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Fung Wah Bus
Rating Details »
Category: Public Transportation [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Waterfront, South Boston700 Atlantic Avenue
(between East St & Essex St)
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 345-8000
- Nearest Transit:
-
South Station (Silver, Red)
Chinatown (Orange, Silver)
112 reviews for Fung Wah Bus
Seriously, can't beat $15 between Boston and NYC. thats as cheap is as it gets, probably cheaper than gas if you drove your own car.
wasn't too packed when i rode it so i had the row of 2 seats to myself so i wouldn't have to sit next to anybody. surprisingly, a majority of the riders weren't chinese folks, but mostly the younger college students in the age range of the 20-30 crowd.
Bonus for the scenic ride through Connecticut
Seriously...I took Fung Wah bus back in 1999 and omgosh I have so many memorable stories on that bus. I am really proud of the chinese bus company. They've come so far from what they originally started out as.
Back in 1999, my sister would take Fung Wah to Boston U. It used to be a ghetto van! Not a mini-van, but one of those vans that "John and Kate" would use on their show. Man...those vans did not have good shocks because everytime there would be a bump...your ass got a beating. After 4 hours of riding Fung Wah, your butt hurts like hell. One time the van hit a big bump and one guy in the back yelled "WTF". He was also the only non-chinese person on the bus at that time. This was before non-asians started taking the bus. Sometimes when all the seats were gone, they would seat someone in the aisles with those asian stools that have those cartoon characters on it. Not only that, but they wouldn't turn on the AC so we would sweat on it.
But now....after 10 years it's become such a mature bus service. I love Fung Wah. Great service, great price!
Ahhh, at last...I come to you Fung Wah Bus Corporation.
Like the magnificent wind for which you are named, I have been magically blown to New York City by you countless times....
Let's cuddle and look back at the photo album of our fond memories together with much nostalgia...cue dream waves and flash to us on a couch together:
Haha..this is a cute one - Remember when you got lost in Brooklyn during the blackout there a couple years back? Ahh, that was a good time. HeeHee there were flares blazing in the streets...
Yeah...remember all those times I was yelled at in broken English on your street corner hub in Chinatown, cheap (yet strangely awesome) $2 "all-beef" hot dog in hand?
Ohhh - and all those times your drivers yelled out, plainly, "10-Minute!!!" to signal our break at our lovely rest area of choice in Connecticut....
Yup, for $15 bucks each way and crumpled e-ticket in hand I ride your breeze Fung Wah. Sure, you aren't perfect, but you've got lots of personality and for that I love you.
Plus hey, you're BETTER THAN FLYING!!!
I've taken them to and from NY a couple of times. They were there when I needed a ticket after missing my Bolt Bus. Can't complain got there in a decent time, and the bus was clean enough. If Bolt Bus is sold out this is who I would choose over Lucky Star.
Hello. You are paying $15 to be driven to NYC.
Really, if you don't get it by now, then just get your parents to buy you a ticket on jetblue.
Where are all the chickens?
Do you KNOW how many times I've ridden Fung Wah to New York with promise of crazy Chinese people and live chickens and, yet... no chickens.
I just don't want you to be disappointed. In the day, Fung Wah was 5 stars. Sure, you were risking your life but you didn't have to deal with goign through South Station and you only had to pay $10 each way. (Now it's $15 and the crowds are ridiculous and the bus station reeks of diesel fumes).
These days, I'd rather shell out for the Acela or drive closer and take a commuter train.
Plus, the chicken stories are all LIES. Very disappointing.
I've gone to Boston by Amtrak and Greyhound and you can keep them both. Greyhound is overpriced and, frankly, I would have preferred it if the drivers didn't speak English. As for speeding, on Greyhound we definitely were passing all the other buses en route. Not one passed us.
On Fung Wah, I tend to sit to the right on the aisle and about four seats back. If the odometers are to be trusted, and I see no reason not to, Fung Wah buses travel at about 5 to 10 miles above the speed limit - just like most of the others. And I have yet to see a driver moving unsafely from lane to lane - on Fung Wah that is. Maybe I just got the bad Greyhound drivers.
As for Amtrak, it's almost four times as much money and, in my experience not any quicker - and much noisier.
