"Ridin' the Dog" 1989 Greyhound Buses Documentary
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- Опубликовано: 21 дек 2018
- A complete version of a documentary about a Greyhound bus journey from Seattle to Chicago. Narrated by author and historian, Studs Terkel shown in 1989.
I noticed a few people had been looking for the complete version of this show. I recorded it when it was shown in the UK in 1990 so posting here so others can enjoy it. Perhaps even more interesting to look back on it from 2018 as it captures the world of the late '80s, an era before everyone was connected by smartphones... This documentary is now a bit of timepiece which makes it all the more charming to watch..
I remember my trip as a homeless man from Chicago to Phoenix in the winter of 1989. That Greyhound trip saved my life. I started a new life. Thank God for Greyhound.
Wow good to hear, Chicago in the winter would have been horrible...: stay bless
you should make a youtube video about your journey:)
......Amen!!!!!
Yes . . . we are all a few paychecks, from being homeless ! 💀🇺🇸
Same here, I lived on that thing from 92-97
Thank you to the driver who picked up myself and my friend hitchhiking during a snow storm. The nice driver pulled over on the on ramp and asked if we needed a ride. We told him we didn't have any money, but he let us on anyways. I'll never forget that day. Thanks for having a heart!
That's awesome
It's very few of us out here. N yes, u were def blessed 2 of been touched by an angel!
🙏🏽
That’s so nice!!
It’s bittersweet watching these docs I grew up with because I love them but it kIlls me to see how far we have fallen as a country.
My dad has been a coach operator for 30+ years! Almost 3 million miles and ZERO accidents!
Wish him another 3 Million Miles of save travelling!
That is a good driving record 👌
BOSS
I wonder how many people he has safely delivered to their destinations?! How many loved ones has he quietly done his bit to reunite and how many people has he delivered into new lives or just taken to where they need to be?
Everyday hero 😃
@@willtheclimatealarmistsall7728
Something to think about,
Well done...
I drove for Greyhound for 43 years and had a great career. I could write a book about my experiences traveling millions of miles in sunny weather and in snow storms. I had to kick a few naughty passengers off the bus, but I can honestly say that most people I met were great, and I made lots of wonderful friends.
You should!!
Hi l live in brazil the roads here are terrible, l'm not driver but am love buses on track and starded watch these videos about greyhound company and l loved big hug ...
To stem Drive, Why don't you write a book I know I'd buy it!I love buses. I sold my old Kenworth/Pacific.I"m waiting for a late '70s Gillig RE . Wonder how long I'll have to wait? B.
My uncle worked for Greyhound for 47 years. He died from covid19. His name was phillip Debarry. He was a driver- instructor. Rip driver.
Your Uncle may have driven me accorss the country during my 1995 Ameripass trip. Think of all the people he must have met and interacted with during his very long Greyhound career! All the best to you. Garry H. South Carolina!
I had the honor of Meeting your uncle ! Back in 2007 he was one of my trainers in Atlantic City! I remember I was using the training bus bathroom… He said “ I hope your didn’t Blow up my Bathroom!! My he RIP.
RIP prayers for him. this bus has been a godsend to so many people with so little. i'll pray for him next time on the bus
@@karimrasheedwilson2160 lmao are you serious
@Daniel Kintigh please shut up
Oh god, do I have a Greyhound story. I took the bus from L.A. to Washington D.C. in 1988. Some colorful people rode with me. When I arrived at the D.C. terminal my sister had not gotten there yet to pick me up, so I just sat inside the terminal bc there was a blizzard going on. Well, after a couple hours waiting I fell asleep in my chair. The cop there saw it and immediately kicked me out of the terminal. I was broke, freezing cold with no place to go. I found a pay phone and my mom told me to go to the Smithsonian and wait for my sister since it was free and warm. I did. 6 of the best hours of my life. That museum is absolutely mind blowing. Wish I could go back sometime.
Hahaha. We have all been there. Once, or twice. Or three times 😅
Go now you’d get stabbed outside
@@chuckruckus3648 shut up and just go outside
@@ryana8022 just did. Was a close call
@@chuckruckus3648 I’m sure
I sold my car and took a month off from work to tour the USA on an 'Ameripass' with Greyhound for less than $300 back in 1995. I went across the continent and back in less than 3 weeks. It was one of the most memorable journeys of my life. The people I met along the way never leave my mind. I am now a U.S. citizen and my wife and I took the Greyhound from Augusta Memphis back in 2016 and was shocked to see how badly the service had changed in terms of the huge spike in prices. It is no longer the prefered transport of the low paid. Whilst this was sad to observe, those memories from 1995 will always be happy ones!
