<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by AllanJ:
I forget the link to the topic about those buses run by Chinese outfits but one writer was describing how the "bus ran out of gas" and the driver went and got some jugs of water, poured that in back, and resumed travel. </font>
C'mon, you believe this crap? Since when did buses run on water! We wouldn't be fighting in Iraq if this was the case. Unf***ing believable.
It is true though that the fares offered by these bus companies are below operating break even. You have to remember that these bus companies initially catered to Chinese restaurant workers who needed cheap transportation to other cities. They are not set up to take care of non-Chinese passengers. Do you think they can offer the same fares if they found some native English speaker/driver? Do you think that Chinese restaurants in general could sell food at such low prices if they actually priced their labor at fair market rates?
Anyway, it's pretty simple actually. If you are a high maintenance bus rider (an oxymoron it would seem but apparently not judging from some posts
), don't take these bus companies, because they will surely disappoint you. While you can expect first class service for the price of coach with the network carriers if you are elite or just a scam artist, there is no such thing with cheap Chinatown buses.
I've never taken these buses and probably will never. I have better things to do with my time
As for using the term "Oriental," do yourself a favor and stop embarassing yourself at cocktail parties by reading Edward Said's book
Orientalism.
[This message has been edited by fallinasleep (edited Feb 21, 2004).]