Fung Wah has more scheduled runs than anyone else and it's damn hard to beat that $15 ticket price. If you get there ahead of your reservation they'll put you on the earlier bus. If you don't have a reservation you'll still get out quickly. For last minute plans, nothing beats it.
For those of you who seem to rate BoltBus ahead of Greyhound, there's something you should know - BoltBus IS Greyhound. Greyhound and Peter Pan formed BoltBus to compete with FungWah while not reducing their $45 tickets on their regular buses. That way they can snare the cheap riders and those willing - for some unfathomable reason - to pay three times the price.
So don't hesitate to ride Fung Wah, but do take some snacks and, out of common courtesy, go to the bathroom before you get on the bus. Bathroom odors are no more common on Fung Wah than any other bus. It all depends on who uses the toilet. But, to be safe, sit in the front half of the bus.
This weekend I went up to Boston on the 7 AM bus with 15 people and returned to NYC on the 7:30 PM bus with a full load of 60 people. Both trips were fast (under four hours), safe and comfortable. And, on the return trip, I even met a tall, pretty, blond lady.
So to those of you who turn up your noses at Fung Wah, keep on taking Greyhound, Peter Pan and Amtrak. It'll leave a couple more seats available for us Fung Wah fans.
You haven't spent your teens or twenties in Boston unless you've taken the Fung Wah to New York City. The ride is an experience in and of itself, and a quintessential part of being young and poor (like how all your glassware is stolen from local bars, and your entertainment center is two cinder blocks and a 2x4).
And for all those worry warts out there, yes, it can be a little uncomfortable at times. But that's the tradeoff for a $15 ticket price. It's like spending the night at a hostel; you can't complain about not getting four star service when you're not paying a four star price.
Fung Wah is cheap, efficient, and no more dangerous than any other bus company. If I were 19 and dirt poor again, you'd definitely find me on the Fung Wah.
Ew.
First of all, I don't know why people are still taking Fung Wah after hearing about all the accident/explosion/malfunction stories and news. Anyway, I decided one day that $15/way was worth the risk (this was before the birth of Mega/Bolt) and took it. Oh God, it still makes me shiver as I think about my experience and write this. The bus we were on must've not been cleaned in...years. The seats were itching me (ewewew) and the entire bus would smell like sewage/public bathrooms in China (trust me, I know) whenever someone went in and out of the bathroom. Never again. I wanted to cry when I was on the bus, and I wanted to cry when I got OFF the bus because I was so happy and relieved that my nightmare was over.
Honestly, my main concern about Fung Wah isn't the safety or language issues they have...it is legitimately the general hygienic problems and health risks they impose on their travelers. Ok, I'm done talking about it--this is grossing me out.
All I could tell you is this bus is as good as Peter Pant, clean and no smell, but cheap for only $15. The speed was on right limit, no fast nor slow.
Despite horror stories that I've heard, I've personally only ever had good experiences with the Fung Wah. Cheap and gets you to NYC in one piece. Far more preferable to driving, cheaper than flying, and maybe even a little more reliable than the train (because every time I board a train, delays always seem to find me).
I can't imagine why you'd take the Greyhound since you're likely to have the same kind of cramped, potentially uncomfortable commute for at least twice the money.
Extra bonus of trying out my crappy Cantonese on the drivers. Awesome.
What do you expect for a 15 dollar trip to NYC from Boston or vice versa?
Cheap. Boring. Smelly. Amazing
Plan ahead of time and bring something with you to keep you occupied because headphones and the back of some strangers head in front of you is really not that interesting.
I have read all sorts of reviews lambasting Fung Wah for their horrible safety standards, or their crappy over-speeding drivers who can't speak Engrish.
Even our dean of students during orientation warned us against taking the Fung Wah.
Seriously, I really don't see what the problem is.
I don't care that it might be a cover for a smuggling operation, or that they might be involved in gang wars, or that they smuggle drugs under the fan belt. They get me to NYC and back to Boston for $15 each way.
They speed? Good! I'll get there quicker.
The driver doesn't speak Engrish? So what? I'm not there to strike up a conversation with the guy.
They have shady operations? I fail to see what I'm supposed to do about it.
