You Can't Make A $1 Ticket to New York Without Breaking A Few (Safety) Regs

C

Commuting Boston Student

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2012
Messages
1,168
Reaction score
1
File this one under "Unexpectedly!"

The state is asking the federal Department of Transportation to declare an “imminent hazard” and shut down the Fung Wah bus company after multiple inspections found dangers in the physical structure of various buses.

Nearly two dozen of the company’s buses have been taken out of service after inspections.
Click to expand...

Well, hold on, you know how these things are. I'm sure it was just some kind of minor problem, right? A blown tail light, or something. Nothing to be overly worried about...

Ann Berwick, chair of the Department of Public Utilities, said that the agency’s Transportation Oversight Division conducted random inspections earlier this month and of nine Fung Wah buses looked at, eight had cracks in their frames. Those buses were ordered off of the road.

State officials met with the bus company’s owner who agreed to take all buses manufactured before 2005 off of the road. As of Saturday, 21 of 28 buses were taken out of service.

“When eight of the nine buses inspected have serious safety problems you have to worry that when there’s smoke there’s fire, so we became concerned with all of the older buses,” Berwick said. “We’re not talking blown parking lights here. These are problems that threaten safety.”
Click to expand...

Whoops!

Of course, as we all know, this is just the latest in a long series of black marks against the criminal institutions colloquially known as "Chinatown buses" - and, at least in my opinion, more mounting evidence that if something (in this case, travel for as low as $1 between major city pairs) is too good to be true, it probably is.

Yes, effectively zero-cost travel is a good thing. Sure, a lot of people who wouldn't be able to travel between Boston and New York otherwise can come to rely on the service - but at what point do the benefits of such service become not worth the risk of continued "incidents" or the collateral from each new fiasco that these services find themselves embroiled in?
 
Commuting Boston Student said:
... at what point do the benefits of such service become not worth the risk of continued "incidents" or the collateral from each new fiasco that these services find themselves embroiled in?
Click to expand...

At the point where the riders decide it's not worth it. Not me. Not you. Not a bureaucrat.

These buses seem to be doing brisk business. Perhaps it's riders know better.
 
JoeBoston1 said:
At the point where the riders decide it's not worth it. Not me. Not you. Not a bureaucrat.
Click to expand...

I suppose you hark back to the days of uninspected meat and sewage mixed with drinking water too...

Everyone knew the Fung Wah was unsafe. The MegaBus and BoltBus cost the same and have much more reputable operators so if the hammer drops on them then I'll take note.
 
To be honest, I can't believe they didn't get shutdown sooner...

That said, I hope they're back up and running soon. Or at least, hope someone steps in to fill the void. It's good to have some cheap competition in the Bos-NYC market.
 
Everyone knew the Fung Wah was unsafe. The MegaBus and BoltBus cost the same and have much more reputable operators so if the hammer drops on them then I'll take note.
Click to expand...

In fact, I don't think Fung Wah ever has $1 deals, unlike MegaBus or BoltBus. It's always been $15.

These safety issues have nothing to do with the price of tickets.
 
BostonUrbEx said:
To be honest, I can't believe they didn't get shutdown sooner...

That said, I hope they're back up and running soon. Or at least, hope someone steps in to fill the void. It's good to have some cheap competition in the Bos-NYC market.
Click to expand...

Some people just like a good challenge.

i_survived_the_fung_wah_t_shirt-r944f163e755a45a5bad35127bbf71162_804gs_512.jpg
 
Yeah... I just save up and take the Acela... and write it off as a "staying alive fee" when I go to NYC.
 
Bolt and Megabus are fine. I don't get the fear of intercity busses. Some of the Chinatown busses are VERY dodgy, but there's nothing wrong with most of them.
 
BussesAin'tTrains said:
Bolt and Megabus are fine. I don't get the fear of intercity busses. Some of the Chinatown busses are VERY dodgy, but there's nothing wrong with most of them.
Click to expand...

I pose this question, more out of curiosity than to challenge your point on Megabus. But - based on a quick Internet search - it appears that Megabus had at least two, multi-injury crashes in 2012, with each accident resulting in a fatality.

Other than the occasional roadside inferno, has Fung Wah or any of the Chinatown buses ever actually had a fatal accident?

I ask this question, only because I've read some disturbing stories online about drivers for Megabus having no clue as to where they are going. (One fatality was the result of the double-decker bus crashing into a low bridge on a commercial-vehicle-restricted road in Syracuse). I also know of at least one incident in which a MegaBus bound for NYC made its way to Woburn on I-93 before passengers revolted.

I've never heard of any horror stories involing Bolt.
 
Last edited:
Do those MegaBus accidents point to a broader issue with the company and their busses/drivers or are they traffic accidents, of which there are thousands daily? Any company that is in the driving business will have traffic accidents at some point. I'd need to see if MegaBus's problems are conditional on company practices or other traffic factors. Fung Wah has fleet maintenance and staffing issues.

EDIT: Megabus also operates across the northeast and midwest. Bigger fleet means more likelihood of accidents. Were these fatal accidents on the Boston route?

Either way, there's nothing inherently dangerous about inter-city bus travel as long as the company is competent and hires competent drivers. I know for a fact that Megabus holds their drivers to strict mileage/time limits and they pull over for a shift change if they run up against the clock.

Most of these Megabus and Bolt trips aren't under $20 either... the prices fluctuate based on when you book. One lucky passenger per trip gets the $1.00 ride, everyone else pays between $19 and $35 for a one-way ticket, as far as I've seen anyway.
 
I think the Regional is more comfortable than the Acela and it's only $50-$70 typically.

Prices on BoltBus can reach $40 on busy days, that I've seen.

I'm glad for both options even though I prefer Amtrak because I had a bad time on a BoltBus once, being stuck next to a crazy person for the whole trip. It's generally $25 bucks more for a nicer seat, being able to walk around, not being stuck on I-95 or 84, and for enjoying the incredible view along the Shore Line Road.

The price difference is due to the quality difference, and the fact that the intercity bus companies don't have to pay for maintenance-of-way. Unlimited Federal subsidies towards roads, buses and trucking are a problem but there's no reason to take it out that frustration solely on cheap intercity bus providers. At least they allow everyone to take advantage of those Federal subsidies without being forced to buy or rent a car.

I have no patience for unsafe operators like Fung Wah though. There's no excuse. I'm also puzzled why so many people aren't aware that there are safer cheap options like Bolt and MegaBus.
 
Just wondering, since when is tickets to NYC and Boston $1 on the Fung Wah. Last time I check, it was $15. What secret connection do you have CBS with the company so that you were offered a $1 ride?
 
JoeBoston1 said:
At the point where the riders decide it's not worth it. Not me. Not you. Not a bureaucrat.

These buses seem to be doing brisk business. Perhaps it's riders know better.
Click to expand...

Except when the frame cracks mid-trip and the bus causes and accident that kills a family. . . then me, you and the bureaucrats will know that safety is important. I'm all for limited government, but this is basic stuff.
 
KentXie said:
Just wondering, since when is tickets to NYC and Boston $1 on the Fung Wah. Last time I check, it was $15. What secret connection do you have CBS with the company so that you were offered a $1 ride?
Click to expand...

It is. CBS was confusing Megabus $1.00 "first one to book" deals to make a snarky point.
 
I will say this, those Fung Wah buses move. I have ridden with them 3 times and each time we made it down to NYC in under 4 hours. Taking a double deck Megabus is like taking the slow boat to China. Going 50 the whole way made for a nice 6 hour ride down to NYC.

I am not surprised the buses are unsafe. I've been on a bus where the driver was ridding people's asses in the middle lane.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top