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Greyhound - Lost Luggage

Yolanda of Flushing NY (10/10/04):
I purchased a round-trip Greyhound ticket from New York to Washington, D.C. on July 9, 2004. I was in a very long line for the express bus. A Greyhound employee heard me complaining about the length of the line to my friend and told me there was another bus leaving, but that it was a local bus.

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He loaded our bags onto the local bus and we climbed on board. The bus made stops in Newark, New Jersey and Baltimore, Maryland. When we arrived in Washington my bags were not on the bus. I went to the supervisor and a baggage clerk and was told it would probably be on the next bus; it was not.

I went back the next day to talk to the terminal supervisor, who informed me that I was supposed to have a baggage claim check; however, my friends' and my bags arrived without baggage claim checks. I explained that I had neither been given a baggage claim check nor made aware that I was supposed to receive one. He then clarified that baggage claim checks are not given on express buses; I explained that the bus driver handled my baggage but never made me aware of procedure. Greyhound should provide claim checks on all buses, including local ones, to avoid this type of situation.

Anthony of Mobile AL (9/29/04):
On August 13, 2004 I took a round trip on Greyhound from Mobile, AL to Buffalo, NY. My point of destination was clearly marked on my luggage and my bags were tagged for special handling. We changed buses three times en route: in Cleveland, Ohio, Birmingham, Alabama, and Montgomery, Alabama. In Cleveland I checked the bus for my items and didn't find them. In Birmingham I asked questions about the whereabouts of my bags but was ignored and shushed by rude local employees.

When I arrived in Montgomery, Alabama I immediately questioned the employees about my luggage; however, I was again ignored. The employees were sitting around telling jokes and acted like I was disturbing them. I pointed out that I am disabled and that I needed to locate my luggage immediately.

The employees replied that the luggage was outside somewhere and that I could go and look for it if I really needed it. They said that they were tired and had other things to do.

I informed the employees that I had already checked for my luggage and that it was not there. They then proceeded to say that was because it was marked "special handling" and that it had been placed in the baggage storage area. I checked there and didn't find my luggage. The employees then informed me that they had all the luggage marked "special handling" and that it would be placed on the bus to arrive in Mobile when I got there.

When I arrived in Mobile I was still unable to locate my luggage. I am very concerned about the employees' nonchalant attitudes concerning my luggage. This is not the first time Greyhound has lost my luggage. Back in 1989, my luggage was lost for about a year. I was inconvenienced for that period of time and Greyhound did nothing to compensate for the loss. However, I was later told by employees that the luggage I had been looking for (clearly tagged with identification and place of destination) had been sitting in storage for about six months.

In my most recent trip, the return trip was the most miserable. First, 12 extra people wre packed on the bus with no seats; they had to stand or sit in the aisle. Then we left about an hour or more behind schedule because Greyhound was trying to accommodate all of these extra people without getting another bus.

This made us miss our connecting bus (we were advised upon leaving that a called had been made and that the buses would be held until we arrived at our next destination). We were told after arriving in Montgomery that we would have to wait all night on another bus. To make matters worse, the restrooms were atrocious. They were never serviced and the odor was was sickening, even at the front of the bus.

All of my clothing, jewelry, shoes, and personal items, along with books and materials that I use in my profession, are packed in my bags. Since arriving in Mobile, I have had to purchase all new items to replace what is in the luggage.

Greyhound has advised me that they will not reimburse me for anything that I have to purchase while waiting on the luggage. Also, I am having to replace books necessary to my profession; these books can only be purchased in sets. I am really at a disadvantage because of a lack of materials needed to do my work.

Tiffany of North Charleston SC (8/26/04):
Last December I went to New York on Greyhound Bus Lines. On the way back a Greyhound employee in Cincinnati took the boarding passes off bags belonging to me and my friend. He told us that we no longer needed them. However, because the bags were missing the passes the driver failed to load them onto the bus. I stood up and asked the driver to stop; she told me to sit down and that she did not care.

After arriving in Charleston, South Carolina, my friend has received her luggage but I still don't have mine. I have called Greyhound, sent them letters and e-mails, and have even filled out a tracing paper for my luggage. You name it, I have done it. I am now missing clothes, jewelry, shoes and many personal items that I have owned for a very long time. Getting compensated for the luggage is not what I'm worried about. I want my luggage back because of the personal value it has.

I had to buy more dress and casual clothes because I didn't have any clothes when I got home. I spent over $400 buying shoes and clothing.

Ronald of Fernandina Beach FL (8/6/04):
I rode a Greyhound bus from Jacksonville, Florida to Findlay, Ohio to attend a child support case. The bus driver was very prejudiced and treated us like [garbage]. The driver left nine riders in Columbus, Ohio. I was separated from my luggage and it has never been found. As such I was forced to waste time in Findlay to buy clothes and replaced gifts I had purchased. I also got stranded after being stuck at a bus station for eight hours.

