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I understand peoples frustration with this company and submit here my letter of resignation so people will understand that the staff are as frustrated as the public. I post it here as actual company contacts are limited to what can be found on the website.
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Steve Zimmerman, employee #6353 out of the Edmonton division. I hit the board on March 15th 2008 & pulled my last trip on Saturday, June 21st, schedule # 105 Edmonton to Fort McMurray, after which I resigned to dispatch & cushioned home. I might have handed my resignation to someone in management had I known who was in charge of Edmonton but in three months time, that was never made clear to me. Let me start by saying your company is quite possibly the worst run national brand ever. What was once a national symbol of pride is now an industry joke; what was once the standard for ground transportation in this country is now the people's last choice. Fortunately for you, customers will always be available to you as is evident by the number of crackheads who rely on your spotty service, perhaps just airbrush a glass pipe in the mouth of the dog & a whole new revenue stream may open up to you.
What has gone wrong? depleted fleet, lack of direction, the worst people skills of any industry, low pay, convoluted log book input requirements, lack of company input & resources, misguided attempts at "safety management" no visible signs of a company commitment to improve things, no local management, lowest paid mechanics in the industry, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Six grounded G-model buses here in Edmonton due to stress fractures in the motor mounts, where is the genius who decided Mexican built buses would be good for Canadian roads & winters? Promoted no doubt. Where's the accountability? Who is going to "man up" & run this once proud company efficiently? Certainly not your people. I realize you don't want to hear from people like me & that Greyhound is no place for strong minded individuals, you require ### kissing yes men who never question & who pass the buck when pressed. You have hundreds of years of driving experience in your Edmonton depot alone, yet not one driver sits upstairs! You should have 3 driver liaisons at least, they would know & understand what drivers go through on a regular basis, not these empty headed college drop outs who don't have the skills or the courage to look a man in the eye & deal with a situation.
Wanna fix it? Open your wallet, enlarge your fleet, fumigate the office of bad management, promote from within, treat drivers & staff with dignity & respect, fill your garage with the best in the business & pay them as such and stop wasting time with B.S. memo's and edicts about reverse parking, safety vests and other time wasters which treat the drivers like six year olds. We back 45-ft coaches with trailers attached around corners in driving snow, just because a Dallas executive wiped out his BMW after a 6 martini lunch trying to back out of a sunny parking lot is no reason to treat us like children.
I don't expect any reply from you as there is no evidence of anyone with any intestinal fortitude or courage involved with this company. Just continue with your collective heads in the sand(and for many of you, up your ###) & hope someone else pays for your incompetence.
Mr. Zimmerman: you are a whinny-type personality. I have come across people like you who think they know everything and that everything could be easily solved if someone like you were in charge. There is a reason you do not make it into the ranks of management - your attitude. I do not work in the bus indusrty, I run a small profitable trucking company in Ontario.
Of course I may be wrong in my observations of you however it is unlikely. Who resigns to a dispatcher? a complainer thats who, someone who can't substantiate thier claims and accusations. I am guessing that Greybound is glad to be rid of you.
I do know athing or two about trucks and buses, your claim of "Mexicam Made" buses: educate yourself, MCI is a world leader and they manufacture in Canada, USA and Mexico - in fact thier buses are designed for Canada which is why they are so durable.
You should act like a man and stop complaining. Your wife, co-workers and employer will thank you for it and maybe even have more respect for you.
Nice one Steve!
After 3 months on the board you know everything?
Highly unlikely.
Wow! I can't believe it. You whine worse than a two year old.
You might have some credibility had you waited and watched and listened for, let's say ten or twenty years.
You did offer to reimburse Greyhound for their wasted time training you didn't you? Or did you just train with the best in the business and come to your own conclusions?
3 Months, it's just so hard to believe you acquired a lifetime of info on a respectable company in just 3 months.
My name is Laurence Greene. I'm a Greyhound Coach Operator from Winnipeg, Mb..
I have been driving professionally since I was 19 years old. I have driven Taxi, Limo, delivery trucks, courier, short and long haul transports, and buses. I have 35 years professional experience driving. I also have Security supervisory experience acquired at the Winnipeg terminal, so you see I might have some idea of what I'm writing about.
