Buses in the Rear-View Mirror

It doesn’t seem all that long ago, back when a family with its own car stopped being a rarity, that the mere roadside wave of a country boy’s hand was sufficient to stop a Greyhound bus for an unscheduled pickup and a trip to the city. For 91 years, those streamlined silver machines with the streaking dog on the side have spoken of going somewhere, anywhere, often from nowhere.

Troops took the bus home and back. So did college students. Traveling salesmen traveled. Small town to small town, downtown to downtown, with a minimum of fuss -- and cost. And if you wanted off at a corner closer to home, fine and dandy. “Go Greyhound, and leave the driving to us.”

Not so much anymore. This month, deficit-plagued Greyhound Lines implemented the second in a continuing series of national service cuts, eliminating 86 stops in Texas, Arkansas and Missouri, and 64 more in California. No longer will one or two passengers get on or off each day at Thousand Oaks, Cloverdale, Newhall, Garberville or Manteca. Earlier, Greyhound lopped off 267 stops between Seattle and Chicago. More cuts will come in other regions as the Dallas-based carrier seeks to stem losses exceeding $140 million over 2002 and 2003.

As awkward as ground travel may be for those inconvenienced by the cuts, it’s hard to blame a company that cannot pay employees with nostalgia. Not coincidentally, all the nation’s major transportation modes are in financial trouble. Airlines have suffered about $20 billion in losses since 9/11 and have even cut out bad food to save money. Amtrak is a reliable financial sinkhole even on other companies’ rails. And the price of gas for many families’ two cars has gotten a bit dear recently too.

What has changed more than the bus routes is Americans’ lifestyles and expectations. Accustomed to affluence and the comfort and flexibility that come with car ownership, few but the most budget-conscious seem inclined toward sharing a bus, the road and a cramped moving toilet with 30 strangers. Does a society addicted to overnight delivery and instant messaging have the patience for a long-distance bus? Or train?

Yes, air travel has retrogressed toward the unpredictable, hassle-filled ordeal of yesteryear. But if you think arriving two hours early for a six-hour transcontinental flight seems like a long time, take a bus across 12 states. At least you get more legroom on the bus and needn’t empty pockets for everyone to inspect. Not yet, anyway.