An advance ticket was purchased for travel to Yreka, CA on Friday evening leaving Perris CA at 8:25 pm and arriving in Yreka the following day. I have traveled this before, with not too much inconvenience. The bus arrived late (it usually seems to be), and the driver said he was in communication with San Bernrdino about the connecting bus waiting IF our bus was too late. When we arrived in San Bernardino, the agent changed my ticket because the first one was handwritten and the driver said it wasn't acceptable. The agent put the time of departure on it (10:55 pm).
When that bus arrived, they filled it to capacity and some passengers were left I believe. We arrived in Los Angeles, the driver told us "we were a little early" and to check our connections on the schedule screen. The next bus showing for my destination was Saturday at 2:30 pm!, so I went to customer service; I thought there was a mistake. They informed me that my connection had left at 11:30 pm and that WAS the next bus with the only other one being at 1:30 am to Redding, but no way out from there for many hours.
I was pretty upset, I couldn't believe they wouldn't compensate passengers by providing another bus or SOMETHING, rather than expect them to wait for 12 to 14 hours. They were not helpful or apparently concerned at all. I was told "if I knew the bus was late in Perris why did I get on." I was not told that I might not make the connection in LA, I didn't even know they know only HAVE one connection from LA at that time, the last time I traveled that same route, there were many.
Perris Depot is dark, there is not much in the form of public transportation and it is about 3 miles for me to get home if I get dropped off there, so yes, I DID get on that bus. However if I had known the alternative was LA terminal for 14 or 15 hours (not safe in my opinion) or dead end in Redding, I would have figured out SOME way to get home.
Well, I called my mother, to tell her the situation, and she called a friend who came from Corona to pick me up and drive me back home. I asked the manager of the bus terminal if i could get another ticket and he said yes but I had to give him the exact terminal and time. I asked couldn't the time be open like before because it depended on having a way there first he said no because it was a special rate. SO WHAT? I'M NOT THE ONE WHO MESSED UP THE FIRST TRIP, THEY WERE!
I told him that, but he said he could then give me a refund. I asked him if I was going to have to pay the premium price then and he said yes and I said since they were at fault the least they could do is make sure I got the ticket at my original purchase price. FINALLY he said well he could give me a travel voucher to make up the difference and I said ok, that would work. He was gone about 20 minutes and finally came back and said could I come to LA to catch the bus and I said HELL NO, I wasn't having someone drive me from Perris to LA to catch a bus, why, and he said he "couldn't find any vouchers" and that was the only way I would have to pay the premium price which would have been double. I said why didn't THAT surprise me.
In my opinion, they just didn't give a hoot and showed it. I told them if I had a business and I treated my customers the way I was treated, I wouldn't have a business very long. I was told at one point, when I pointed out that even if I chose to take the 1:30 bus deadending in Redding it was not going to have enough room because the line was wrapped around one clerk told me if I'd get in line instead of complaining, I wouldn't have to worry about it. That line was there when we arrived at the terminal number 1 and number 2 it wouldn't have taken me to my destination!
Someone had to spend time and money to come get me, I have to pay twice as much for my next ticket, because I have to go, my mother is moving. I was going up to help her finish getting out of her home and driving her to So Cal (she has fibromyalgia and arthritis) I was extremely upset, (I have NEVER ended up screaming at strangers and crying in public) I have tendonitis in my knee and that was severely aggravated because I couldn't get off of it, and I feel as if they were treating me like a lowlife trying to get something for nothing. I believe they should have made an effort to make some compensation. This trip is now going to cost gas and time for friends to pick me up at 2:00 am 50 to 75 miles one way out of there way, extra money for a ticket because now it is not "advance notice" and extreme aggravation for me.