So, let's get this right:
You have Greyhound train you at no cost to you (they even give you a training allowance).
You operate a coach for only 3 months and at the same time, research Greyhound's past, present, and future, in your spare time (which you didn't have a whole lot of unless you booked off often), you have or gain an incredible amount of knowledge on heavy duty mechanics and become a highway coach guru.
You complain about pretty much everything, so what was so appealing about going to work for Greyhound in the first place? By that, I mean, when you applied, or did Greyhound come knocking on your door because you were so very valuable to them?
I'll tell you a secret:
The six grounded G-model coaches with stress fractures were grounded due to safety concerns and Greyhound's mechanics caught that in regular safety inspections.
The reverse parking and high visibility vests promote a safe environment.
The clientele are people too and are under The Charter of Rights, which means they can't be refused service unless they cause a problem. Which does happen from time to time and the staff deal with the problem as best as they can, security and/or police are called from time to time.
Safety and security go hand in hand and are NOT without cost. So you see, Greyhound has "opened their wallets" before you even hit the board, and certainly "opened their wallets" to you in paying for your training and possibly license upgrade.
Obviously you don't have "any intestinal fortitude or courage", or you might have stuck it out longer than 3 months. You probably didn't even talk to your union rep or management, or you would have known who to hand your resignation to.
I believe that you have no respect for anyone, Greyhound, the drivers, the mechanics, the management, the clientele, or the profession in general, and no respect for yourself, or you would not be disrespecting those who have trained you and those who put the food in your mouth. That said, maybe you and Greyhound are better off without you in the ranks.
You might have had practical experienced in professional driving and management, but all I see is a whiner.
Regards,
Laurence Greene
3rd year with Greyhound Canada, and loving it.
Reply to email received:
Quote: "E-Mail from "Steve Zimmerman" to "Laurence Greene" (www.complaintsboard.com)
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Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:33:54 -0700
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Hey Larry, thanks for your comments, I'm sure you've heard opinions are like ###s; everybody has one, yours just seem to be connected. I expressed my complaints at a forum which allowed me to do just that, the "complaints board" hence your vein of thinking is that every writer here can be considered a whiner, but pigeons like you are so easy to shoot down, let me go over it point by point;
1) 10 or 20 years? how long are you going to be a doormat larry?
2) offer reimbursment? They save a ton of money on "yes men" like you larry who question nothing.
3) They did come knocking on my door; as you know, they are desperately short of drivers here in Albeta & have been augmenting with drivers from B.C. & Sask.
4) Those buses were grounded by DOT officials who spent 2 days in June at the Edmonton garage inspecting buses & driver logs.
5) the "clientele" are pieces of ### as was evident by last wednesday's actions. So my assessment was spot on while your "security expierience" did not allow you to see the writing on the wall.
6) I don't hide behind the skirts of a pathetically ineffective union. My rep had his chance & did nothing. unions are for the weak of mind & spirit. Stand up for yourself Larry!
7) the only person who puts food in my mouth is me. I simply decide who I'll work for, how & when. it's the Alberta advantage... it's worked out pretty well too, 3 cars, a harley, a million dollar home & a place in Osoyoos B.C.
8) you are almost right about one thing Larry, it's just that you got it backwards; I'm better off without Greyhound; but then again, I'm not going to lose my head about it!
Regards,
Steve " Unquote
First of all, no on second thought let’s go over it point by point so YOU can understand.
You said: “Hey Larry, thanks for your comments, ”
Hey! No problem, but the name is Laurence, not Larry, Stevie.
Stevie said: “I'm sure you've heard opinions are like ###s; everybody has one, yours just seem to be connected.”
I can definitely see that in your defensive statements.
Stevie said: “I expressed my complaints at a forum which allowed me to do just that, the "complaints board" hence your vein of thinking is that every writer here can be considered a whiner, “
Yes, but some people have a point.
Stevie said: “but pigeons like you are so easy to shoot down, let me go over it point by point;”
Are you absolutely sure you want to do that?
Stevie said: “1) 10 or 20 years? how long are you going to be a doormat larry?”
So your idea of a “doormat” is that if I disagree with you I should shut-up?