They had a horrible accident a few months ago and the bus flipped over? Well, the Greyhound bus in Canada had a madman who attacked and killed a poor unsuspecting passenger. Do we stop taking the Greyhound? No. And we don't stop taking the Fung Wah. Because it's affordable for a poor student on a tight budget (which begs the question of why he's going to NYC... Ahem.)
They leave every hour on the hour; they have a dude to load and unload your luggage; you can buy your ticket on the spot; they give passengers a 10-minute break at a rest stop. Sometimes the woman who shouts at you to board the bus can be a real *female dog*, but I'm not there to make friends. I'm there to get my bad self to NYC and back, and the Fung Wah does it for me every time.
"Oh my god, you take the Fung Wah. I'm surprised you're alive."
"It's $15 dollars! Are they transporting drugs?"
If I had a penny for every time I heard these comments... well, I'd be pretty freakin rich. Everyone can hate on Fung Wah all they want but I love them. I have been unfaithful to them in the past, trying out other bus companies, but I always come back to my honorable Fung Wah. This is why:
1. On weekends and holidays they have a bus every half hour like clockwork.
2. You don't have to purchase a ticket ahead of time online
3. They always have room for me - I can just show up when I want to leave and hop on
4. It's always $15
5. They do an excellent job getting me to my destination on time
Of course, there are a few drawbacks to taking Fung Wah. It can be uncomfortable, as Brian Z mentioned, some people do not comprehend personal space. Creepy people also have a tendency of riding as well as obnoxious, loud people who don't know how to speak at a normal level. Finally, the drivers hardly ever speak English. In the end, it's totally worth it.
Here's the deal:
Megabus and Bolt Bus are perfectly fine modes of transport, but here's where Fung Wah wins:
+ No advanced planning required whatsoever since buses tend to just leave every 10 minutes or less with open seats
+ You can sometimes get a whole row to yourself, even on Friday or Sunday
+ McDonald's beats Arby's
+ Usually I: (a) run up the stairs of South Station or walk quickly from the E Broadway F train stop, (b) throw $15 at someone and am told to "HURRY HURRY", (c) get on the bus right before the bus pulls away. This has happened the last 6 times I've gone back and forth from NYC and it's magnificent
+ The rest of the world is ill-informed and thinks that Fung Wah is "dangerous" which (a) frees up a seat for me and (b) makes other drivers fear the Fung Wah allowing quick transport in and out of traffic
+ Only spends a few blocks in Manhattan which cuts down travel time by a lot
+ If you have an iPhone, who cares if there is WiFi?
As for the smell, I've been on probably every Fung Wah bus there is and haven't really noticed, but I tend to ride as close to the front as possible. Sitting near the bathroom on a bus is amateur hour.
I took the Fung Wah frequently when I was making weekend trips from Boston to my parents or friends in New York. I'd normally leave after 8pm on a Friday and get one around 6pm on Sundays. The Sunday one was always sold out. The Friday usually wasn't, for some reason.
So we all know the deal with the Fung Wah, right? Fifteen dollars gets you a pretty crazy ride - speedy and probably not safe at all in any way - but yet it's addictive. You spend most of your ride wondering what is going to happen next. Besides getting there, which is still questionable.
One particular experience with the Fung Wah sticks out in my mind above all the others. It was a dark and stormy night. No, seriously, it was. And it was totally gorgeous out for the entire day so this caught everyone - bus driver included - by surprise. Getting stuck on a Fung Wah during a huge thunderstorm is one of those experiences you think about after a long night of drinking, when you're huddled over the toilet, hoping against hope that you will stop throwing up soon, but you know you have at least another hour of sick left, and it will get worse before it gets better, so you start to pray.
And you try to think of anything that could possibly be worse than how awful you're feeling just then. You think of that speeding, crazy bus in a thunderstorm. You think of the sound of that ONE WIPER working hard but not hard enough to cover the job of what should have been two working wipers. You think of that click, clack, pitter-patter, click, clack, and suddenly throwing up is the greatest thing ever.
The driver, who happened to be one of the tiniest people I'd ever seen in my entire life, continued to speed and trek through the downpour, perhaps thinking that the faster he gets us there, the faster he can get another wiper. I don't know. That one wiper was doing no good. But everyone else in the area decided not to drive so the highways were all ours. It was Fung Wah and some open road. Romantic, right?