Yeah it's a racket now. Just like the train.
@@LynxStarAuto Right the train is definitely a racket. Even daily commute to NYC for work is so expensive now I wouldn't consider working in the city, its not worth cost.
@@sanansa4567 I also use to travel from CT to NYC on metro north. Now work from home.
499$ 30 day rail pass on amtrak did it last year.
@@nomadfishermanak wow that sounds expensive.
I was 15 years old in 1989 and I miss THIS Country... I don't recognize the Country today...
I was 18
I was 20. It doesnt seem like that long ago.
This brings back memories of when Trailways and Greyhound were the only way to travel if you didn't have alot of money or had family in those small off the beaten track towns. I have good memories of riding through those places.
I caught the 'Hound from LA - Vegas ; Vegas- Dallas; New Orleans- Atlanta ; Atlanta- Richmond; Richmond - DC; DC - NYC ; NYC- Bridgeport, CT...I then took a few flights...before the 'Hound from Seattle- San Francisco ! Australian tourist.
You forgot jack rabbit lines
My dad still drives been with greyhound for 47 years. My childhood growing up was so fun
Did he know my Dad? Drove outta NYC
My father has been there since 1971 out of nyc. It was truly a great childhood riding with him.
Imagine the stories he must have...a half century of driving to all different places.
Australian tourist...name the place, I've caught the 'hound there ! Real America.
My Mom as well worked for Greyhound for 25 years as an agent. I grew up with Greyhound 😩
"Rode the dog" in 1965 at 15 years old (alone) from upstate NY to Miami, FL... a good experience.....
Some of these old school docs are still so damn good and fascinating. Love it.
The nostalgia is incredible! 2020 and I wish we were back in simpler times.
Also 2020. I knew GH from long time but just now found this doc. from one another youtube film about trucking back in '70s
Technology has its pros and cons. But I think it's largely changing our culture in a way we're not really ready for. In some ways this seems like simpler times.
Nostalgia ain't what it used to be. --- Yogi Berry
ok boomer
@@tomdickens7856 OK Boomer PRODUCT
Watching this makes me want to hit up a good diner lol
i know right? i want a cheeseburger and fries now. greasy too.
I'm impressed by how well this was put together.
Every production now has childish speaking disturbing loud music and politics and inserted into everything
Biggest problem. With modern doco is the loud music sound effects edited into the video
@@brendongyde Interesting comment.
Fascinating documentary
I still remember my trip on the greyhound from San Diego to Los Angeles California back in 1991 after me and my tio cross the border from Mexico it was the most beautiful and relaxing trip of my life.
Like school bus ride lmao my first long trip trucking east shore nova Scotia to la then Salinas to Halifax
I’m watching this and reading some of these comments and responses. Suddenly tears begin to roll down my face. The older I get the easier I cry about anything. I don’t know why. GOD BLESS each person that was on this footage the creators the person that posted this documentary living or posthumously. 🙏🏿
Thanks RUclips recommended list, didn't know I'd find this so entertainment
In 1976 bought a one-week ticket in New York. Travelled along the Great Lakes, down into the great plains, over the Rockies and through Death Valley to San Francisco. Straddled the Pacific en route to LA and back east via Texas and the deep south. Back in New York with less than an hour to spare, thanks to the comprehensive routes on offer and drivers sticking diligently to the timetable. Incredible service then and sad to hear it's only a shadow of its former self.
My Late Grandfather drove for Greyhound after WW2 until he retired in the Early 1970's !! R.I.P. Captain Frank💪⚘
Wow
@Kilo Byte Honestly I dont know he had retired before I was born.
RIP Captain Frank
@@Ormonard Thankyou kindly🙏
I remember riding Greyhound back in the 80's, it was so much fun. One time though I got stuck with the back seat, next to the restroom, and the smell made me vomit twice. Lol
That must have been a shitty experience
Damn the smell is def bad and worse you embarrassed yourself by throwing up like a little baby hahahaha
Never again will i ride graydog
Got nauseous just thinking of the smell of the chemical toilet mixed with diesel bus fumes.....
