Ever ride on a Greyhound bus? 

I have (some years ago) and it's an experience that some of us, luckily, are able to avoid.  Aside from the various people talking into their pillows... long distance to their brokers and other passengers carrying on conversations and sometimes arguments with themselves (a minor difference) it is almost always a unique trip. 

Sometimes it's even more disgusting if you're seated near someone who needs to be informed of the necessity of bathing more than twice a year. 

However, recently our daughter, Connie, who lives in Yakima (a once fine city whose reputation is now besmirched by gang activity with the resultant pot and methamphetamine aromas), came to visit by Greyhound.  One can't get out of Yakima other than by auto (she doesn't have one) or air (and that's kinda expensive) to the Seattle area. 

Sooo... Greyhound is the only reasonable alternative. 

I was recruited to pick her up at the Seattle Greyhound depot. 

A less cooperative group of employees would be hard to imagine outside of government. 

The bus was due to arrive at 12:15 pm.  I sat there in my car (after paying the required parking "rent") in the "pay only $3 to wait 30 minutes for the bus" stall until 12:25.  A bus wheezed into the station at that time.  I'm thinking, “Considering Seattle traffic – not too bad.” 

I wandered down to the bus to greet our arriving daughter.  I watched what I thought were all of the debarkees and she wasn't one of them.  I asked an arriving passenger, "Is this the bus from Yakima?"  He said, "*hic* nope." 

Considering his condition and needing additional confirmation, I asked the Greyhound employee unloading the baggage, "Is this the bus from Yakima?"  With a very official persona, he looked at his watch and responded, "Nope... she's runnin' late... won't be in 'til 12:40." 

I went back to my near-by parked car to call my wife to let her know that the bus would be just a tad late.  While I was talking with her, I saw our somewhat handicapped daughter wrestling her heavy luggage toward my car from the very bus I had been assured wasn't from Yakima! 

So much for the reliability of information from Greyhound employees.  Anybody'd think they were employed by a local branch of the federal government. 

I imagine hitchhiking is more hazardous by its very nature, but I'm guessing it falls only slightly behind traveling by Greyound.