Getting Around

September 3, 2009
Greyhound Bus Lines has announced service cuts affecting Manitoba, northern Ontario and small communities in other provinces. Apparently Greyhound approached the federal government about subsidizing the remote routes that were draining company resources. You may be surprised to find out that I don't resent people or businesses looking out for their bottom line. Greyhound is NOT a public service, if a route does not at least break even, they are under NO obligation to continue. Then a government representative, vilified Greyhound's decision on national television.
So why did the government, who so generously offered to bail out GM so their $56hr employees would not lose their jobs or have to endure a pay cut; the same government who repeatedly (and stupidly) keeps bailing out Air Canada and Nortel... FAIL to step up to save remote Greyhound services. Because the people most effected are poor... Oil executives and politicians don't take bus trips, they fly & rent cars at the airport, so why would Mr Harper trouble himself with such matters.
Well one good reason is because hitch-hiking is dangerous, especially for women. And more importantly I really suck at it LOL. I tried hitch-hiking on my trip to Grande Cache back in July. On my way there I was able to scoop a ride from Hinton, but hitch-hiking back it took more then an hour to get a ride. Then only because the nice truck driver was South Asian and felt he owed some karmic debt from the day before.
So what can be done to remedy the problem with providing bus service to remote area. One option is to license small regional carriers to pick up the slack. Or start giving Greyhound the same financial support the government has be giving Air Canada all these years. My vote is for the former. Yeh... surprise again in believe in free enterprise. But if the government is going to stay out...stay all the way out.
I have made Greyhound my transportation of choice for several reasons. The bus drops me in the centre of town, which is handy for finding the shelters and mostly it is cheap.
P.S. The interview is now tentatively scheduled for Labour Day. Hope it is soon the project is dead broke, and I'm hoping maybe this will stimulate some new donations.