Stevie said: “2) offer reimbursment?”
Absolutely. If you are not satisfied with something you would want your money back, so, be a man, and at least offer them some reimbursement, after all you have 3 cars, a Harley, a million dollar home & a place in Osoyoos B.C.
Stevie said: “They save a ton of money on "yes men" like you larry who question nothing.”
Actually if you knew me the terms “pigeon, doormat and yes men” are ridiculous, probably because management and the instructors get a little miffed because I always ask questions, only mine are pertinent and I probably cost them more money due to my concerns. Get it?
Stevie said: “3) They did come knocking on my door; as you know, they are desperately short of drivers here in Albeta & have been augmenting with drivers from B.C. & Sask.”
Ahh! It must be nice to be in that high demand. Oh! You can count Ontario and Manitoba in on the Augments too.
Stevie said: “4) Those buses were grounded by DOT officials who spent 2 days in June at the Edmonton garage inspecting buses & driver logs.”
It’s not surprising, was your log book correctly done?
Stevie said: “5) the "clientele" are pieces of ### as was evident by last wednesday's actions. So my assessment was spot on while your "security expierience" did not allow you to see the writing on the wall.”
Stevie, your “spot on” assessment is wrong, as you are. It was an freak isolated incident. The driver, who was not you, obviously finished his duties, going well beyond what you did, when your thing happened. He’s actually a hero because he got everyone else off the bus and nobody else was injured badly, also he helped contain the individual until the police arrived. See, far more than you are capable of.
Stevie said: “6) I don't hide behind the skirts of a pathetically ineffective union. My rep had his chance & did nothing. unions are for the weak of mind & spirit. Stand up for yourself Larry!”
Stevie, the union might be “pathetically ineffective “, but it is because there are those who will not let the union do their job, they would rather quit or not say anything.
Stevie said: “7) the only person who puts food in my mouth is me. I simply decide who I'll work for, how & when. it's the Alberta advantage... it's worked out pretty well too, 3 cars, a harley, a million dollar home & a place in Osoyoos B.C.”
Stevie, you are such a survivor, I take it you grow and hunt your own food, yeah right. lol
Stevie said: “8) you are almost right about one thing Larry, it's just that you got it backwards; I'm better off without Greyhound; but then again, I'm not going to lose my head about it!
Regards,
Steve”
Sounds like you lost your head a long time ago, Stevie.
Right backatcha,
Laurence
I have just had one of the worst experiences in my life on a greyhound bus. With the price of gas, I decided to take greyhound for an 8 hr round trip to see a friend in Canada. I was treated like a criminal, bossed around, a part of my arms length of tickets was taken by "accident" by the greyhound employee checking on one of the legs and I was MADE TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT. I had booked online, asked them to look at the reservation and re-issue me a ticket. They told me I had STOLEN it and was trying to use it again. I am a 27 year old teacher. I was dressed in jeans and a pull over sweater, I am sure I don't look like a criminal. At one point the Greyhound employee looked at my purse and said I had the tickets in there, to which I asked him if he'd like to check for himself. I will be contacting corporate, although I'm sure it won't go anywhere.
the experience I have encountered with some of the slobs (drivers) is unfathomable. These are the guys with candy wrappers around their seats, shirts unbuttoned to show their freakishly hairy chests... one driver even patting my behind, whom am I more apprehensive of?
Cleanup your act greyhound! My Grandmother used to ride your busses safely, why can't I now!
I too also experienced the most horrendous ride of a lifetime. I travelled from North Bay to Winnipeg in January 2007 with my two children 12& 14 at the time. It was economical and thought good value at $600.00 Litle did I realize it would end up a 26 hour ride from hell that was nothing short of partying, screaming, yelling, fighting, excessive alchohol consumption and pot smoking that not one single driver took control of. I repeatedly complained, only to be taunted by the offenders. From fear of retaliation I kept quiet and vowed and delclared to NEVER EVER ride Greyhound again.
I share my experience with anyone who listens and hopes to deter them from subjecting themselves to Greyhounds rides from HELL!
Upon arriving back home I contacted Greyhound by phone, email, and snail mail, with no response other than. "We have done all we can to ensure the safety of our passengers". This is ###!
