Megabus — Baltimore to New York (and back) on March 12, 2010

The Megabus stop in New York

This story is a continuation of one that you can see by clicking here.

This was not the right day for Megabus.  The weather people had talked about plenty of rain, and I was expecting torrents, but, fortunately, there just seemed to be a dreary drizzle all day, reminding me of when I lived in England!

In the last post, written from the bus, I described how one bus had been in an accident and the company struggled to cram to busloads into a single bus.  Things got worse after that.  When we got close to the services at Mount Laurel, NJ, 78 miles from New York, our driver, Anita, announced that she was losing power and would have to stop and call a mechanic.

After about half an hour, another bus came, which was only half full, and I was able to get a seat on that.  This got me in the city at about 1:15 — or about an hour and half late.

The ride back also got off to a rocky start.  The rain was getting a little heavier, and it is fairly obvious that one of the ways in which Megabus manages its costs is by not having sheltered bus terminal.  So, when things get a little rough, and buses are running late, there is pretty much no alternative except to stand in the rain.

I arrived at the bus stop about half an hour early, and there seemed to be huge crowds of people, and I began to wonder whether I would ever get away.  I even contemplated buying a ticket for a later bus and coming back when it was less crowded.

Waiting for the Megabus in the rain

Surprisingly, though, my bus that was scheduled for 6:30 pm showed up about only about 20 minutes late.  We left New York at about 7:00, and we arrived in Baltimore only about half an hour late.

Would I take a Megabus again from Baltimore to New York?  Absolutely!  All in all, I think they did pretty well when everything (weather, accidents, and mechanical problems) was going against them, and I just love being able to visit New York for a low price.  I really recommend this service!