Would You Take a $1 Bus?
Cheap busing, the discount air travel of yesteryear, has not exactly been a growth sector recently, but at least one company believes rising gas prices will cause Americans to reenact their glory years of throwing spitballs from the back seat. The UK company Megabus (based Stateside in Chicago) just announced plans to expand its Midwestern bus service to several new cities, the AP reports-- so someone must be taking them, right?
Actually, the Megabus mode of operations should sound quite similar to East Coast tightwads trying to get from New York to Boston or Washington D.C. The absence of brick-and-mortar terminals for the new service is pure Fung Wah--the low-cost, super-speedy Chinatown service which promises $20 tickets in exchange for a somewhat cavalier attitude towards security. On the other hand, the prospect of $1 fares may not necessarily mean the engine is hamster-powered. And after February's JetBlue nightmares, customers in the discount market may prefer to take a vehicle that they can leave mid-trip without being re-screened (and that has to stop for fuel). It's worth a $2 try at least. Besides, we kind of have a crush on the man in the logo.
[Photo: Joe Dunckley]
Related Stories:
· Bus line appeals to shoestring travelers [CNN]
· Megabus US [Official Site]
Leave a Comment
Not yet a member? Click here to become a member.
Already a member? Login below: