Some weekends, students will do just about anything to hitch a ride back home to reunite with their dogs or sleep in their own beds — even if it means standing or sitting in the aisle of the GoBus for hours.
The GoBus ferries students and residents between Athens, Cincinnati and Columbus twice a day, but the rush of students trying to head home for the weekend leads to large demand and crowded buses.
Bus officials say they work to provide enough seats for riders, but when people purchase last-minute tickets or pay cash to ride the bus, the bus line is unable to predict how many buses are needed for any given day.
When buses are overbooked, some students have opted to stand or sit in the aisles during the two-to-three-hour trip home, despite the potential safety hazards it entails.
As opposed to school buses, there is no law prohibiting people from standing or sitting in the aisle on charter buses while the vehicle is in motion, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“Everybody assumes (standing in the aisle) is not legal, but it is,” said Gary Knackstedt, a driver with Lakefront Lines, which operates the GoBus. “People are allowed to stand up to go to the bathroom, so why would there be a problem with people standing in the aisle?”
Knackstedt said that when all 56 of the bus seats are occupied, about 10-15 people are able to fit in the aisle and the only restriction is that they must be behind the white line near the front of the bus.
“We have had a few complaints from parents before; we usually just tell them that it’s up to the student if they want to stand, and that it’s legal, and they made the decision on their own,” said Maura Kuchta, secretary with Lakefront Lines.
University parents need not complain to Ohio University because the GoBus is not connected to the school, said university spokeswoman Katie Quaranta.
There are several problems with how the tickets are distributed and one problem is connected with students who choose to pay the $10 ticket price in cash to the driver up-front rather than purchasing a ticket online ahead of time.
The bus driver is supposed to announce that students who have previously purchased tickets get priority seating and can get on the bus first. Then after they have boarded, the students paying cash can get on next if there is room, Kuchta said.
“If a student with a ticket has to stand up for the trip because someone who paid with cash got on first, then we try and speak to the driver about the situation if it is reported,” she said. “People need to let us know, though.”
Kuchta said students who buy tickets online and elect not to stand on a full bus can receive a refund.
Another problem includes the Greyhound website, which allows students to purchase GoBus tickets but does not have a cutoff in its system, said Lantz Repp, Athens mobility coordinator of Hocking Athens Perry Community Action.
Repp said Lakefront Lines strictly monitors the advanced sales on the GoBus website and tries to predict how many buses are needed.
Managers require at least 48 hours to arrange additional drivers and buses, so large numbers of last-minute purchases can crowd buses.
Repp said safety is a priority for GoBus administrators, who do their best to accommodate for the amount of people. However, things do not always go according to plan.
“When you book a ticket on the Greyhound website, they don’t have a cutoff system, so you can always buy a ticket, even if there isn’t space on the bus,” Repp said.
az346610@ohiou.edu
