I honestly dreaded having to take the overnight double-decker MegaBus ride from Toronto to NYC two nights ago (after being at the TBEX Conference for a few days). Although I’m a veteran bus rider, I just didn’t look forward to an 11-hour ride (midnight to 11 am the next day).
But I had no choice. I didn’t want to lose a day on an Amtrak train and the flight was too expensive. So I opted for the overnight Megabus.
Loud Snorer Behind Me
That night, things didn’t go well at first. I made the mistake of sitting in front of a man whose snores bordered on snort-like gurgles…or gurgle-like snorts. Whatever that sound was, it was so loud, it seemed he might gag on his adenoid tissue.
It was awful!
Worse yet? My industrial-strength earplugs were useless.
Rude Cellphone User In Front of Me
Meanwhile, two seats ahead, a woman was chatting on her cellphone. Was she keeping her voice down? Hell no. She was chatting like the bus was her living room and no one else was around.
Only heavy metal on my iPod could drown her out.
So there I was, wondering what to do. Where would I go? All the seats were taken (one person per two seats, resting or sleeping on both).
Solution? Move Downstairs.
I moved to the lower deck of the bus. I thought I was doomed there, too. It looked just like the upstairs, with all the seats taken.
But then, a glimmer of hope. Four facing seats with a table in between. The catch? A woman was sleeping, her legs sprawled out and onto the seats on the other side.
I couldn’t just sit down. She would have to move.
It was my only hope. I had to wake her up.
“Excuse me,” I said several times, nervously. “Can I sit here?” After several attempts, I lightly tapped her arm.
Trinidadian-Canadian Woman = Angel of Mercy
She woke up and to my relief, I learned that she was from Toronto (originally from Trinidad). She was nice. Really nice. Like the other Torontonians I’d met over the past few days. She said, “Of course, go right ahead.” She even smiled.
I wanted to kiss the ring on her finger.
She got up, adjusted how she was sitting. I sat down opposite her. I tried to get cozy. It wasn’t easy.
I had no neck pillow. Just some dirty clothes.
I did what I could.
After we crossed the border, I met two other nearby passengers. Josh and Evan. Two brothers. Somehow, we got talking…
That’s when things really turned around.
Two Bros Sharing Horror Stories
It began with me noticing the younger brother, Evan, shivering. The bus was that cold! The AC was cranked to the max.
Meet Josh–Evan’s brother
(Sorry about the quality of some of the photos; the lighting was poor.)
Soon, we were sharing bus ride tips (Karen was the true expert, telling us how she scored $1 bus trips) and ‘bus horror stories’. The brothers, who are super bright and sweet, have taken all kinds of buses and have encountered the best and the worst fellow passengers along the way.
The more we talked, the more we laughed.
Ride the Bus with Us via Video
Want to be there with me/us for 1:45 minutes–some of the funniest moments of the journey? Check out the video.
- Meet Karen and hear her infectious laughter
- Hear Evan tell his story re: the bus driver who jumped ship when his shift ended, thus abandoning the passengers in the middle of NYC
- Listen to me thanking Karen and her laughing yet again
- Hear Josh tell his story re: the horror movie character who made his life hell on a Greyhound bus
Eventually, like the other passengers, we fell asleep and woke up many hours later.
The ride was over–11 hours of it. Although most of us were groggy, we were happy. We’d somehow had fun and gotten some sleep. It was no different than being on a long, overnight flight that begins and ends with great conversation and a just-right group dynamic.
And for me, that’s what it’s all about. Connecting with others. Whether traveling overseas or right here in North America.
In retrospect, if I could do it again, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Moving forward, however, if I want to travel to Toronto and I find a cheap flight, I’ll grab it!
Your Thoughts/Reactions
Have you ever taken the Megabus? If so, how long were you on it and how was the ride? How about Greyhound? Any overnight journeys? Did you sleep? Meet people? Read?
Any horror stories? Positive tales to share?
Like This Story?
Then check out my recently published book, Magic Carpet Seduction: Travel Tales Off the Beaten Path!
It’s chock full of quirky stories–and some serious ones, too. Here are two links to check out:
A post I wrote that describes the book in depth
The book over on Amazon–including a description several reviews
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