Greyhound Lost & Found & Stolen
Some weeks ago I took a Greyhound bus from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles, with transfer in Las Vegas. My bus left Salt Lake City at 6pm. We arrived at Parowan, UT at 10:30pm for a 30min stop. I got off the bus to buy some stuff. When I returned I could not find the bus. As I have a severe visual impairment I asked somebody to help me find the bus. Eventually it became clear that the bus had left without me. Fortunately, I was able to find somebody kind enough to give me a ride from Parowan to Las Vegas, where I was hoping I would be able to re-board a bus and continue my trip to Los Angeles. Still in Parowan, I called the Greyhound Las Vegas terminal to alert about two carry-on bags I had on my bus. As I had missed my bus I was hoping that Greyhound personnel in Las Vegas would take care of my carry-on's as the bus arrived to Las Vegas and keep them in a safe place until I got there, an hour later, at 2am.
As soon as I got to Las Vegas I asked the Greyhound personnel about my bags. I spoke first with somebody still outside the terminal, at the loading area. He told he did not know anything about my bags, he had not found anything. I explained him I was coming from Salt Lake City and my bags had come on that bus. It was 2am in the morning, my bus had arrived at 1am and during that time there were not that many buses coming in, thus it was very easy to identify my bus. I was guided to my bus and was allowed to get inside and take a look. It was totally empty. I could not find anything there.
I asked for Greg, the person I spoke with from Parowan, to whom I asked to take care of my bags. At 2am there were not that many people at the terminal, so it was very easy to get hold of him. He explained he did not know anything about my bags, they did not find anything. He guided me to 'lost-and-found', to some big room at the end of some fairly long corridor. He allowed me to take a thorough look, but there was nothing there. I was puzzled my bags had disappeared. He continued explaining that he personally unloaded the bus, together with a few other guys, and they could not find anything. He took me again to the bus and suggested I take another look. We both knew already there was nothing on the bus. It was clear to him that somebody had stolen my bags. I complained that having been advised about my bags coming unattended on that bus, he had not been prompt getting hold of them. He clarified the procedure is to first allow everybody out of the bus and only then clean everything. He noted there was nothing else he could help me with and suggested me to ask for the manager should I need more assistance.
I proceeded talking to the manager. I explained him the whole situation and he offered his willingness to help. He said that if things had gone the way I explained, my bags should be in 'lost-and-found', so he took me again to 'lost-and-found' and was 'kind enough' to allow me to take another look. I would walk around for quite some time, for several minutes and he would eventually get tired of waiting for me. I asked him to allow me to take a look into some gated, restricted space in that room, but he replied there was no point; my bags could not be there. I insisted. He declined and asked me to exit. Finally, I accepted to leave the room, but started looking around at some other rooms next to 'lost-and-found', still inside the area restricted to Greyhound employees. He asked me to stop looking and to exit the restricted area. As I continued walking around, I tried to reason with him that I was not really doing anything wrong, nothing that would harm anybody. He insisted ordering me to leave. As I kept walking around he asked a security officer to come and escort me out of the restricted area. As the security officer instructed me to leave, I tried to reason with him. I felt there was not really anything wrong about looking around. I was just hoping I would be able to get a little help from them, that they would show some little sensitivity. I observed my disappointment in the little assistance they were providing and the bad 'customer service' they were offering. He replied I was getting what I had paid for. He said: "I never ride Greyhound. Greyhound is dirty cheap, and you get what you pay". He made clear the manager was the boss there and if he said I had to leave, there was no way around it. As we continued arguing he started pushing me towards the exit. Both, the manager and the security officer repeatedly threatened me to put me in jail if I continued with my attitude. As I kept insisting with my complaints I was led outside the terminal; first into the loading area and from there, through some alley, to the street. The security officer and I ended up in front of the terminal's main public entrance, where I demanded my right to be allowed inside the terminal's public area. Although initially he did not accept it, finally I was able to enter.