@@Brutal_truthus 🤢🤮
The people, landscape, background music, the stories…I feel like I’m watching Every Which Way But Lose
Proud driver 2008-...have worked out of Cincinnati, Columbus, Syracuse, Orlando, Cleveland, Tallahassee, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Tampa FL...as well as all of the places those terminals service. I have wanted this job since childhood...and have now been doing it since my 20s. Did I mention I started off as a baggage guy.
Glad you like it.
Yes Sir!! MY Hometown Orlando fla The John Young Pwy Terminal
That's awesome
The Dog got me out of a bad situation once and once only. Life lesson and I'm glad the Dog was there.
Enjoyable documentary
My mom what is terminal manager of LA bus depot and we took a bus all the way to Chicago and back when I was in the eighth grade. I still remember that trip today and it was fun😎
Greyhound used to be such a wonderful way to travel, and had outstanding customer service back in the 80s and 90s. After 2005ish, thing really went downhill to the point where people avoid it at all costs, and even a lot of the staff are ashamed to even admit working for them. Being a Greyhound driver used to be something people were damn proud of. Sadly, those days are long gone- especially in Canada because they literally ran the company into the ground to the point where Greyhound Canada doesn’t even exist anymore.
As a retired greyhound driver in Canada I have to agree, it’s such a shame, but it was a downward spiral for many years
Bus travel simply can't compete against low-cost (Southwest, WestJet), ultra-low-cost (Spirit) airlines over the distances in North America. Airline deregulation hit in the 80's and made this possible, combined with a general increase in standard of living. The one place in the US where short hops make bus travel competitive with air travel, the Northeast Corridor, decent high-speed rail came in starting 2000.
I think its also the prevalence of drugs - meth, crack and fentanyl - that is plaguing the cities where the bus stations are located.
A retired Greyhound Driver myself, 70's and 80's still prowd how I was part of an over 100 yr Company. With an ICON, owned by other countries (management, and a WEAK union) it has lost it's way! SO SAD.
@@straightpipediesel true story I used to travel from NYC to Atlantic City a 2 1/2 ride bus was is always full
Greyhound had trip planning like a travel agency...with tickets to each stop, siteseeing and hotel.. we went from Chicago to LA with stops in between on the double-decker bus in 1967...you had actual meal stops, NOT McDonalds (was none...lol) at a Howard Johnson's for a full, hot meal...my dad worked for Santa Fe (for those who don't know, this was when trains WERE wonderful) so we traveled every summer ...wow!!, .wonderful memories..🤗
They didn't have McDonalds back in your day? How Old are you🤣
I'm lovin it!
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It's a cool story
McDonald's is entering its own struggles. I wonder if in 20 years time we'll be looking at McDonald's wondering what happened to them...
It is so fascinating to have a glimpse into the lives of so many people.
Brings back a lot of memories for this old man. Rode many miles on the bus during the 50s & 60s in my Marine Corps years as a passenger and then as a Greyhound Driver in the timeframe of this documentary.
I expected a Greyhound promo, but what this is, is a slice of American life a third of a century ago.
Those over 60 will feel a little sad...
Life before cell phones, kids...
Yes you are right Chris, I am 68 an d almost shed a tear to see how the world has deteriorated.And if one thinks further back the change is far more and worse..
@@andrewharvey6400 I’m 62 and I can say thank god the “world” has changed! I don’t get called racial epithets as much as I did in 1989!
Cops don’t hassle me either like they did back then!
Oh I’m African American by the way so now you know I have no interest in returning to those times!
I'm 21 and not even American, but the documentary really surprised me. People seemed genuine and didn't have any problems talking with strangers about themselves and their families. Nowadays they're all about themselves on their smartphones and nobody talks with anybody.
You shouldn't though forget the progress we've made in human rights, technology, and the general well-being of the populace at large..
I was born in 1953. A "little sad" I think would be an understatement. We have watched Greyhound decline to the point it is now. It used to be really nice.
@@iliaderry8212 well people dont want to talk to strangers you also taught not to plus people cant be trusted now a days
This was a beautiful film the people and the moving landscape were the stars, not forgetting the marvellous Studs Terkel narration.