I had to buy three days' worth of new clothes and personal hygiene supplies. I experienced emotional turmoil due to the driver's disrespectful comments.

Starmane of Brooklyn NY (7/31/04):
On July 20, 2004 I boarded a Greyhound bus in New York City en route to Detroit for a funeral. The bus broke down in Nilesburg, Pennsylvania, stranding me and the rest of the passengers on the side of the highway for about three hours until the next bus arrived.

During this time we were warned by the state police to stay close to or on the bus due to the danger of bears in the area. Of course there were no apologies of any kind extended from Greyhound personnel.

On the way back to New York on July 23, the driver informed us that we would have to stay at the Toledo, Ohio station for about 45 minutes and that we could leave our belongings on board. At this point I realized that the bus said "Chicago" on the front, leading me to believe I would have to change buses at some point. While in the terminal I went to the restroom and then waited a few minutes, then went to board my bus again.

Upon approaching the area where the bus should have been a ticket checker looked at my ticket and told me, well before the 45 minutes allotted by the driver had expired, that my bus had already left. When I tried to explain my situation to staff on duty in Toledo, no one acted as if they cared; one man by the name of "Daryl" acted as if I was bothering him, and lied about his name when I asked for it (I knew because the name didn't match his name tag).

Every Greyhound telephone number given to me along my route back to New York was either disconnected or the answering machines were full. When I finally spoke to a human being they forwarded me to one of the failed numbers.

Due to wrong or missing information and an incorrect destination on the front of the bus, I lost a designer travel shoulder bag (Louis Vuiton), which contained my engagement ring.

Richard of Hudson FL (6/12/04):
On June 7, 2004 I had just graduated from truck driving school, and my company had arranged for me to take a Greyhound bus from Memphis, Tennessee back to New Port Richey, Florida. I went to retrieve my bus ticket at the ticket counter.

While standing in line I filled our information tags with my name, address, and phone number and attached them to my luggage. Once my bags were tagged I received my ticket at the counter. I noticed I was booked on a bus to Port Charlot, Florida instead of one to New Port Richey, Florida. When I reported the problem I was told to get back in line.

After waiting another half an hour, I explained the problem to the ticket agent. She pulled out an atlas and told me to point to New Port Richey. As I complied with her instructions, she told me to stand off to the side while she helped other customers. I waited 15 minutes and then asked her for assistance, at which point she rudely pointed out that she was with a customer.

Finally, about 20 minutes later all the customers were taken care of and she offered to help me. After showing her the location of New Port Richey on the map she took my ticket and changed the location. I waited seven hours for a layover and finally got on the bus.

My transfer was in Birmingham, Alabama. In Birmingham no one was allowed on the platform to get their luggage. The lady at the ticket counter informed me that the Greyhound staff would retrieve my luggage for the transfer. I was concerned because Greyhound has lost my luggage once before.

When I arrived in New Port Richey, my luggage wasn't on the bus. I asked the driver what I should do, and he simply informed me that it wasn't his problem. The ticket counter was closed, so I got a ride to Tampa and Port Charlot to see if my luggage was there. Employees at both stations simply offered that it might turn up later.

The next day I called Port Charlot and talked to a girl who said my luggage had been found and that I would need to meet the driver in New Port Richey the following evening to retrieve it. I made sure to meet the driver on time, but he didn't have my luggage on the bus. I went home and talked to an employee in Port Charlot. She informed me that my luggage had not been put on the bus but that my luggage was still at the station. She promised me she would put it on the bus the following morning. Before meeting the bus the next day I called to make sure my luggage would be there. Unfortunately, my bags still weren't on the bus.

I went home and talked to my recruiter (who makes all the bus arrangements). She gave me the phone number of a Greyhound employee, who told me he would try to track down my luggage and call me back. It has been several days and they have yet to call me back; every time I try to reach them I'm told it's their day off. Meanwhile, the employees in Port Charlot simply aren't answering their phones. I have to get back on a Greyhound bus in two days because of my job; it's not by choice, but my company has a contract with Greyhound.

As a result of all this I have lost all my clothes, a Playstation 2 with a network adapter (and eight games worth $50 apiece), headphones, a keyboard, a digital camera, photos, all my paperwork from school, and many other items.

A representative told me that my case is a prime example of why no one should bring expensive items on the bus. Too bad I wasn't ever told that before riding! I don't have the money to replace these items or the time to continue pursuing this matter.

I am physically, mentally, and financially exhausted. This whole ordeal has made me want to quit my job.

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