I have documentation of dates, times and drivers and nothing was done. At one point of travel near Thunder Bay the driver flagged down an RCMP WITH A FLASHLIGHT! to take control of 2 passengers in a fist fight...apparently she had "no radio contact" UNBELIEVABLE! Word of advice to anyone who considers travel by Greyhound...If you value your life, choose another mode of transportation. The drivers will do nothing to ensure your safety. J.S
VISA card charged twice for the same service!
Hi
My name is Patrick, I used your GPX service on Aug 30, 2008 to send some packages to Ottawa Ontario Canada from Edmonton Alberta Canada. Here is my problem, I sent 5 packages that cost $229.21 I have the waybill number ([protected])and fee, fine no problem it was put on my visa, however I checked my statment and I noticed that same day and
time I was charged $316.48 by Greyhound on my visa aswell. That makes two charges to my visa when I only should have paid for one. I contacted Visa and told them that I had not signed for the $316.48 charge. They told me that they would investigate the problem for me, but to try and reslove the issue with Greyhound in the meantime. So I contacted the manager of the station in Edmonton south location by the name of Linda Lavinge her number in Canada is area code [protected],
and she told me that yes I should not have been charged the $316.48 and would be refunded. It has been almost a month now and no corrective measures taken. It's not very professional.
Patrick
Greyhound is a shame. I got yelled and insulted at by a Greyhound employee at the Calgary depot because I needed my bags transferred between buses. Getting called a "###ing smart-###" and a "###" and other screams by this probable alcoholic or manic-depressive son of a ### made my trip from Calgary to Lethbridge a dreadful experience. To top it all, he kicked my bag into the bus, ordered me to get into the bus and called security WHEN HE WAS THE ONE YELLING AND OVERREACTING. I just politely asked that he helped me to move two bags between two buses that were forty meters apart.
NEVER AGAIN GREYHOUND! I WILL TAKE THIS TO CIVIL COURT IF IT'S NECESSARY. I WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS TREATMENT. YOU OWE ME BIG TIME. THANKS FOR HIRING UNSTABLE AND ALCOHOLIC PEOPLE AS YOUR STAFF!
I encourage people to look for other coach lines or alternative methods of transportation (carpooling, etc) in order to avoid the vonitive experience of dealing with the Greyhound "hard-working" staff. We need to boycott this joke of a company and give them a lesson.
R.
I am so angry...greyhound employs dishonest losers. Who ever you are that stole christmas presents out of our box sent on greyhound you are a low life! hope you enjoyed it ###... im going to make a huge deal out of this. I cant believe that your mail is not safe on the bus CHRISTMAS GIFTS U ###... I pray you get hit by a bus... ### eater!
I worked for Greyhound for 17 years, starting in 1978, as a woman, as a maintenace mechanic, as well as belonging to all 5 unions that represented all the employees. Almost every position had it's own union, all our contracts were up at different time, had different language as to how we could "strike" or support another union...it was a union and management master-mind! First greyhound buys Red Lines, Amador Stage lines, then declares bankruptcy and tells all it's employees they need to start working for minium wage or loose their jobs! I was one of the few (13) who belonged to teamsters, and our union representive told us to go "piss up a pole" ( I was the steward of our employees) We got no severance pay, (our union contract was still in effect for 2 years) we got nothing but the high road! Myself and another woman I worked with purchased our cleaning materials to do our jobs and summited receipts to district managers for re-inembersement to do our jobs most of the time! I never worked with so many talented and dedicated people as I knew at greyhound...we were all like brothers and sisters, and one big family...except "Management"! Our phones were "tapped" we had "hidden cameras" all around the depot, (not for passenger safety, but to "bust" employees). We had manager's who sniffed coke off the top of their desks, informed there employees they were