Isn't there a much bigger story here. Look at the people riding the busses. Are they not predominantly hispanic? Are they the ridership who are the real source the increased income? Are not the names of the new bus companies not mostly hispanic? And these new households how are they able to flourish and other minorities like the African Americans and Caucasians are languishing? How much of the money that they get from public assistance are they saving. Why have not others who see bleak prospects not saving half of what they get (which will end soon). And how does that family and social structure compare and contrast to other inner city and suburban family and social structures. We forget ourselves. There is so much more we can do to solve our problems if we will just see and take advantage of our possibilities.

Low cost express bus travel is great! If you reserve online and early, it can be incredibly cheap. Gone are the buses of my student days with cramped seats, disgusting toilets, scary stations and making so many stops that it takes twice as long as driving. I rode Greyhound Express 3 times this year: twice from Minneapolis to Chicago ($15 and $30 1-way)and once round trip to Nashville ($64). If I drove these trips and split the cost of just the gas with 3 passengers, the bus is still far cheaper. Travel time was the same as driving (at legal speeds). The buses were on time, except for one 40 min delay due to a tornado warning and driving rain; twice they arrived 15 min early. These buses have leg room, wifi, electric outlets at most seats, and about half the buses had seat belts. That is one thing they should improve asap. One bus had some outlets and reading lights not working, but the driver announced it so people could swap seats; wifi was not working at all on one bus. The bathrooms were clean enough - as good as those on my local commuter trains. Every driver was pleasant, and one was very helpful when I lost something. Drivers all made it clear that people would be sleeping, so noise levels must be low - turn off phone ringers, no speakerphone, use headphones for music and games, speak quietly. If anyone violates this, the driver has the authority to call state police and have the person removed anywhere (try that on a plane!). There was only one mention of noise from headphones and it stopped immediately. The stations are on the edge of downtown areas with good taxi and public transit connections; they were well-lit, clean, had plenty of seats, snacks, and the bathrooms were also clean enough. Checking and retrieving luggage was fast and easy, and all customer service with tickets and luggage was courteous and helpful. There are automated ticket kiosks in some stations. I chose Greyhound over Megabus because of wildly inconsistent reports on Yelp about Megabus timeliness, service, equipment condition, online ticketing, and safety - and I read a lot of reviews for multiple cities, even the ones that you have to seek out (don't get me started about that). Megabus also has no stations in Chicago (and most places, maybe all), so you have wait on the street without shelter. I'm sure it varies, but in Chicago, Megabus passengers wait outside next to the main commuter rail station and are forbidden entry.