I love this documentary. Brings back memories of when I was a child, mom and I traveled to Arkansas one summer then to Michigan the next summer. It was fun being a child. I loved hearing that Detroit diesel engine roaring, shifting gears. We traveled on Trailways buses in the 70s.
It looks like a good small organized camera crew. Good editing and producing. Nicely done.
I took a greyhound from Philadelphia to Oakland California. I probably wouldn’t do it again but it was a great memory
Some of these shots are soo good, like the view from inside the tractor trailer and the greyhound bus passing by. And the shot of from inside a radio broadcasting station with another greyhound bus on its merry way. Fantastic!
Riding Greyhound today is far from how nice it used to be.
The High Priestess well not really but it just depends on the situation. You should be fine.
The High Priestess It’s not bad at all. Just be aware of your surroundings and you’ll be fine.
@The High Priestess it's not bad but a far cry from what it was.
they all look crazy as fuck!
Yup, today you should take an Amtrak train instead.
In 1990 , I traveled for 4 weeks all across the USA . It was my first time in the US and it was during a Greyhound drivers strike. They brought in drivers from truck companies and other bus companies and there were some scary moments at some of the bus stations from the picketing Greyhound drivers. On one occasion on an overnight journey, a car ran alongside the bus and the passenger in the car threw a balloon filled with paint right into the windscreen of our bus and the screen was covered. The driver did well to keep his cool and not have an accident. Seeing all the places and meeting so many people on my travels on the Greyhound made it a truly fantastic and unforgettable experience.
15:39 "Marry me and I'll buy you a Cadillac." HAHA nice pickup line.
he never said a new Cadillac, that could have been a used Cadillac Cimarron
I don’t think she was falling for it, though
Starting working at Greyhound in Central Wisconsin in 1987. I was 15 years old. Worked there all the way through High School up until I left for College. Oh the stories... I grew up real quick. Wouldn't change a thing. The best years ever. The best.
Thanks for sharing
Look at the days of no cell phones, where people actually spoke to and acknowledged one another.
YES!! YES!!!... people made new friends, exchanged numbers...you actually held a CONVERSATION...lol... now people don't have friends, they have "followers"..smh
Unfortunately people on the greyhounds refuse to not vocally acknowledging EVERYONE
It probably isn't their only means of expression, conversation & connection. @Sad But Rad
Sorry, I would much rather be entertained with my cell phone, than twiddling my thumbs
Back in those days, people had to bring along extra quarters to make phone calls, watch TV, play Pac-Man and grab a snack or soda while waiting for the next Greyhound Bus to their next destination...
My dad was a driver for 37 years and only 2 accident I believe in his whole career
I love the peoples stories.
I took that exact bus route in reverse order, Chicago to Seattle, back in 1992. The bus was filled with kids heading to Job Corps, drug runners and perverts.
How many times did you have to poop?🙈
@@williampierce4513 I didn't keep a written tally and since it was 29 years ago my memory of the amount of time I pooped escapes me, but if I were to guess I'd say 3 times. I hope that answer satisfies the reason why you asked. Whatever floats your boat dude, who am I to judge.
Don’t forget felons fresh out of prison!
Wow, I remember this time frame. I was feeling it was early 80s but I looked back and see it's 89. It's so crazy to be able to look and think back of this time. Thanks.
Rode Greyhound between Bakersfield and Los Angeles a few times back in 90/91. It was very basic at the time and most of the riders were those who could not afford a car or a plane ticket. The seats were cheap vinyl and the floor was rubber. I remember the driver having to really gear down to pass through the mountains between the two cities. We were traveling like 30-40 Mph climbing and , then, descending so the bus would not stall on the way up or run away on the way down. Cars and trucks were wizzing by us. It still brought us safely and efficiently to downtown L.A. or Bakersfield in the other direction for about fifteen dollars in fare!
I’m from Bakersfield myself. I rode greyhound all the time from Bakersfield to las cruces New Mexico and back many times among many other destinations
Lol.
Still have every single ticket stub from many, many trips all over the country and Canada.
Great times!
Awesomeness! This takes me back to high school and college/trade schools. My dad was a bus driver as well, although for Trailways, not Greyhound. Still, during summer break, I rode around all over Colorado with my dad. He called me his "official coffee dispenser."