doing drugs with when there drug evaluations were coming up so they could clean up, we had passengers who had assaulted either a passenger or driver or other employee put on another "schedule" (instead of jail) (when I was assaulted by a passenger I was not allowed to call the police and file a complaint, they let the s.o.b., get on another bus!) Degregulation and UNIONS killed us! We as employees tried to purchase Greyhound, we knew we could make it work...it still should be the #1 bus line in the world...but no our wisdom as employees and doing the work meant nothing to them. I worked with some of the most dedicated, talented people I have ever met, we had the BEST mechanics any fleet service could imagine, as well as all the other fantastic people like baggage carriers, ticket agents, and janitors, "WE WERE THE BEST" we were paid very well, but the management was a "SHAM! I know managers who sold drugs, sex, and job positions! The drivers "sleep rooms" were FILTHY! Greyhound didn't have a commercial linen service provide clean sheets or linens on the beds, and the brave who slept on those beds were lucky not to get ring worms! The drivers and baggage employees had to "BUY" their own uniforms from the "Greyhound" uniform store at an outragous price, every man and woman had to have a strick hair style (men no facial hair, women up off their shoulder) Driver's could only stop at "aproved" greyhound locations (all the restaurants they owned, and the prices were outrageous). There were no c.b radio's or cell phones in the bus, if it broke down the driver secured the bus and "walked" to a pay phone! Hella of a Place to Work, Hugh? I think not...when I was told minium wage or no job, I left...and the s.o.b who took over our jobs didn't even know our depot or operations, (but bought his way into another contract to screw us over and gain for himself and family) I was voted company employee of the year, never got more than an worthless plaque, and no severance pay or unsued sick pay for my years of dedicated service. When we were on strike, we had security guards going through our personel files, and nothing was done to these people! Buddy, your lucky, you saw the light faster than many of us, and you will be so much happier where ever life leads you! We had a class action lawsuit against greyhound, but that has never materialized as far as I know. I was one of the few women who worked for them, but no one, man or woman was treated any better...we were all disposable. They allowed passangers to assault drivers and people like myself and we weren't allowed to press charges, tehy just put the ### on the "next" bus! Count your blessings...and though this economy isn't good, you will live through this a better person! I went on to become the first woman garbage truck driver in Ca., and I saw more "trash" in Greyhound than I ever hauled, and none of those managers is "recyable"! Leave the dog's at the track! God Bless, Renee' Barney
Greyhound steals your money. Never put any trust in them. Their service is the worst you can get in Canada, and their managers... well, they don't know what PR is. If you ask them for a definition of customer satisfaction, they wouldn't be able to give you one.
Greyhound isn't bad. It isn't great either. There isn't any legal way to keep people who don't look like respectful and contributing members of society off their charters. So you'll have the smelly, the weird starers and the crack heads riding the same bus as you. I've taken the greyhound a lot. I can't say I like it, but it's brought me from A to B many times when I didn't have a car. The thing riders need to understand is that anyone who purchases a ticket for a ride, has the right to ride that bus. Be understanding of this and you may not hold such extremely negative emotions about a company that provides a decent service.
Greyhound bus lines is the worst bus company in the world. I think this horrible company should be shut down all together. The buses are old and uncomfortable, and the customer service is terrible. They will scam you for every penny they can. Stay away from this company. Do not use their services.
Its still a terrible bus company and i won't waste my money taking another one of their busses. They can go under for all i care.
