, someone without a strong conscience will be lured by the outer beauty of the price deal.
Who knows what will happen tomorrow with my friends at Eastern? What do they have up their sleeve? They must not fail, and most likely will not. Due to the drain of up to 400 passengers each way per day, if all comes to worst, several companies will shut down, (Tony and DC2NY top my list right now) and Eastern, the most "American Apple Pie" of the companies will have to make noticeable cuts to service. The older underdogs, such as New Century, MVP/Apex Bus and Today's Bus, will tweak schedules and tactics to recenter on the Chinese community. Maybe there is some law that Greyhound is violating in creating BoltBus. We can hope.
At least Eastern provides a quicker trip!
>Boltbus will then take their tornado to the NY-Boston route. They might have more trouble there, due to Fung Wah as well as Lucky Star each providing near-hourly service between the two towns. Later on that.

New York Weekend for under...

Scheduled outage at 4:30 PM PST, again.

Now that you know how to get to New York for under twenty dollars, I think you can also stay the weekend and get back for under $100, inclusive, without sleeping in the Subway. I couldn't tell you everything about it now, because I would not include all the ethnic places at discount prices. Even if I discouraged you from going to a whole list of these enclaves because of crime, I couldn't eliminate honestly. So basically, I could toss you the stay-close-to-Chinatown version, but I couldn't go into detail about, say, Little Jamaica. But it basically involves taking a Chinatown bus, eating cheaply in an immigrant enclave, and sleep in some Jersey City turnpike stop with the coupon you found in the travelers' hotel savings guide, which you picked up at the rest stop. It can be done, I believe. I'll try it sometime...maybe in three years.

First Christmas, Blogged

It was a rare day when the computer remained off all day. That's why I couldn't say:
*"Merry Christmas"*
last night to everyone before the special day.

Before next Christmas I will have received my Driver Learner's Permit (isn't it 15 and a half in DC) , had a nice, long summer vacation and experience, Dr. Wood's Physics class, and a February 29th will have gone by. Lots of things.

Back to yesterday and the day before, I took the Tony bus to New York (Not recommended) via 4 stops and had a lunch in Chinatown. ($3, Fried Dumpling, Avenue of the Immigrants/Allen Street, Fried dumplings, wonton soup, spring roll and tea egg) I rushed back to a lesson and carol service for the community, and then had an alumni school dinner. Afterwards, we checked in our hotel, Doubletree at Times Square. Nice views from room 1403. Fun to ride the elevator to the top and down for thrills. Of course, time flew and it was time for midnight mass. It was so hard to stay awake while sitting down during the festive music, but I was somewhat awake by the end of Mass. Bed at about 2am.

Later morning, Christmas Day, Breakfast at a little deli east of the hotel on 47th street. ($3.25, breakfast sandwich.) Rockefeller center had a long fountain which was about a foot thick in pennies and various other change. Got some pictures, will post. Another service at 11, and Eastern bus at 2:30 home. The only store that would have been somewhat appealing there in Times Square, waiting for the bus to pull up was Office Depot. Yes, no better place to play in Times Square. Not too many people. But Office Depot was closed that day.

Bus Ride

I took a bus ride on my favorite Chinese bus line (to be politically correct we should call them Budget Buses) It was the average of fast, but there was this woman who had problems with the driver. She claimed that the buses always took a rest stop in South Jersey and that it was inhumane to go the whole way without stopping. "I need to go pee" she said. But there was a toilet on the bus. So when the driver did make a stop just for her he rolled his eyes at her, which should seem to be a normal reaction to someone that annoying. So anyway, she took evidence photos of the bus and the driver's face and called the Better Business Bureau en route.

Now this is not usual but it did not seem to disturb the other passengers, who were of all racial backgrounds, FYI.

Eastern Travel- www.easternshuttle.com


PS- I did some reading on giving microloans to people in developing countries. It's an excelent idea and it doesn't cost much money, only a dollar a so per person. And it gets paid back too!