Battle of the Scottish Buses
WEDNESDAY: This week it's exquisitely quiet in the university library where I work. Lunch on this post-holiday-weekend pretend Monday is haloumi with red pepper and spicy papaya chutney, and some strawberries that actually have some taste: like strawberries, to be exact.
According to an article in yesterday's Guardian, Tesco is not alone in its contribution to Britain conquering America. First Group, the company that owns all the First buses, purchased the Greyhound Bus network last year, and this week it intends to launch Bolt Buses, a budget alternative, in the northeastern US. Meanwhile Stagecoach, First's UK rival, started its Megabus coach service in the Midwest two years ago, adding a second Los Angeles hub last summer with current plans to move into the Northeast and New York City. This is where the battle commences, with First and Stagecoach competing for the lion's share of affordable luxury cross-country bus connections..
It's been a very long time since I rode a Greyhound bus across America. As I got older and could afford it, I preferred to take the train instead. In the US this meant Amtrak, which was probably luxury enough in that sleeping in a reclining coach seat was the only way to travel overnight, as the sleeping compartments were way too dear for the average person. And the glass-ceilinged Dome Car was the place to enjoy the scenery while sipping a cocktail. The only Greyhound Bus-style ride I've taken in recent years was a short jaunt between Portland and Astoria, Oregon, on a RAZ bus. And even though the journey was no more than two hours I am happy to report that there was country music piped in the entire way, which is definitely a classic Greyhound experience..
In this current US bus takeover, I'm afraid I'm rooting for Stagecoach, not just because it was a First bus that ran over me and fractured my pelvis three years ago - although an experience like that obviously might prejudice me a bit. I've always liked Stagecoach better because the drivers seem friendlier in general and they're a hell of a lot more reasonable with their fares. For instance, during a weekday if I catch the 52 bus from Sheffield City Centre to Crookes, the fare on a First 52 is an astronomical £1.70, where the Stagecoach 52 charges only a quid. Seeing as how my current schedule involves taking a bus back from town two times a week, waiting a few more minutes for a Stagecoach will save me £1.40 a week. And when you're living on slave wages like I am, this is substantial..
If these two Scottish bus companies already have experience operating coach services in America, how come bus fares in the UK are so much higher relative to the cost of living than they are in the States? Someone once told me that Sheffield has the highest bus fares in the UK. When I first moved to Seattle I was refreshingly surprised to discover how cheap the buses were, and anyone can still ride any bus inside the downtown corridor for free. If you have to catch two buses the transfer system in Seattle and elsewhere is brilliant: upon payment of your fare on any bus you receive a timed transfer which allows you to catch a connecting bus before the transfer expires, which usually gives you 2 or 3 hours. Alternatively, if you're taking a bus to do a ten-minute errand, the transfer allows you to catch a bus back home on the same fare. Why can't they do this in Sheffield? I mean, the day saver passes you can buy save you money only if you're catching 3 or more buses. They're completely useless otherwise, just like a jar of Marmite with a hole in the centre.