My dad left Trailways shortly before Greyhound took over the parent company. He went to trade school and got into aircraft maintenance.
If you want to look at another angle of America's past/history and it's people who live there,I have to say, "Have a look at this!"
Instead of the usual historical glorification of major hubs like ,Hollywood,Las Vegas,the Big Apple with Broadway and it's stars,also the nations politics and armed forces,national landmarks and sports doco's(which is great),this looks at something completely different.The real diversity of America's heartland right across the nation and all of it's inhabitants,away from the spotlight,as it was back then.
Once I started to watch,it drew me further and further in,and could not move until the end.I've never seen anything like this before.What a wonderful insight to the American people and their way of life,as it was.This is real America to me.This was a breath of fresh air.
Thankyou so much for posting!
Childhood memories .... What more can you say .. If you are from the south you know how this line of transport makes one feel , the late night stops at roadside eateries, the never ending rolling hills and rural scenery .... I remember getting motion sickness frequently as a child when we were riding deep into North Carolina and someone kindley offered my mother a plastic bag for me to Chunk up in .. Good times hahaa
I remember Greyhound was looking for new bus drivers, and it was 1989, and I was a young man looking for a good paying job that involves travel, so I interviewed for the job, but was not hired. Oh well.
I LOVE that red, white and blue livery of those MC-9s.
*I remember watching this doc when it came on PBS. I had taken 'the dog' from Louisiana to Los Angeles around 1981 and loved seeing this film. I mostly remember the elderly couple who said they got a contact high from the pot smokers sitting behind them, LOL.*
Since smoking isn't allowed on intercity buses, I'm going to assume you are joking..
@@thomasjsanford9991 used to be able to smoke at the back of the bus.There were ashtrays built in the seats.
@@bookerk4388 Exactly! I remember once we got into liberal/progressive California I think people went from smoking tobacco to Weed in the back of the bus. Today they might smoke weed on the bus no matter what state they are in. Back then they would check for fruit flies if you had fruit when leaving California, but they never checked for dope. Those were the days!! LOL!
@@littlecasino60 They do not allow any smoking on Greyhound, and if they catch you they will stop the bus and kick you off at any random place, including right beside the freeway, unless you beg and plead really hard, at least, that's what I have been told. It does not seem to matter what you are smoking, just that you are smoking.
My mom taped this for me when it first aired because she knew how I liked the bus trips we used to take from Chicago to see her parents in West Virginia.
I still remember the old Chicago bus terminal featured in this documentary, and even things such as those plastic chairs with the coin operated TVs attached to them.
Thanks to the uploader. I haven't watched this in decades.
My advice,only use the restroom only in emergencies.
i can only imagie
Don't eat before the trip or during the trip so you don't have to use the bathroom
I will go for that. The Marin AIrPorter buses from Marin County to SF International are the same make and model is Greyhound buses, and I can say from experience when I was younger, try not to use the restroom on the buses.
Do people go in the restrooms when they rail fat lines of cocaine? Or just do bumps in your seats?
@@jimmyc6686 yes
I love videos like this, shows how everyone even just on a bus has a unique story of their life and journey.
Just watching this documentary, I am reminded of my time riding the Dog. My mother and I would travel to Clarksdale, Ms from Milwaukee, and you looked forward to the trip. Between Chicago and Memphis, we would stop in places like Effingham, IL, and Sikeston, MO, on our way down south. Kind of miss those days.
What did I just watch? My god this is my time and it seems so ancient. Hard to convince me it wasn't a better time. Not some things have changed, everything has changed. So glad to have found this. Thanks.
What's amazing to me is I was 19 when the film was shot. Watching it now, 33 years later, it seems like it was a totally different era; a different way of life in America. I almost feel like I'm watching a film from the 1950's. Strange that things have changed so much, but I really hadn't realized it until I watched this.
Thanks for bringing that up. I was 22 then, but I feel I was seeing an America from the early 60's.
Its interesting they were talking about farms being bought by corporations in the 80's.
Only the best of us were born in 1970.
