Thinking about Riding Greyhound

[wharvey]

The "insurance" was $20 for Hertz. My father was with me, so he paid for it. If it was any more, I would have convinced him not to buy it.

The gave you a good rate. Back in 2006 I had to rent a car for a week while my truck was in the shop. The insurance, Enterprise, added almost $300 to the rental cost.

[Bulldog1911]

When factoring traveling costs driving or on the bus need to factor in the cost of gas, food and lodging. flying starts looking cheaper.

Not when you factor in the price of a chastity belt to preserve your virtue from TSA.

Maybe some people enjoy it. Who knows? I think the extra time and money is well worth it to not disarm, not get groped, not get my gonads irradiated, not sit next to someone who overflows into my seat, and not support bad (security) theater with my money.

Or perhaps you have a job that requires you to be on the other side of the country in half a day's time. Yes I understand that it's "my choice" to work for this company, however, the benefits and pay speak loud and clear. I have no problems flying. I'm certainly not saying that I agree with all the TSA bologna, but I can say this. My wife tags along with me on business trips from time to time(when we can find someone to watch the kido's) and neither her or I have ever been pulled aside, padded down, talked to rudely, or strip searched(praise God for all of that). Nor have I seen this done to anyone. I know this does happen, but I wonder what the ration is of those instances: to people that pass through TSA per day. Probably pretty low. On the occasion we're asked to go through the "360 scanner"(or whatever it's called) we do. If someone is looking at us naked, so be it. Whatever, doesn't bother me.

What does bother me, is that Texas actually had a chance to do something about it this legislature(by making it illegal for TSA agents to grope people), and for some reason, they decided to back down. But, no point in

Anywho, just saying, some people don't really have the option to drive instead of fly. And to be honest, I'll always choose flying over driving if the trip is more than about 5 hours.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Well, I've just read this whole thread and I'm still not sure what I want to do.

This Friday, 9/14/12, I'm delivering a Buick to my son in Austin.
Then I have to get back to Lewisville and I've been considering either Greyhound or Southwest Airlines.

The Greyhound rules say that "ammunition and firearms" aren't allowed in checked luggage.
There's the photo of the sign that shows a gunbusters graphic.
There's the Greyhound text that says "weapons" are not allowed, but it isn't a 30.06.
The Greyhound "Can/Can't Carry" list only includes toy guns, but doesn't say anything about real guns.

Since there's no 30.06 postings, and since most posters haven't been searched, it would appear that I could
carry my gun on my person, on the Greyhound from Austin to Dallas without a problem. But if they did search me and object,
I would be in the bad position of having my gun on me, but unable to check it with Greyhound.

So if I then had to switch to flying Southwest, I would have to pack the weapon in a proper manner and check it.
I'm not sure I want to jump through that set of hoops. Any interaction with the TSA has a high probability of bad juju.

Maybe I'll just leave the gun at home and fly the Southwest shuttle from Austin to Dallas. But I HATE being unarmed,
especially because I usually have BOTH of mine on or near me.

Help a brother out here with some comments on my situation.

TIA / SIA

[tacticool]

I have never seen metal detectors at bus or train stations, domestically or overseas, but YMMV.

[Jumping Frog]

Since there's no 30.06 postings, and since most posters haven't been searched, it would appear that I could
carry my gun on my person, on the Greyhound from Austin to Dallas without a problem.

There's your answer.

[Thomas]

When I was at the Dallas station last year, I did not see metal detectors. There was a few "officers" that observed people, and one that went on to walk the aisle once after everyone was seated. They were probably just looking for nervous, fidgety people. Southwest is a great airlines to fly in my opinion.

[Kythas]

Be aware, though, that the TSA is starting to expand its "services" to bus and train terminals, and currently have been doing some surprise checks at Greyhound stations.

[TexasGal]

Of course, you DID just tell the world you were considering carrying a gun on a particular day and a particular route. If you wanted to avoid detection, this may have not been the best thing to reveal.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Of course, you DID just tell the world you were considering carrying a gun on a particular day and a particular route. If you wanted to avoid detection, this may have not been the best thing to reveal.

Well, I don't agree with your assertion.

I'm sure if the CIA, NSA, TSA, and/or FBI wanted to put a few analysts on this thread, they could use all their super intelligence
assets to match my forum screen name with my real name, then assign one or more LEO's to apprehend me at the Austin site,
over the course of the day I may travel.

I believe the government has bigger fish to fry. Greyhound's intelligence assets are probably nil.

Even if they were, the fact remains that no 30.06's have been found on Greyhound property.

That being said, I'm still not 100% sure if a Greyhound ride might not result in a Crown Victoria/Dodge Charger ride, if you
catch my drift.

SIA

[TexasGal]

I wasn't actually thinking of anything that huge More like some bored little twerp who wanted to assert his one moment of power.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

I wasn't actually thinking of anything that huge More like some bored little twerp who wanted to assert his one moment of power.

Well, there is always the possibility that a little twerp in bus security could assert his one moment of power.

But his ability to do so would not rely on reading this thread and making a cosmic leap to knowing who I am
when I show up at his terminal. I am among friends here, who understand my situation, but making a jump
from my screen name to my real name is not going to happen easily.

It's all good - thanks for contributing.

SIA

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Well, here's my experience with Greyhound, just completed this evening.

Today, I drove the Buick from my home in Lewisville to my son's home in Austin. The Buick's now my son's.
Greyhound was my choice to return to Lewisville.

Both of my guns were left at home since I had misgivings about bringing even 1 of them on Greyhound.
I did make sure to bring the pepper spray and had that close at hand.

At the Austin Greyhound station there were no 30.06's, not even any gunbuster signs. They appeared to
have the same text on the wall as was detailed on their website, with regard to their policies, as described
above in this thread.

Boarding was announced for the bus to Dallas. As the line moved forward I saw there was a "Statewide Security"
officer standing next to the driver. This officer's uniform looked just like a deputy sheriff's and he had a Sam
Brown belt loaded with black leather pouches. Although I didn't get a long enough look to see if he had a sidearm.

He was looking me over, asked me to hold it a minute, and asked "What's that? Is that a cell phone? Please lift your shirt".
It was my cell, he saw it, and waved me onward.

So, I feel I made the right decision about leaving my guns at home. If I had been carrying the revolver IWB, next to the cellphone,
or had the Ruger in my OWB at 3 o'clock, I believe the security man's vigilance would have resulted in me being "made", and
I would have been prevented from boarding. My concealment is fine for most of the world, but the security man's eye was drawn
to the cellphone. The Ruger in OWB would have been detected too, if it had been there.

But the takeaway from this is: If I was pocket-carrying the Ruger, instead of my leather OWB, I would have been fine.

YMMV.

SIA

[Thomas]

Interesting. Thank you for sharing.

When I rode Greyhound, I had an IWB at 1 o'clock. I didn't have any cell phone holders though. It's also pretty hard to see any bulge from my IWB there. I guess if I ever have the fortune of riding Greyhound again, it will be pocket carry (which is what I mostly do now anyway).