The Scarborough Greyhound Station (Is Terrible)

The following is a rant about how terrible this terminal is. If you're wondering: "Where is the Scarborough Greyhound Station?" let me tell you (you poor, poor soul). Go to the entrance of the mall that leads to the TTC buses and RT station (by the Gap and Baskin Robbins). Instead of turning right into the TTC station, turn left and go down the stairs. This leads to the GO and Greyhound platforms. Problem solved! Now if you want to learn about terrible this station really is, read on!

If you've ever had the experience of taking a Greyhound from Scarborough, I feel for you. As an Ottawa university student who uses the Scarborough Greyhound Terminal every three weeks, I feel I have the complete authority to say: it sucks.

While I didn't have any issues coming in today from Ottawa, leaving is a whole different story. The Scarborough terminal is just really terrible when waiting for the bus. Here are my top three reasons why:

1. It's cold.
The very spot where the terminal is situated is a wind tunnel. With Scarborough Town Centre to the left and a tall government building to the right, it can be unbelievably cold when waiting for the bus. Unlike the Toronto terminal and the Ottawa terminal, Scarborough's is completely outdoors. There's a little enclosure, but it's technically for Go travelers. And if you want to keep your spot in line anyways, you have to tough out the cold and the wind. Greyhound, seriously?

I can understand that the majority of people take the bus from downtown Toronto, but whenever I need to get to Ottawa, there are at least 10 people waiting with me in Scarborough. And around Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter, this number is exponentially higher (150+). Doesn't that warrant some kind of shelter from the elements? It's absolutely miserable waiting.

Mark my words, if I earn millions of dollars, I will pay to build an enclosure for Greyhound travelers. (It will be called the "Clara Terminal," of course.)

2. The bus always late.
In my final year of university now, I've been taking the Greyhound for almost four years. Never once has the bus from Scarborough been on time. I'm not exaggerating. Once when I took it at 7 a.m. and it was 10 minutes late. That was the best time I've ever seen.

The worst was back in first year. There were 17 people waiting for the bus. When the Greyhound eventually arrived from downtown, there was only enough space for nine people. The bus driver assured the rest of us that Greyhound would be sending another bus. They didn't. We ended up waiting in the cold for two and a half hours until the next scheduled bus arrived.

I understand that they're sending buses from downtown and this can be unpredictable. But if the bus never arrives on time, then why don't they change the official Scarborough departure time?!

3. There's no organization.
Catching a Greyhound in Scarborough is sometimes survival of the fittest. With no one maintaining order, many people bud the line and rush the doors when the bus arrives.

It's absolute chaos at Thanksgiving.

4. Greyhound has a monopoly.
Planes and trains are alternatives to taking the bus.

But to take a plane would require taking the subway all the to Kipling and then taking a highway bus to the airport. You have to arrive early, planes can be delayed, and it's an expensive way to travel.

With the train, VIA Rail used to have an excellent deal for students. Something called a 6pak is six tickets between two destinations for what works out to be around $60 for a one-way trip. Only $10 more than the bus! But, Via Rail changed the rules making it more difficult for students who have 6paks to reserve spots on the train. I tried to reserve a seat in early September for Thanksgiving, and the train was already completely sold out of spots for 6pak holders.

So like it or not, I'll be taking the Greyhound again.

What have your experiences been with the bus?