I've rode greyhounds Philly to LA and back probably 20 times since I was 4 in the early 80s and always had a blast and met cool people and had great experiences seeing the US .. Honestly can't wait to have the adventure again 😁😊
This was surprisingly a lot more enjoyable and fascinating than I originally thought it'd be when I clicked on the video
28:55 Jennie "Jane" E. Smith 1890-1994... Jane passed away March 12th 1994... 33 years ago today March 12th 2022 my mother's birthday 71st birthday... when I was younger I wish I would have talked with the older people because they possessed a wealth of information that is now gone forever
Have you looked up anymore from the video?
I loved being a greyhound driver...Not a moment I don't dream about driving grey blue dawg
Have u drove to Wilmington Delaware
Hey bro...subscribe to my channel. Didn't know you were on RUclips
@@LeeDfined ok
@@45bjleigh anything along 95 I touched....I'm finna look at my map to make sure I have.....I remember the Delaware house...
I love seeing the world and people back in the 80s, i was born in the 90s but it’s nostalgic nonetheless
Totally! I was born in 84 so don't remember much of the 80s either but I tend to feel like it was a better time. I dunno it probably just was though since times seem like they always are getting worse.
This is amazing. No cell phones. People talked to each other. Strangers talking…wow.
It was a different world back then. I remember visiting Paris before cell phones became popular.
You ever seen the pictures of people with their heads buried in a magazine or newspaper? People back then found way to avoid talking to folks. If you despise that behavior, though, I hope you adapt your own accordingly and don’t have your face on your phone when you’re out in public.
Horrifying, isn't it?
Fantastic documentary that gets to the heart of America....
Thank you for posting this in its complete form. I use to drive this night run from Seattle to Billings MT. It was a four day return back to Seattle run with overnights in St Regis and Billings. Beautiful scenery especially Montana big sky nights. Winter driving was a challenge especially Look Out Pass. You has to be on your game on the night run, black ice, deer, wildlife, ect. Probably the most challenging run of my career but the one that I remember most fondly and made me more skillful.
maybe you were my driver a time or two, i caught many a Hound out of my hometown of Livingston.
Wow, was your run before the '87 merger with Trailways? I always thought driver runs broke at Spokane, Butte, and Billings.
@@thegodblogger3812 I started after the 1990 strike ended. In 2004 Greyhound cut hundreds of small town stops between Seattle and Chicago. The Billings MT drivers board was then disbanded. Schedules 1274/1276 EB (Seattle to Billings) would then cut and pull to Jefferson Lines in Billings and we would run back to Seattle. Later on we would cut in Missoula, now it is Spokane.
@@skinnerhound2660 Ok. So much changed after 1990. Thanks for the info.
Back in the 90's, my sophomore year in high school, saved up $ from my 1st job to take a Greyhound from NYC to Washington state and then a ferry to Alaska. Some trip...thanks for the nostalgia.
I remember being 5 or 6 traveling with my mom and dad and having long conversations with complete strangers. It was so much fun
that's the year I rode on this Greyhound Bus with my mom, and older brother to come back to my hometown(Bainbridge, Ga) from Fredericksburg, VA back in summer '89 when I was 1-3 months shy of 1 years of age.
This is incredible. Really well done. Makes me wish I was alive to experience life in the 80’s.
I was and it was great! Rode the dog from Florida to West Virginia. 80s was a great time to be alive and young to.
I was 17 in 1989 and it was an amazing, simpler time
28:55 Wow! Amazing to hear from a woman who was born in 1890. She definitely didn’t look that old. I wonder what became of her..:
she died
@@rickross8172 Of course she died, but I wonder how much longer she lived after this. And what happened to her motel? She just seems like an interesting character of a long lost time.
I said the same thing! The experience was awesome actually seeing & hearing a person from the 1800’s! What an experience 🤟🏾🌹
She lived to 103 or 104
She's still trying to get her courting down. Lol
My Daddy was a Greyhound bus driver for 15 years in Virginia. I rode many times with him. What I would give to have those days back. This documentary brought back all the memories and this is how I remember traveling on Greyhound with my Daddy.
Oh yeah,
What an experience it was for me crossing from San Francisco to Philly back in 1988.. Standard ticket 🎫 price was $ 58 bucks. Took me 16 buses to my destination... What a long trip it was!
Now it’s only two. New York to Los Angeles, sometimes signed for Denver, sometimes signed for LA, then in LA a northbounder, forget what it’s signed.
now its most likey triple that price
Let me tell you, 58 bucks in 88? That's not that cheap I say. It's like what 130ish today?
