For those that might be unaware, Warren left for MCT (Marine Combat Training) last evening (Monday). He was scheduled to take the Greyhound bus to Jacksonville, NC and then grab a taxi to Camp Lejune to report by 1300 on Tuesday. Sounds simple enough right!?! Well, let us begin the adventure!
The Greyhound website indicates to arrive at the bus station 1 hour prior to your scheduled departure. His bus was to leave at 2215 (10:15 to you civvies) and so we were there by 2100 just to be sure. There were people outside on the sidewalk hanging out with their luggage at the bus station. It was dark and it wasn't in a bad section of town but you still didn't get the warm, friendly feeling. People in cars outside wating for something or someone to arrive. We unloaded his garment bag, 2 seabags and diddy bag and headed inside to "check in". I would guess that everyone is on the honor system for security since there was none (they had a security guard but I don't think she instilled a strong sense of safety by her presence) and they didn't weigh the bags or anything. The old guy just looked at the ticket and worked rapidly (compared to a desert tortoise) to get him checked in. The third member of the Greyhound welcome club was an even older man that looked like he would keel over at any moment and could barely assemble a luggage cart to assist with moving the bags. Oh yeah, welcome to Hell!
So we go outside since the benches (aka wire metal torture racks that are only comfortable to Uncle Fester of the Addams Family) are full. We stand outside and a bus pulls in to drop off and pick up at around 9:15. This is when a beat up mini van in the parking lot has the doors open and begins to spill out people. I counted 12 (yes, twelve!) men, women and children pile out of the minivan. I count again just to be sure uno, dos, tres, quatro, cinco....yep, 12. The kids go running around and head back to the bus. When they come back, 4 more friends show up from the bus and then the sixteen all load in and off they go. It was like a clown car or something. All they were missing was "pop goes the weasel" blaring from speakers on the roof and a la cucaratcha horn.
Anyhow, the old guy comes and tells us to get on the bus. What!?!? It's 1 hour early, but we get in line and the bus driver checks his ticket and moves him on. We go to the back (did I mention the security?) and see him on the bus. Well, he starts to get on and take a seat when we realize this is NOT his bus, it goes to a different destination. In the meantime, another Marine shows up for the same bus Warren is scheduled to get on and his family is just as confused as we are. Tammy (Marine Mom) steps in and indicates to the bus driver that he took his ticket but it is for the wrong bus. This is when he makes his mistake, he loudly exclaims "It doesn't matter. He is going to Raleigh and this bus is headed to Raleigh, so it doesn't matter." Oh-oh....he stepped in it. He was just argumentative and didn't want to hear it was the wrong bus, he kept insisting it didn't matter. Tammy says "Give me the ticket back!" and he keeps giving the attitude. I am up front to deal with the old guy up front and hear the commotion and know that between Marine and Marine Mom, I am not getting in there. The security guard steps in and Tammy tells her to handle this because we want the ticket back and he is going on the right bus. After some more fussing, the bus driver relents but let's be honest, he was an ASS!!! No reason to give attitude. The bus was absolutely full and it was the wrong bus. Obviously to Greyhound as long as you get on a bus, it's okay! Did I mention Hell yet? What kind of goofball operation is this. Nothing to indicate what bus showed up, no one to indicate where the bus is going or anything. Just get in line and shutup minions....you'll be fine. So we get the ticket back, luggage back (did I mention the old guy had to load the bus with all of the people's luggage....the same guy that was having a hard time walking straight in a light breeze...oh yeah).
So we go back in and wait (and wait, and wait). 10:15 comes and goes, 10:30, 10:45, 11:00....okay, now we are getting concerned. The other Marine's family is also milling about with us and we are all wondering when the bus will arrive. We go up to the desk and ask about the bus, do they have a tracking GPS system on the bus to know where the bus is? Well, this is when you ask yourself what century we are in. Nope, nothing, nada. They called Atlanta (the start point) and they don't know where the bus is. Really, no bus, no tracking. This is when it gets even more bizarre. They ask if we know someone on the bus from Atlanta (another Marine) so we could call them and find out where they are. REALLY!!! We can call someone on the bus and ask them, what a system. I guess it's better than the Greyhound system (look out the window and hope the bus comes down the street). How ridiculous is that!?!? They have nothing to track the buses, no security and you can get on any bus regardless of your ticket because eventually your bus goes there.....I can see that the retired Amish mafia takeover of Greyhound is complete. Think about it, the US government can spend millions of dollars on non-citizens but for the military folks that are truly serving the country....screw 'em, put 'em on the bus! How's that for thanks!
Luckily he has enough stops and layovers that he should be able to make up the time but it's all about the hassle of it all. Finally at about 11:30 the bus comes down the street. Then they hustle to get on the bus and we say good bye for the second time. He gets on with his Marine "brother" and we watch the old guy heft his sea bags on to the bus (barely, you want to help the old guy but I am sure he didn't want the help, after all he just drank his juice and was doing his best Jack Lelane impression). The bus was delayed by a wreck in Atlanta (big surpise). The good news is that he had a Marine to travel with to watch each other's backs and the bus was more open than the previous bus (which was full of kids).
We got texts from him this morning and he had a rough trip. Not much sleep and a lot of shady people at the bus stations. After a while he said the bus was basically Marines so things were better from that point on. He texted us that he had arrived and checked in. We got the last text around 6:00 when he said the phones were going in the box. So he is at MCT and arrived after a shaky start. This will be 5 weeks and then it's MOS school. Please keep him in your prayers as he continues his journey.
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