For quite some time I kept walking around the public area of the terminal, just in case I could find some sign of my bags. I kept thinking what all possible things I could do in order to find my bags. It was very late in the night, I had been on the bus for a very long time, I was really tired, but if there was anything I could do to help me recover those bags, I would not hesitate. Just to think my laptop was in those bags and all the data I had there was enough to realize that I could not save any effort.
I got the idea that it might be good to talk to the driver. Maybe he saw something, maybe he knew something. I therefore went to the ticket counter to ask for some information about my bus' driver. I was told that for that I would need to talk with the manager. So, the same night-shift manager I had previously spoken with came out. He said it was not possible to talk to the driver because he was no longer there; he had already left the terminal. I asked whether it would be possible to speak with him over the phone. The manager replied that it would not be possible because the driver would already be sleeping. I clarified that I only intended to talk to the driver after he has waken up or got back to work. The manager replied I could not talk to the driver because he was already sleeping. I insisted about waiting until the driver has got back to work. The manager repeated that I could not talk to the driver because he was already sleeping. He also warned that he would not accept to be harassed in such a way and that I was aggravating him. I explained that I was just asking a question, I could not see anything wrong about asking a question and expected to have my question answered. He insisted I was aggravating him and proceeded to instruct the security guard to take me out. I kept complaining, now to the security officer, as he was pushing me towards the exit, that I was just asking a question. Finally, outside the terminal, on the street, I noted that I had a ticket and I had the right to be inside the terminal. He replied I did not have that right and asked whether I preferred to comply or be put in jail. I said it was cold outside, it was not safe, I had the right to be inside and would not hesitate to re-enter the terminal as soon as he would leave his current position. He threatened to call the police. I agreed that he should definitely call the police and have somebody clear everything up. He pulled out some little device and proceeded to call the police. Little after, some voice came out of his device answering his call. He, however, ignored the reply and insisted that I had to leave. I pointed to his device and noted he should answer that voice. He ignored my remark and ordered me to leave once again.
It was then that a second security guard came out. I had not met him before. He asked his colleague, the other officer, to get back in; he would take care of me. Finally the first security officer accepted and returned to the terminal. Michael, the second officer, explained that his colleague was mentally sick, he was dangerous, and it was stupid of me not to leave as that guy could kill me. I replied I did not care, it was cold outside, it was not safe there, I had the right to be inside and would not surrender my right. He clarified he was just trying to help me. It was not safe for me to be close to that guy and it was wiser to just forget about everything and leave. All what he was saying was not making any sense to me. He started shouting at me, he just could not understand how I could be so stupid; I was crazy not to leave. I insisted to be allowed back in. He paused for a second and then said that he would allow me to get back in if I promise I would remain quiet in the waiting area and do not try to speak with anybody. I complained I was just trying to have the chance to talk with my bus' driver. He repeated I was crazy, I was stupid. I asked what was wrong about talking to the driver. He did not reply but repeated that he would allow me to get back inside the terminal if I promise not to bother anybody. I complained that I was not the criminal, but the victim. It was me who had lost some very important property. Yet, I had always been respectful, I had never insulted anybody and I expected the same respectful treatment, I could not see anything wrong about asking a question and I really expected an answer to my question. "What question?", he asked. "Would it be possible to talk to my bus' driver once he gets back to work?". He said there was no problem about that. I was surprised and thus, to confirm, asked the question again: "So you think it will be possible to talk to him?". "Yes!", he replied. I celebrated that we would finally agree. He then allowed me inside. I asked him for some basic information that would help me contact the driver, like what was his name and when was he expected to report back on duty. Michael, however, as a simple security officer, did not know anything about that. I therefore tried to ask the night-shift manager, but he refused to talk to me and made clear that my only option was to wait until 7am, when the person responsible for luggage claim would arrive for work and ask him any question I might have. I decided to wait until then, I looked for some bench where I could lie down and try to get some sleep, and hoped that the morning-shift personnel would have a better disposition to help.
