WTVM Editorial 12/14/22: Stranded By Greyhound

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - I hope you’ve had a chance to watch our latest News Leader 9 investigative report called “Stranded” by one of our best reporter/anchors, Roslyn Giles.

Roslyn tells the story of a long distance bus trip that left seven people stranded at a Columbus gas station, serving as the Greyhound bus terminal.

They were told when to return to their bus.

But before they could, the driver left suddenly, stranding them here with no luggage or alternate transportation.

As Roslyn discovered, the bus was actually operated by a third party transport company, even though passengers bought their bus tickets from Greyhound.

That arrangement lets the well-known bus company evade initial responsibility.

Only when Roslyn’s reporting forced Greyhound to take action, did the company arrange help for the stranded passengers.

The bus driver was not a Greyhound employee, so stranded passenger complaints to Greyhound had no real effect.

Greyhound is a 108 year-old company, with a deep American history.

Freedom Riders rode Greyhound buses in the 1960′s to expand their successful battle for civil rights.

But checking the Better Business Bureau for Greyhound’s rating, I found they have an F, for a complete failure of customer service.

The website Trip Advisor also features hundreds of negative reviews of Greyhound for leaving passengers stranded in multiple cities.

What happened to the stranded passengers here – or anywhere - should never have happened.

We hope our investigative reporting helps hold Greyhound accountable now and in the future.

Because if Greyhound is going to sell bus tickets in their name, they need to ensure passengers reach their destinations, period.

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