I just got a job where I'm working with the father of that kid who got robbed outside the bus station that one night when the guard refused to let him back inside. This might be old news now, but talking with that man got me watching the news broadcast on it again. At the time, I told my supervisor/Greyhound Dallas management's ear that it wasn't safe to let people wait outside for their rides after closing, but what they told me was to push everyone out after the last bus and lock the doors behind them. I explained that during my time there that I had had people come in during the night who had been assaulted, cut up with a knife in one case, mugged, and raped. I had even met a man who a driver had us pull off her bus because he was screaming out and kicking the seat in front of him. As it turned out, he was having a nightmare of his last bus experience that he had at the Edmonton Greyhound. Two years prior, he had asked to wait inside after closing but was kicked out until 5 a.m. opening. But before the bus station had opened, he was robbed by three men who were over by the Staples store across the parking lot from the bus station. He was stabbed in the eye socked, 4 times in his left leg and once in his right. He wore an eye patch and walked with a hobble. The nightmare on the bus was of him reliving this in a dream when he was doing a bicycle type kick to fight off the man with the knife. Allowing people to wait inside for their ride, or inside over night for their connecting bus safe and behind a locked door does absolutely no harm whatsoever. But when I reminded Greyhound of these things (security incidents get reported and faxed) what I got told back was that they are not responsible for what happens to people once they leave their doors after closing, and they made it very clear to me that the bus station had to be empty at night with absolutely no exceptions. They show concern for their passengers and are 'reviewing their security policies' to fix this problem as they stated in that news broadcast...that's a lie. I refused to kick people out at night unless they had a ride waiting for them outside, and if they were smokers I stood outside with them while they smoked. Which was another problem that Greyhound had with me, they didn't want me stepping outside at night...obviously because it's not safe and I'm sure that one of their guards getting hurt on their site while working alone at night would be a bad thing for them...lawsuit wise I'm guessing. I made it my job to keep those passengers safe at night and I lost my job there because I refused to stop doing this. I could not 'adapt to the new policies' as it was put to me. The only thing that surprised me about that kid getting mugged with the guard right on the other side of the window watching, but clueless as to what was going on (obviously knew his job well) is that it took so long for it to happen and come out in the media. Despite what Greyhound says, they do not seem to care about passenger safety in the slightest...unless of course it comes out in the news as being an issue.
Renee, in regards to what you said about security going through your guy's personal files. I never witnessed that myself, but I do believe you. After the security supervisors were let go on account of guards using handcuffs to detain a homeless lady until the police arrived (I think that she was homeless anyway) who threatened them by saying that she had a gun in her purse (which actually turned out to be a kitchen knife), I was very suspicious of our new supervisor. There's a camera in the security office that overlooks the security moniters. One shift, I spent my night watching the new supervisor on that camera from what it had recorded the previous morning. From about 0715 (shortly after I had left) until the next guard came in at 1230, that supervisor had spent his entire morning reviewing the cameras. Every so often he would make a 20-30 second phone call on his cell phone and then after hanging up, he would make a recording of what he was watching on the camera. He was so caught up in this that he lost track of the time and was caught off guard by the security guard who had come in for his shift. That security guard saw what he was doing and requested to be moved to a different job site that same day. When I saw this guard again 2 1/2 months later, he confirmed to me what I already knew. He told me that the security supervisor along with Dallas (who have access to the security cameras from their location) was watching the staff and making recordings of them. He said that he had refused to work in a place where the management was doing this. I wouldn't say that the security cameras are hidden in the bus station, but other then that Renee you were correct in your assumption. I did hear those rumors of hidden cameras though as well. I spent a bit of time looking for them out of curiosity on the upstairs floor, but I never found anything.
In addition to this, as I saw the security guards being let go one by one I knew that my turn was coming. It bothered me because I felt as though my job would no longer be done properly and as a result something bad was going to happen to not just one person, but many...I can be fairly damned sure that it wasn't just that one kid who had gotten mugged after closing...The only thing that I could think to do at the time was to write up a booklet that spelled out in detail the way that my shift worked there at night and what to be prepared for. This booklet contained information that a night guard who was new to the site would need to know about passenger safety as well as their own. I spelled out ways in which people could be observed and heard (the security cameras there don't pick up sound and some angles are hard to see) out on the street among other things without being seen. This information was meant to be used as a resource to help keep people from getting raped, mugged, cut up, and everything else that I had seen happen there at night. This booklet was taken by this supervisor, re-done and made to look like his own work. I didn't like that...obviously...and after I was gone, I was told by one of the baggage carriers that this supervisor had been seen spying on the staff during their smoke break. When I asked him how the security supervisor was doing this, I wasn't surprised to hear what was described to me. He was using a method that he had read in my booklet. He only got caught because he didn't realize that what works at night to effectively observe people doesn't always work during the day...###...(Sorry, but I had to say it...he is)
Greyhound does not care about their passenger's safety or the safety of their staff (I was told to do something once that I felt jeopardized my safety on a job site where myself and other guards had been threatened with knives on numerous occasions...not to mention some of the weapons that we had intercepted while on their way up top of the bus in people's carry ons...two broken down sawed off shotguns along wt 29 shotgun shells that were in a lunchbox for example) ...uncaring ###...they don't have any respect for their staff. For them to publically say otherwise, judging from what I have seen and have been told to do during my last two months there, is a lie.