I rode the dog as a kid when my parents sent me to gramma's for the summer, we'd make one stop to pick up other riders and I always went into buy one of the homemade dates squares, I'm not a loner but I really enjoyed being on my own on these trips, riding the dog and watching the world go by while munching on a tasty date square. Ride on dog.
I rode the gray dog from canton Ohio back to Orlando over the Christmas season what a trip it took 28 hrs n even on the express it still hit every little town in 2003
Anyone who thinks greyhound sucks should take a greyhound in the Northeast Corridor (DC to Boston). The busses I took from DC to NYC and Philly had leather seats, were clean and always on time. It's amazing what a little healthy competition will do for a business.
I took a Greyhound from Atlanta all the way to Vegas during the peak of the summer. Took 7 days to get there due to the busses breaking down and layovers.
Imagine my experience.
@@uglyhobo4602 That sounds rough, man. I wish there was another bus company that went nationwide.
I use to ride the Greyhound bus from NYC to Los Angeles (2000-2004). I have met some fine folks on the hound as well as some sketchy ones. Until I did this route, I really did not know how big Texas truly was. Usually, it took over 24 hours just to travel through that state alone. On average, it took me about 68 hours to complete the trip from coast to coast. Fun times! 👊😊👊
I rode The Hound for years and before Reagan deregulated the travel industry The Hound went everywhere. After that, the service died off to small towns. They kept only profitable routes. It killed one of the most unique travel experiences in the US.
The only thing constant in life is change.
You are so right. Before dereg Greyhound was king, lots of routes, convenient schedules, professional service, the works. Dereg killed intercity bus travel, and as far as customer service it killed the airlines too.
@@thegodblogger3812 Given how much new funding Amtrak has and the new, much more competent (and very activist) management team at Amtrak, I wouldn't be surprised if they get their 2035 route network built out, at which point, I wouldn't be surprised if Amtrak ends up as the last long distance travel method standing.
This feels me with nostalgia from the last period of which this service was Great❤ In 2001 I rode from Chicago to Georgia....23hr Trip with my then 3 year old Son. Most people were Friendly & excited to get going, Drivers were Great Bus Host, Clean and bustling Bus stations some of which had Great Food. I ended up having to take the Greyhound recently to Wisconsin dells with my Family because the Train tickets we needed were sold out. It...was....Disgusting and depressing. Mostly displaced travelers and inmates recently released. It was filthy, littered with homeless vagrants and addicts, the Driver didn't speak until 2 hrs into the trip...I worried I might be on the wrong bus since there was NO pull off conformation. It's sad what happened to this service, it's still the cheapest way to travel but gone are the days when you could just sit back and appreciate the trip making friends along the way😪😪 R.I.P Greyhound. Their days are numbered.
Great post. Riding the bus when i was a kid was always a big adventure and like you said, the bus stations were always bustling and packed. At least you had the good memories from the past.
@@markmcc78 So true and I'm really Greatful now.
@@Ladybug-no9sc 🙌
Greyhound Canada just closed friday May 13 2021.
Leave the driving to us
@@paulramsey8187 Wow
Yes.I recall my days traveling either Greyhound,or Trailways.On those long trips,you get to meet some very interesting people somewhat intimately.I recall leaving Ft.Benning,Georgia headed back home to Philly.That trip seemed to take forever.Back in the 70's,smoking was allowed in the back of the bus.Briefly passing through small towns,wondering what is like there.For better or worse,I still love my nation-
There goes my childhood 😢 . The Greyhound and Trailways was a take away from real life. I miss those
awesome road trips from Montreal to New York, rip Greyhound Canada.
I really miss Studs Terkel. Great film, thanks for posting.
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it. I just uploaded another documentary with Studs Terkel which you may like.. ruclips.net/video/1BuCGy1ZRX8/видео.html
How is Studs today?
@@bendover9411 Dead
R.I.P. Greyhound Canada. I had many great adventures with you and never even once almost had my head cut off. So many bus stories, great times.
i got the reference.