A young man and woman were sitting in the row across from me and the woman is clearly in distress. She shrieks from time to time and the man is trying to comfort her to no avail. She is now sobbing uncontrollably and tells him that she doesn't know how we're going to make it. The bus. The speeding, crazy bus. In the storm. In short: we're all going to die.
So what does this guy do? He PROPOSES TO HER. He actually got out of his seat and got on one knee and proposes marriage to her. And the bus is so unsteady, so he actually falls a bit as he's doing this. And she's still crying. So he reassures her.
Man: Honey, please. Please, I want to marry you. Will you marry me?
Woman: Are...we..going....to...make it??
Man: I think so?
Woman: You THINK SO?
Man: You and me, or the bus?
Woman: THE BUS!!
Man: Can we focus here, honey?
Woman: You really want to marry me?
Man: I very much do.
Suddenly, the woman regains her composure. She wipes away any remaining tears on her shirt sleeve, and sits up straight. She looks into her guy's eyes and a little smile makes its way onto her tearstained face.
Woman: You asked me on a flippin' Fung Wah Bus?
Poor bastard had to sit next to her for the next four hours. But the storm stopped soon after that, and since I am able to write this, I'm sure you've gathered that I got home safely. I have no idea how our driver was able to do that, but stranger things have - and can! - happen. Maybe next time I'll see a successful proposal. Or a wedding. Imagine those Save the Dates? It can get really funky if it's in January....
(breakdown of star selection: -5 stars for safety, +17 stars for ridiculous soap operas, +3 stars for speed, -10 stars because that speed is totally illegal and can kill me, -1 star because it stops at McDonalds or a nasty Chinese buffet in CT as a means for a 'break' and gives less than 10 minutes, +4 for the buses being available to leave every hour or sometimes even every half hour, -5 because there's a really good chance you're going to be sitting across from really dumb people (see above). Total = 3 stars.)
The China town buses are a gamble because you might have a comfortable bus ride or the most awkward 4 hours of your life being next to someone who is relaxed enough with me to have half their body on me. It is not impossible to avoid being next to someone who is a psycho or just creepy which I have sat next too at all hours of my trips one time really late at night and one time during the day. But this is a gamble im willing to take because its just a cheap busride.
A 15 dollar bus ride you can't beat that IF YOU ARE REASONABLE and not expect excellent service which unfortunately people on this bus do. It is at the end of the Bus Station where the ticket sellers of Fung Wah and Lucky Star are shouting for your business. Even though they compete it seems they agreed to not go lower than 15 bucks. I'm sure they have a schedule but I never bother even planning that much when I need to take that bus back home because they are running on what seems to me like a half hour basis and if one bus is a half hour wait the lucky star bus might be 15 minutes. SO for people like me who like to head back to NY randomly and on the spot without any planning this is great.
I always take this Fung Wah whenever I need to head back home. Of course at a price like this that beats out Greyhound you have to be realistic. I have taken this bus many times and have always gotten home safely even though I have heard of stories of the bus catching on fire and have some messed up stories of my own but im still alive and well.
Things you should be prepared for:
1 - Non asian people yelling at the Chinese employees and expecting first-class service for $15. Other bus companies charges $40+
2 - Long lines during peak times; especially around the holiday weekend. You should arrive early and plan accordingly.
3 - People hogging chairs on the bus. There are two chairs and one of you so let's share and share alike. We have one common goal here and it is to get to NYC and Boston safely without rollovers and fires.
4 - People carrying oversized items on the bus thinking it will fit in the overhead compartment. Please have the common courtesy to place all oversize items in the luggage compartment.
5 - Rudeness. We are all eager to get to our destination so please refrain from such verbal & physical violence. Our destination is to NYC or Boston, not a final destination to hell.
If everyone can follow these 5 things, this bus company wouldn't get so many complaints and negativity especially from the news media.
This bus ride used to cost $10 and before that it only traveled once a day. Let's all try to get along! One of these days, this service will no longer be available and we'll be at the mercy of pay $40 at other bus companies. Overall, I give this bus 4 stars since I never encountered any problems.
The Chinatown bus to New York, it's an amazing thing. And there are so many options, Boltbus, LuckyStar, Greyhound. But there is only one that I'll take, Fung Wah. Three words: dependability, price, and convenience.
