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| - I generally avoid Greyhound because of the clientele (could my seat mate be a newly-released convict from the state pen, perchance?). However, one time, I needed to get from DC to PGH stat, and this was the only option, since the buses run every couple of hours. The Greyhound station in DC is connected to Union Station, and although it has a roof, it's outdoors. Our bus was over half an hour late, and I nearly froze while waiting for it. Finally, it pulled in, and was nice and warm, thank goodness. In terms of comfort and spacing, the seats were comparable to Megabus. Unlike Megabus, there was overhead luggage space, so I didn't have to try to squeeze my bag under the seat in front of me or ride the entire way with it at my feet, which I appreciated.
Our bus made three stops in Bethesda, Baltimore, and at a travel plaza on the PA Turnpike (one further west than the Sideling Hill plaza that the Megabus stops at). I believe the trip took about 4 hrs. I have no complaints about the driver--unlike several Megabus drivers I've had, he didn't make any unreasonable demands or chew out any pax. However, a lady in front of me snapped at me for carrying on a conversation with my travel companion, even though I was trying to keep my voice down. While it was late at night (11pm), and I understand that some people would like to catch some shut-eye, I have a right to talk to my travel companion--esp. if I'm doing so quietly! For the rest of the trip, I remained awkwardly silent, so as not to incur the lady's wrath again. To her credit, she did apologize to me once we arrived in PGH, but the experience did nothing to dispel my notion of the type of people who travel via Greyhound.
The station in PGH, while not the cleanest or shiniest station around, is at least indoors, such that passengers don't have to stand around outside while awaiting their bus. This is good news, given that the passengers of many buses, such as the one I took, are required to disembark there. The chairs are hard plastic, and there are several TVs that are always on, so don't expect to get any sleep here. Having never used the bathrooms here, I can't comment on their cleanliness, but based on the rest of the station, I wouldn't expect then to be super spic and span. In addition to Greyhound, this station serves commuter buses from several townships surrounding PGH, so you may find yourself here if you ever need to take a bus to one of them.
For the record, my preferred method of transportation to Philly is Amtrak. Sure, it only runs once a day and is more expensive than the bus, but it always leaves on time, and you get what you pay for in terms of better service, comfort, and amenities. See my reviews of them and Megabus for my experiences on that front.
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