I was the longest running guard there of everyone who I had worked with and met, and I was the only guard there who never in a position where I had to strike a trespasser in self defense. That's not to say that I never got into a struggle ever as I did have to subdue people at times, but I never had to hit anyone. I knew how to get people to leave in a civilized manner by talking to them and treating them with respect and understanding, and I did everything that I could to keep passengers safe while they were in that building and traveling on those buses. Not to sound full of myself here but yeah, I was someone to let go...excuse me for doing my ###ing job well...I watched one of the guards in there after I left who was scanning with the metal detector while my brother was traveling one day. He didn't take his job seriously and the people who he poorly scanned could easily have boarded that bus with a weapon. He just didn't care to do it properly. I could tell. He was lazy with his job. It made me feel bad for the passengers, and even more so for the drivers who had to drive those sloppily screened passengers who were checked by this one guard. Preventing the drivers from getting into physical conflicts with problem passengers while on route was beyond my control, but I could make damn sure that they wouldn't be facing a weapon in the event of it happening. Thank you Greyhound so much for getting rid of guards like me and replacing us with guards like that...good job there Mr P...perhaps the next sawed off shotgun that goes through the security screening will find its way up top (That wasn't me who found those by the way, that was another guard. Stuff like that never slipped past her either.) And yup, she was let go to just like the rest of us. Did our jobs too well I suppose...couldn't adapt to the new policies of spying on the staff and pushing out the passengers in crackhead central at 1 o'clock in the morning...sorry granny (oh don't even get me started on that one)
I dunno, maybe after that news broadcast came out they changed certain things to an extent. I never went back there to find out. It's just that watching those news broadcasts again made me sick, and that is how it was when I worked there last going off. Preventing that kid from getting mugged would have been such a simple thing for them to do...just let him wait inside where it's safe until his sister came to pick him up, but no...because of Greyhound's management that guard was instructed to quite literally turn his back on someone who needed his help. And just because that guard didn't realize that this person was in trouble, doesn't make it excusable.
Again I say Greyhound is the worse bus company to deal with, I stopped taking thier buses. I now take Red Arrow, the buses are clean, the staff at the Edmonton office are friendly, professional and really go out of thier way to help you. Come on everyone, lets get Greyhound out of Canada once and for all. They compain about the clientelle? They should look in the mirror at themselves, they look like a bunch of lowlifes. I HATE GREYHOUND. Get out of Canada, we don't need you. Piss off.
My daughter just rode the greyhound from Calgary to Vancouver. They had a stop in Kamloops where she was to change buses, she had fallen asleep with her ear buds in. She woke up in an abandoned bus, no passengers, no driver, just alone in a locked bus in the bus parking lot. There was no one around so she called GreyHound customer service, the idiot on the phone kept telling her she was in Kamloops & was no help. After screaming & banging on the windows she finally got the attention of someone who was able to get her out. She just made her connection, no apology, nothing.
We called greyhound today but were told they would only talk to the ticket holder, when my daughter talked to them she was told it was her fault for falling asleep on the bus. That the bus drivers & greyhound are not responsible for passengers getting off the bus. When she explained how panicked she had become finding herself alone and locked in, she was then berated for not telling Greyhound she has a disability.
What?!?!
Greyhound, we know we aren't getting luxury service when we choose you, but seriously?
You don't want to talk to us? Our lawyer will.
Something has definitely happened to Greyhound in Canada. It seems to be a combination of things; poor management, a severe lack of customer service, demoralized employees, poor equipment. In the end the overwhelming impression I get is that this is a company which no longer takes pride in what it does. I can appreciate that the job is not easy, but that alone doesn't excuse anything. In Alberta, Red Arrow is a far superior bus service for a very comparable consumer price. It could be that someone will come in and turn the Company around; raise management standards, restore employee morale, institute best practices for everyone. But if not, Greyhound may well run itself into the ground. Small bus companies are springing up on routes that Greyhound has dropped. If this pattern of dropping routes continues, Greyhound may find itself with so few profitable routes that it's not worth it. It was a pretty good company once, but at the moment I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, and I won't take it again.