Fungwah is an efficient machine in shuttling people between NYC and Boston. And that's waht you want. If they need more busses they get more from other companies and send them off every 15 minutes. The price is always $15. AND the best part about Fung Wah is that the route they take barrels down the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and then enters Manhattan. And that's what you want. If you take Bolt Bus or Greyhound you can add about an hour to your trip while you sit in Manhattan traffic.
There is a 1 in a hundred chance you'll catch a Fung Wah and have the story you tell all your friends for the rest of your life about the driver that was going 100 mph or the driver that got caught by police and fled into the woods. But don't worry. Just don't go to New York more than 99 times.
I took this bus from Boston to N.Y last weekend. I had originally bought a ticket for the 7:00 bus online, but then I made it over to South Station from the Pru in under a half-hour, so i figured I'd catch the 6:00 one. I had read that it was easy to switch a ticket, but I was worried that I wasn't going to have enough time since I got there at approximately 5:57. It took them about 30 seconds to mark my "ticket" and get me boarded on the bus that left at Precisely 6:05.
I seriously regretted getting on the 6:00 bus, because I didn't allow myself time to get some dinner. I pretty much need to eat between 6:00 and 6:45 or else i start to freak out a little.
I had read that sometimes the drivers make a pit-stop at a McDonald's or Roy Rogers, and by around 8:30 I was more than excited for a super-sized value meal from either place.... Alas, the driver never took that pit-stop, and i nearly starved to death on the 4.5 hour bus-ride. I also forgot to mention that everyone around me had something to eat when they got on the bus... It was torture, but I blame myself. I had to make that quick decision- Eat, or get there an hour earlier?
Also, i am 6'1. Buses just aren't comfortable for people my height, but I was very lucky to have two seats to myself and i was able to lounge a bit, with my feet up, and seat back.
Is there a toilet on the Fung Wah Bus?
I didn't see a single person get up and go to the back of the bus on the entire 4.5-hour ride, and there was an area in the back that resembled a bathroom, however i didn't want to be the idiot to walk to the back of the bus, only to find people staring at me when i turned around and walked back to my seat.
So, to make a long story short. This was a pleasant experience other than the food, and the tallness thing, but I really can't blame any of that on the Fung wah. It was fast and cheap, and that's what I was looking for!
Back in my college days, when I was on my parents' tab mostly, they paid for me to take Amtrak between Boston and NYC. Once I went on my own dime, I took Fung Wah. Let me tell you there isn't much difference other than price. Both will get you between the two cities in about the same time, and the clientle are equally uncouth (for those of you in the higher echelons who whinge about such things).
People who tell you the train is significantly faster and less delay-prone are a bit mislead. Maybe they got lucky. But every time I took the train there were delays, overcrowding, and in a few cases, derailments. Yep.
Fung Wah, on the other hand, gets you where you want to go just as fast and in the same condition -- kind of frazzled, kind of amazed you survived. But oh yea, you saved like $60 on transport costs.
If it wasn't for Fung Wah I'd never be able to go to NYC to visit friends and family as often as I do. Yes, it's popular because it's cheap but also because those of us who've taken it a lot know it's not nearly as bad as some of the nay-sayers would like you to believe (and those nay-sayers secretly work for Amtrak!!1)
Tips for riding Fung Wah:
* Get there early, even if you have a "ticket." Sometimes the buses are a bit overbooked. Usually they have multiple buses, and they leave at such high frequency that it doesn't matter if you miss one, but if you absolutely have to be there by some set time, get there at least a half hour before your bus leaves.
* Don't sit near the back if you can help it. The buses do have those bus-bathrooms, and sometimes, if you're really unlucky, someone will use it. You know what I mean. Of the dozens of Fung Wah trips I've taken, it's only happened once that the bus Smelt the Wrath, but it was worse the further back you sat. Up front you didn't even notice.
* ... But don't sit in the front seats. For one thing you're really high up so you get a kind of nauseating view of the traffic around you and of the odometer. Trust me, when it comes to how fast Fung Wah is going (in the snow or rain...) ignorance is bliss. Plus unless you understand Cantonese you might be subject to hours of hearing the bus driver blabber loudly in a language you can't understand, which can be really grating. (If I'm going to hear a long phone conversation, I want in on the DIRT.)