Greyhound Canada was the best!! Did the Edmonton to Calgary many times, Calgary had a large station and it was always busy. At that time via rail also had train service so the 2 companies had competition, I think a one way trip either on a bus or train was around $15 cheap way to ride between major cities. You could also fly but that was more cost
Some sad & depressing stories in this vid here 😔
I've missed the older MCI Coaches like the 102A3 96A3 and the MCI MC9 Crusader ii Coaches those were blast from the past
Yeah... I have an MCI MC9 that I love. It has a great sound to it!
Yes, I cut my teeth on those.
I learned on mc7 crash box 4 speeds. In 1980. Went through a 6 week course in Seattle. Final was a 10 day road trip. Mt Saint Helen's messed it up.
The people you meet on Greyhound are pretty down to earth, I'd call it the workingman's transportation. This is a beautiful country and people should explore it more thoroughly than just driving past on the interstate. Even in the desert there is so much going on. I like to take a walk around the town and it's amazing how much you can learn by just walking around and talking to people. To me the bus always represented freedom. There was a time when I got on the bus to go live in a city where I didn't know anyone to start a new life. It's there for any one of us who can't stand the same old BS in their hometown.
it was like that in the 1980s but not now. if someone takes a bus somewhere and they don't have any money they're going to end up living on the streets
Depends on the town and how you look tbh, but yeah that sounds nice.
Down to earth? That's putting it mildly.
I love the sound of those old school MCI buses, especially the 8s and the 9s with the automatic transmissions.
21:42 Man openly admits to robbing a bank to finance his current ranch. No big deal.
Gotta love statute of limitations
@@h.mflagler356
Statute.
@@polyphemus1268 thanks
😆 yikes 😬 was thinking the same
That's Greyhound!
😂😂Funny how my eyes are yelling at the low resolution and they were quite content watching this in black and white back in 1989.
I miss the old 😪 U.S of A I was born in 1965 that bus is true American classic.
In 77, turned 18 rode from Montreal Canada to LA, one way ticket, hundred bucks in my pocket and a broken arm. Never looked back. Fond memory, thank you for uploading this.
As a Dutch tourist I travelled by Greyhound twice. In 1975 the east side USA on a planned 10 days trip with one and the same driver and again in 1989 on a coast to coast trip from New York to San Francisco. I still have fond memories (and lot's of film and video) of these trips!
We would love to see any video and photos taken during your Greyhound travels.
I could do that. Never thought about it. I also have some Super8 film of my trip in 1975.
Good Documentary. The times back then so much better than now. I was convinced on a Greyhound bus back in 78. My parents were on way to West Virginia ha ha ha ha
I remember Greyhounds slogan some 50 years ago. "Take the BUS, and leave the driving to US. The last time I took it from SC to Iowa took 3.5 days each way with a total of 33 hours worth of layovers! Never again. It did no good for my sciatica, either!
I have driven the 1,000 miles several times and it took me 8 hours one day and seven the next. It is a whole lot more relaxing for me.
I get to my halfway point at 4 PM and have the entire evening to relax before heading out around 7 the next morning.
Easier to fly in an aeroplane ma’am.
This is the best documentary I have watched for a long time...
Tried riding the dog on my first US trip. Took the ride from DC to Harrisburg then LA to SanFrancisco. I knew the company is pass its golden days but it was still a nice experience. A true american experience.
Kickass, Can I take a bus back to 1989? I would like that. Great video, thanks.
16:25 my hometown of Livingston, Montana makes an appearance! I rode Greyhounds all the time while growing up in MT. Even would ride just from Livingston to Bozeman (25 miles) for the fun of it! Too bad Greyhound ended their thru Seattle to Chicago route--which usually could be done without switching buses!. Now its a patchwork of buses and bus companies one must take to do the route. So glad i found this documentary!
I never traveled by Greyhound but Mother did. She would come in from Beaumont, Texas To New Iberia Louisiana to visit us. The Greyhound Station was locked near by my Grandfather’s office Perry Burke Concrete. He would pick her up & surprise me & my siblings. It was always a ❤️JOY❤️
I live in Lake Charles, LA and I took the bus to New Orleans once or twice, and then to Los Angeles (something that I would never do again. A two day bus ride. NO FUN AT ALL.) This was back in the '80s. I can barely make it across town nowadays.
I loved riding the Greyhound north to south when I was a kid in the 60's - so many complain about buses but I got to ride on the SuperScenicruiser dual deck version and loved it.