FARKKKKKK

I think it's time to admit that I am the person who spends $50 bucks to save $10.

See, when papa Verburg came to visit he took the bus. Apparently his trip cost only $40 bucks. Both ways.

Impressed, I decided to do the same for my trip home at Christmas. I wanted to show that I am not a fragile flower, and am perfectly willing to spend 3 extra hours on a cramped moving vehicle with mild nausea and the smell of other people's socks to keep me company.

So today, I check the date for the annual Chanukah celebration, and book a bus ticket for the morning of the dinner. Then, emailed my aunt to say, "I arrive at 4:00pm and will head straight to your house for the dinner.. etc" cc'ing brother and sister in law at the same time.

Not half an hour later, S - in - L and aunt both reply that dinner this year is a brunch. So I ought to switch my ticket to the night before.

Okay now, I know I should be more careful about reading emails, but for crying out loud, Chanukah is the festival of lights because it happens after the sun goes down! BLURGH.

All you organized people out there, think of this as a bird's eye view of the disorganized mind in action.

Alright, so I call the number at the bottom of my bus ticket reservation email, and when the nice lady answers the phone I explain my problem, taking pains to point out that the ticket has been purchased approximately 3 weeks in advance, and for the record it was not 20 bucks it was more like 55.

The nice lady replies. "Well ma'am as it said in big red letters on the website, all tickets purchased by the web interface are non-exchangeable and non-refundable. We just can't put them back into the system."

In answer to your question I did not say "You're shitting me?!" Although I wanted to. I said; "I see." Then the (not so nice seeming anymore) lady said: "What you can do is sell your ticket through another means, and transfer your reservation to someone else."

Yeah right, because selling a bus ticket 3 weeks in advance on Craig's list is going to be a runaway success. The thing I don't understand is how, with three weeks to spare, the Coach Canada "system" can't re-absorb tickets? With a week or two weeks, I totally get it, but, they have almost a month to sell that ticket again, I think they'll be fine. The next time I hear someone from the bus company whining about how ride sharing is putting the bus out of business I will know that lousy customer service is actually what's doing them in.

No wonder the bus is never packed, probably 25 % of the tickets they sell go unredeemed. And their new campaign says they are the eco-choice? I guess, but only if you don't count the money they are making shuttling empty chairs down the 401.

Anyways, I realize this is all my fault and I should stop skimming websites, emails and the rest. So now, I have posted my misbegotten bus ticket (as suggested) on Craig's list and also purchased a goddamn train ticket for the day before.

Never again will I take the bus, because, had I purchased the train tickets I looked at earlier today, I could have easily exchanged my ticket and would not be paying an additional $89.00 for the privilege.

Disorganized people, VIA is your friend, leave the bus for ones who dot the i's and cross the t's.