* Bring cash for food. Fung Wah makes a pit stop half-way through the trip, usually at a fast-food joint. You have just enough time to grab a burger or whatever, use the bathroom, and get back on the bus. If you think you'll get hungry (and when the bus fills with the scent of french fries, you probably will) make sure you have cash for this.
* Don't put your bag on the seat next to you and try to hold both for yourself. Don't be a douche and just don't even bother trying this. The buses are always always filled to capacity, someone will need that seat.
And please please please don't be "that guy" who's on his/her cell phone THE WHOLE DAMN TRIP.
Without Fung Wah my life would be meaningless!
Or at least a lot harder to see my folks in Brooklyn.
This no frill, efficient but possibly dangerous bus company has enable me to go back monthly to NYC without being totally broke :)
People complain about many things but really you get what you paid for. I've been on it so many times over the last 2.5 years and I am still alive and kicking.
Sure you can take the train but it's waaaaaay more expensive AND it's only faster by half an hour. Sure you can take the plane BUT unlike Boston, the NYC airports are a pain to get to and require expensive taxi/cab service.
So grab a book, plug in your ipod, and try to relax on the Fung Wah ride!
Wow. $15 gets you from Boston to New York.
My ride was fast (4 hours) and clean. Plenty of leg room. Comfortable enough seats. And it drops you in Chinatown.
What more could you want for $15? Sharks with Freakin Lasers?
Man oh man, I like this bus, just how I like 'em,
Cheap, Convenient, Fast & Doesn't speak English :)
Aside from the subliminals, I can not justify the higher price of a Greyhound bus solely because of the Fung Wah, I use it all the time.
Fung Wah is god's glorious gift to all the little creatures in Boston wishing to escape for very little money.
A cookie for anyone who can spot my exquisite exercise of alliteration.
(Oh yeah, I'm not actually giving you a cookie.)
There's a time to sell out, and that's why I don't take the Fung Wah anymore. They've been around longer and I think of the line as "The" Chinatown bus (even though Lucky Star is now in competition) but the buses are just...worse. Worse quality, always more crowded, I have had experiences of buses being pulled over.
I think its unfair to say that they're awful and guaranteed to catch on fire, though. With buses going out at least hourly every single day, there are bound to be accidents. Still, I just don't take the Fung Wah anymore now that I have more options. But I WOULD ride with them over a Greyhound anyday, tell you what.
In fact, here are my rankings
1st Place: Bolt Bus (I just haven't had anything but great experiences!)
2nd Place: Lucky Star
3rd Place: Fung Wah
Loser: Greyhound
You can't beat $9 for a trip to NY. But ummm....
My friend took this bus, and he said it caught on fire on the way back!
Also, Fung Wah isn't exactly a hidden secret; everyone knows about it and takes it, probably resulting in an overcrowded four hour ride.
it is unbelievable how many stories there are out there about how horrible this bus ride is. but it's really not! i mean, it's not exactly luxurious, but it's not a cart on four wheels either. the bus works, the driver is competent, and he usually gets you to NYC in less than 4 hours. you basically get what you pay for. i made it to NYC and back and i'm still alive and there were no chickens. seriously.
The four stars you see above are all for the fact that I can get to NYC for pennies.....However beware....this is a hit or severely miss experience....I, (knocking on wood as we speak) have experienced 90 percent good and 10 percent bad.
The experience here has so many variables.....
The drivers are either: really really fast, really really slow or really really crazy!
The bus itself is clean and tidy and pretty comfy...provided of course you don't get MR.-- I am going to fall asleep on your shoulder drool and maybe even sneak in a snuggle-- next to you.
And yes the rumors are true....every so often they do break down, catch on fire or arrive 8 hours after departure. It is all a gamble here folks, but one that me and my budget are willing to take;)
Some important notes:
Try never to travel on Friday or Sunday nights....I have witnessed gang-like brawls for seats during these times.
Midday busses are usually the best but somehow lately no matter what the hour, the busses are ALWAYS packed.
Lastly when you stop at McDonald's do not, I repeat DO NOT take more than 10 minutes to get your fries. Once my driver left someone behind and did not realize it until about 20 miles up the road.....I assume the poor dude had to wait for the next bus and stand until NYC????
