Trailways

"In those days," recalled public television's Jim Lehrer, "little boys would be asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. They were just as likely to say bus driver as policeman--and more likely to say bus driver than airline pilot." The days that Lehrer spoke of Friday after hearing that Greyhound Lines would buy Trailways, its only nationwide bus line competitor, were 30 or 40 years ago when riding between cities by bus was still a principal mode of long-distance travel.

A bus carrying 35 passengers crashed on the New York State Thruway early Wednesday, and 24 people, including the driver, were taken to hospitals, authorities said. The Adirondack Trailways bus, traveling from Montreal to New York City, rolled over on its side off the highway's shoulder in this town 50 miles north of New York City, according to the Thruway Authority.

Deregulation came too fast. It opened the door to too many new entrants all at once, rather than gradually. It brought the public some low fares, but the fare wars generated by the competition depressed yields and lowered profits. That, in turn, led to a drop in service standards, poor on-time performance and some bankruptcies. The public is complaining. Questions have been asked about equipment maintenance procedures.

At least five shots struck a Southeastern Trailways bus today as it traveled along a Greyhound route from Nashville to Louisville, state police said. Neither the driver nor the only passenger aboard was injured. The incident happened just two days after another Southeastern Trailways bus on a route usually traveled by strike-plagued Greyhound was hit and the driver seriously wounded. Kentucky State Police Trooper Eddie Lair said today's shooting was reported about 10:15 a.m.

There are still unexplained coincidences and little mysteries involved in the sale of Greyhound Lines bus operations to a group of Texas investors. Although Greyhound workers may be confused by it all, they just might come out of it a bit better off than they are now. Even a slim prospect of better days ahead might encourage the workers, who for several years have been taking a beating at the hands of the hard-nosed Greyhound chairman, John W. Teets.

Democratic Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia says he regrets only two of the votes he has cast during his long Senate career. The first was against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the other was in favor of the 1978 deregulation of U.S. airlines. "Once there was deregulation, they (the airlines) left," he said during recent Senate hearings. "Now, if you want to go to West Virginia to attend a dinner, you have got to give two days to it. You cannot come back to Washington after dinner."

There had not been so much excitement in this rural southeast Tennessee town of 4,500 people since the Fourth of July. Highway 127, the main drag, was blocked off to vehicular traffic. A bunting-draped speakers' platform was rigged in front of the old Sequatchie County Bank building. The high school band provided the music; congressmen, state legislators and city and county officials provided the oratory.

I'm not an expert in politics, so I don't know the deeper meaning of the dance being performed by state Sen. Ed Davis and Rep. Bobbi Fiedler, two old troupers on the Republican stage. Fiedler has been indicted for allegedly offering Davis $100,000 not to run for the U.S. Senate in order to give her a clearer shot at the same office. The charge is based on conversations tape-recorded by Davis' campaign manager.

Trailways Bus System mechanics walked off the job in three Midwestern cities Saturday after refusing to accept a 9% pay cut imposed by the company. The strike involved mechanics in Wichita, Kansas City, Kan., and Muskogee, Okla. Service was not affected, said J.R. Rutledge, district manager in Kansas City.

At least five shots struck a Southeastern Trailways bus today as it traveled along a Greyhound route from Nashville to Louisville, state police said. Neither the driver nor the only passenger aboard was injured. The incident happened just two days after another Southeastern Trailways bus on a route usually traveled by strike-plagued Greyhound was hit and the driver seriously wounded. Kentucky State Police Trooper Eddie Lair said today's shooting was reported about 10:15 a.m.

There had not been so much excitement in this rural southeast Tennessee town of 4,500 people since the Fourth of July. Highway 127, the main drag, was blocked off to vehicular traffic. A bunting-draped speakers' platform was rigged in front of the old Sequatchie County Bank building. The high school band provided the music; congressmen, state legislators and city and county officials provided the oratory.

Deregulation came too fast. It opened the door to too many new entrants all at once, rather than gradually. It brought the public some low fares, but the fare wars generated by the competition depressed yields and lowered profits. That, in turn, led to a drop in service standards, poor on-time performance and some bankruptcies. The public is complaining. Questions have been asked about equipment maintenance procedures.

After signing final contracts to buy $80 million in assets from the financially troubled bus line, Greyhound Chief Executive Fred Currey predicted that the acquisition would be profitable immediately. Greyhound hopes to fill its job openings with Trailways employees, but those who cannot be placed will receive severance benefits. Greyhound says no city will lose service, but about 41,600 miles of service, or 5.1%, will be eliminated.

The Interstate Commerce Commission gave temporary approval Thursday to the merger of Greyhound and Trailways, the nation's two largest bus companies. The 5-to-0 vote approving the joint operation of Greyhound Lines and Trailways Lines Inc. came as the Justice Department advised the commission that Trailways qualified as a "failing company" under federal antitrust laws and therefore the merger would not violate those laws.

Greyhound Lines Inc., the nation's largest interstate bus company, announced Friday that it will buy the bus routes and other assets of its last remaining nationwide competitor, the financially ailing Trailways Corp. Fred G. Currey, Greyhound's new chief, whose GLI Holdings Inc. of Dallas on March 18 purchased the entire Greyhound bus system from Phoenix-based Greyhound Corp., said that he applied Friday for Interstate Commerce Commission approval of his acquisition of Trailways.

"In those days," recalled public television's Jim Lehrer, "little boys would be asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. They were just as likely to say bus driver as policeman--and more likely to say bus driver than airline pilot." The days that Lehrer spoke of Friday after hearing that Greyhound Lines would buy Trailways, its only nationwide bus line competitor, were 30 or 40 years ago when riding between cities by bus was still a principal mode of long-distance travel.

The Interstate Commerce Commission gave temporary approval Thursday to the merger of Greyhound and Trailways, the nation's two largest bus companies. The 5-to-0 vote approving the joint operation of Greyhound Lines and Trailways Lines Inc. came as the Justice Department advised the commission that Trailways qualified as a "failing company" under federal antitrust laws and therefore the merger would not violate those laws.

At 16, Tina Lane ran away from her Indianapolis home, only to end up working nine-hour days in a fast-food restaurant, barely making ends meet and unable to afford bus fare home. But she got back to her family, one of 4,000 youths in the last year who took advantage of Trailways Inc.'s free trips home for runaways. "I'd probably still be working to earn bus fare home," Tina said. The Dallas-based bus line started its "Operation: Home Free" on June 7, 1984.

Greyhound Lines Inc. today announced an $80-million deal to take over financially ailing Trailways Corp. that, if approved by the government, will leave the nation with only one national intercity bus company. Greyhound Chairman Fred Currey said Greyhound will guarantee continued bus service to the cities and towns served exclusively by Trailways. He said the precarious financial position of Trailways, a privately held company, had endangered service to those cities and towns.

There are still unexplained coincidences and little mysteries involved in the sale of Greyhound Lines bus operations to a group of Texas investors. Although Greyhound workers may be confused by it all, they just might come out of it a bit better off than they are now. Even a slim prospect of better days ahead might encourage the workers, who for several years have been taking a beating at the hands of the hard-nosed Greyhound chairman, John W. Teets.