After a while, Michael, the security officer, approached and told me it was prohibited to lie on the benches; I had to remain sited. As I could not sleep, at some point in time, as I saw the night-shift manager passing next to me, I asked him what kind of information or assistance could the person responsible for luggage claim offer. His answer was that, to be sincere with me, there was really very little he would be able to do for me. He had already suggested that the best thing for me would be to assume that my bags had been stolen, forget about the whole issue and leave. As it was more of the same, I returned to my seat and hoped the morning would bring some better luck.
Shortly after seven, I went to the ticket counter to ask to be allowed to speak with somebody responsible for luggage claim. To my surprise the person that came out was Greg, the person I spoke with from Parowan. I had thought that perhaps my bags had actually reached my final destination in Los Angeles. If my bags did not end in 'Lost-and-Found', maybe it was because somebody noticed that neither my two carry-on's nor the two other bags I had checked were claimed. Since the baggage tag attached to my checked bags indicated they were routed to Los Angeles, perhaps that person decided to put all bags in destination to Los Angeles. With that hope, I asked Greg to contact Los Angeles to inquire about my bags. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number of the Los Angeles terminal. However, as it seemed he was not getting good reception, he told me he would rather call from his office and would be right back with me. Half hour later I was still waiting, now sitting on the floor in front of the entrance to the 'employees-only' area. The morning-shift security guard saw me a few times, but did not say anything. Finally, he asked what I was doing there. As I explained I was waiting for Greg, he went inside to look for him. Only after several minutes Greg came out. He said he had been able to speak with Los Angeles and could confirm that my bags were there. Unfortunately, he was only talking about the bags I had checked. I asked him about the carry-on's, but he clarified there was no chance that somebody had put my carry-on's in direction L.A. I asked if he could call Los Angeles about that, just in case. He said he would call from his office and be right back. Again, after half hour I was sitting on the floor, still waiting. As the security officer approached me I explained I was again waiting for Greg. After a while, he came out and told me that Greg had already left. So , I asked to speak with somebody else.
A new person came out identifying himself as a manager. I explained him that I had been trying for the last several hours to locate or get some information about my carry-on's. He pointed out that any lost baggage would be placed in lost-and-found. I told him we had already looked there. I asked him whether it would be possible that my carry-on's had been routed to L.A. He replied that maybe that had been the case and suggested I leave for Los Angeles and 'take it from there'. I ask him whether he would mind to call L.A. and ask them about it. He said he could not call, but suggested again I leave for Los Angeles and 'take it from there'. Then, I asked him whether it would be possible to talk to my bus' driver. He did not find any problem about that. I asked him if he could help me find out his name and the time he would be back. He said he could not help me with that. I insisted but he refused to provide any further assistance. He suggested I talk to somebody else.
As I was again sitting on the floor in front of the area restricted to Greyhound employess, the morning-shift security guard approached me for a third time. I explained I was waiting to speak with somebody, but he insisted asking about the actual nature of my problem. I told him that I had lost some bags and had been looking for them for the last several hours. He continued asking for a description of my bags and what they contained. Then he told me to wait for him and went inside.
Shortly after, I was told by the security officer to come into the restricted area. He guided me to some room. Inside I found the employee that had previously identified himself as the manager. He was working on a computer. After a couple of minutes he stepped aside and asked, as he pointed down to the floor, right underneath the computer he was just working on: "Are these your bags?". I found in shock those were indeed my bags. I had already given many, very detailed descriptions of my bags, including to this employee. Still, he asked me to tell him what was inside, so as to prove they were indeed mine. After having been fighting for eight hours, I did not find any problem making a last effort and telling them, once more, as I was taking each and all items out, there was a Laptop, a pair of ski boots, a full set of around one hundred $10 phone cards, a pair of shoes, an Elvis Presley key holder... As I extracted the key holder and handed it to this employee, he would still note: "I do not see here any reference to Elvis Presley". The security officer examined the key holder next and said: "Well, it says Graceland here". The employee conceded. As I was taking my bags in my way out I asked him: "How come these bags have been here and not in 'lost and found'. He replied: "I do not know, I just found them here"...