Happy Travels:)
Driver: "The rear mirror fell off.. does anyone have tape?"
Stressed businessman: "I'm going to take a smoke break."
Hippie kid: "Ooh grass...::gets off bus and plays with dandelions::"
Fatherly figure: "You might be able to use my shoe lace."
Woman holding box of sweets: "And I have the string from this box."
Me: ::On the verge of wetting myself:: Where's the Professor when you need him? Although.. he could never really figure out how to get them off that island.....
Actual encounter on Fung Wah Express Van. Seriously. Want to find out what happens? Find all this and more in Trish's new book of short stories.. "(Fung) Wah Was I Thinking? This Bus Costs Less Than a Cab Ride from Boston to Cambridge!" TBCLTACRFBTC for short. Not so seriously.
I didn't understand a damn word of the movie, so what??
So I clenched my SO tight when the lights went out and we started to drive away. Understandable.
this WAS one scary ride!
We missed our bus home fromFoxwoods. We saw this bus under the Fung Wah sign to Boston. Asked how much. Gave them our money and had to sit RIGHT next to the bathroom.........
Good god ....that was a bad move. trust me. How my SO fell asleep like he was in a craftmatic is beyond me......the damn bus was on its last leg.
PLUS we ended up in a "Three seat" section ......I was in the middle between my SO and a little old lady...she kept falling asleep on me.......I shoved her off and she really went far.....I didn't realize how fragile and small she really was. It was ok....she didn't wake up either........
So yeah, I prayed the whole way home. We got home fast at least. Our bus was going a good 90MPH......holy sh**!!!!!!!!!!
To top it off we got dropped off in Dorchester at 12 at night........it was that or Chinatown.........we took the "T" home and kissed the floor when we walked in.
So, lesson of the day.....Fung Wah is ok in a pickle..Do yourself a favor and spend a TINY bit more for Greyhound..........
if you must "Fung the Wah"......... don't sit near the bathroom and try to get a two seater.
So three stars because we didn't die.
Only way I travel between Boston-NY and back!
They,re quick, they;re efficient.
Although the buses are about the same size as Greyhound, if you go on a nonpeak time and get two seats, I can crawl up in a ball and sleep my 3.5 hours to NY.
My favorite part is that it drops you off at Chinatown/ by Canal & Grandstreet, so if you're a former Brooklynite or just visiting, you're commute their is greatly shortened by avoiding Penn Station (only slight worse than grand station)
I do miss the times they used to play movies on the bus. Made a ride during rush hour traffic more bearable if you can't sleep.
Another perk is that they're flexible. If you insist on buying your ticket in advance and get their too early or a little late, they let you go onto the next bus.
Fung wah is a great way to get to NYC fast...and i mean fast. They often are cited for speeding.
I used to take the bus when everyone was lead on a wild goose chase through china town to find the bus as they didnt have an exact pick up point. Even being in south station now, its complete chaos, but what do you expect for $15. Even when you bought your ticket, you are still not guaranteed a seat. You have about 100 people trying to cram through the tiny door to get on the bus first so that you can get a seat and no longer worry about being denied.
Still, you cannot beat the price for a thrill ride to NYC.
A decent service at a bargain price. Its too bad that Greyhound raised their prices. For a while, they cut the price to $15 to compete directly with Fung Wah, but I guess that gas prices forced them to raise it again). Now I have to go all the way down to Chinatown to catch the bus back to Boston.
Not really all that comfortable, and you are kind of in constant fear that the bus will tip over. Also, be back in ten minutes when the bus stops, because they might leave you in Connecticut. Also, do get there 30 minutes in advance. The bus arrives 15-20 minutes early, and always fills up.
There is also the Bolt Bus (run by Greyhound) for $2.50 more, which I have heard is nicer and offers WiFi.
I had parked my car at a meter right where the Fung Wah bus was parked and was walking back to it when I saw this long line to get on. I looked inside and noticed that the driver was the same guy who an hour earlier had been at my store trying to buy a $35.00 laptop case from me.
He spoke no English. Not one syllable. He did however wave his hands in my face offering me ten dolla! ten dolla! for like 15 minutes.
SO I cut the line and screamed five dollah! five dollah! You let me ride bus for five doolah! I did this long enough to horrify him and almost everyone on line.
I drove home feeling much better about my day.
Admittedly, I've only taken this bus once, so my experience may not be very representative, but I have to say that the experience completely exceeded my expectations (especially considering the price of $15).
The staff seemed very well organized to me, the bus was clean, left NY and arrived in Boston on time (the trip took just a little over 4 hours), seats were comfortable, and the other customers were very quiet, so that I was actually able to sleep the almost the whole time and arrived in Boston completely relaxed.
I have no complaints whatsoever and, again, for $15 this is about as good as a deal as you can possibly get.
After nothing BUT bad experiences on this bus (ranging from the drunk guy that ate a whole fried fish he had wrapped in foil and pulled out of his pocket to hitting a car at the tolls to being told I couldn't get on any bus because my ticket was for another time - even though it was THEIR fault that I didn't make my scheduled bus...), I would much rather dish out the few extra bucks and go Greyhound.
Seriously. It's not worth the hassle or the smells.
I've gone to NY probably 30 times in the past two years. Fung Wah (and its counterpart Lucky Star) is indispensible in sustaining this kind of pace. It's still a bus, and has all the shortcomings buses have (crowding, overselling, traffic, etc.), but for the price, you can't beat it.
First, Amtrak is wildly overpriced. I'm pretty adaptable, and can handle a bus seat instead of a train seat. The extra $70 is not a sustainable luxury tax over the long haul.
Second, driving is tiring and expensive. It changes the whole complexion of a weekend when you have the drive back looming over you, and the need to be rested for it. Sometimes having the car down there is desirable or necessary, but gas and tolls come to something like $70 round-trip nowadays. Use acutal mileage accounting figures ($.40/mile is a conservative estimate, but good enough), and you're pushing $200.
For $30 round-trip, I stick my bike under the Fung Wah (no box, dismantling, or fee required like Amtrak or Greyhound/Peter Pan), and get to Manhattan with no effort other than showing up.
The biggest complaints I hear are about the other passengers (get over yourself, please), and absurd rumors (no, there are not chickens on the bus; yes, there are bathrooms; yes, the buses almost always stop for a stretch break). Really, you're getting essentially what you get with Greyhound/Peter Pan, without the familiar logo.
I've yet to see a movie on these buses (a big plus, if you ask me), and never been on a bus that smelled any different from anyother (people can and do bring their own food on all buses and trains, though). And Greyhoud oversells big time -- don't even get me started on the buses I've had tickets for and not gotten on. Learn to show up early.
Seriously -- $30 round trip, and someone else drives for you. Brilliant.
OK so where do I go to roll over the negative stars?
I had been happily and stingily riding the Fung Wah buses for several years...and felt the odd buses, odd smells and mass throng to board the bus were all part of the non monetary price I had to pay to get to NYC for only $10 now $15. I was a die hard, told friends not to be stupid...not to let their squeamishness and snobbery out-weigh the value of dollars saved and convenience of hourly trips daily.
But personal experiences over the past year
(wrap around windows de-latching and opening in winter,
four hour long Le Mans posturing on the part of Bus Drivers,
10-15 near misses; which would have been our bus rear-ending and trampling small passenger vehicles ahead of us,
bus heating to over 106 in the summer; (with children passing out!)
have caused me to have to recalculate the *value* of a $30 dollar round-trip fare to New York.
Now that a mortality rate is part of the equation it's not worth it.
Unfortunately the alternatives are: other buses 30% more,
the LimoLiner 500% more, Amtrak 900% more...............
Now I feel as though if one is injured after electing to be a passenger on the Fung Wah;
it's a foregone conclusion that it was only a matter of time and, it's only one's own d@#! fault-- sorta like:
the luge,
urban American gang membership, or
maybe even Russian roulette.
So many adjectives for the Fung Wah.
Amazing is definitely one of them.
The uglies: sitting in the front seat will give anyone the most amazing case of road sickness ever, as will the reports of bus burning and flipping.
The amazings: I don't care what happens (bus burning and flipping and stopping for snack/gas included) you will get to New York and Boston in 4 hours.
You can't beat this experience. Neither can you beat the $15 price tag. At least I haven't found the appropriate stick...
