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Greyhound Bus Passengers Looking For a Way Out

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Dec 26, 2009 4:43 pm US/Central

Greyhound Bus Passengers Looking For a Way Out

Bad weather taking a toll on travelers going by way of bus.

Reporting
Derrick Blakley
CHICAGO (CBS) ― More than a dozen passengers stranded by bad weather at Chicago's greyhound bus terminal are complaining of both bad luck and bad treatment.

As CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports many of the stranded travelers have no choice but to wait it out.

For the last three nights, Matthew Brill and his wife have slept on the floor of the Greyhound station, stranded en route from Mobile, Alabama to Missoula, Montana.

They're among more than a dozen stranded passengers who say, they've been treated more like refugees.

"The worst part is the customer service they have is very bad here. It's unprofessional. They're very rude to customers," said Gerald Palmer, stranded on his way to Seattle.

"I had my feet kicked and told: sit up, this is business hours. I've been here four days. I got to sleep at some point," said Brill.

Greyhound buses are running, but not out west, where fierce snowstorms shut down roads, forcing thebus line to cancel all runs west of Minneapolis...and across the plains, into the Rockies.

That's bad enough. But Ryan Simpson, who's trying to get to Seattle, believes Greyhound agents in Kalamazoo, Michigan sold him a ticket in bad faith.

"When I purchased my ticket they weren't running. They just sold 'em to us, here they go, And then an hour later we find out we're not going anywhere," said Simpson.

Most of those stranded can't afford to buy train or plane tickets to get out and Greyhound won't give their money back. The tickets clearly state: no refund.

Roi Ann Sparks can't get to Sioux City, Iowa.

"I'm not with my sisters I haven't seen in a decade and my nephews. It's ruined my holiday," Sparks said.

Greyhound officials have provided meal vouchers, and a company spokesman says they try to make passengers as comfortable as possible inside the terminal.

Still, for Elgina Callahan, who suffers from epilepsy, comfort has been in short supply.

"Not even a good Christmas at all," Callahan said.

Some of the stranded passengers are banding together, pooling their money to try to get a room at a nearby hotel. They'll use it to shower and sleep in shifts. Like the airlines, Greyhound insists it has no obligation to provide hotel rooms, especially since the bus cancellations are not their fault.

More than 300 flights have been canceled at O'Hare International Airport as snow continues to fall across the Chicago area Saturday evening.

The Chicago Department of Aviation says airlines are reporting delays of 90 minutes or more in and out of O'Hare. Some flights were delayed up to five hours Saturday afternoon.

Across town, flights in and out of Midway International Airport had delays averaging 60 minutes or more. A few flights had been canceled.

In addition to snow in Chicago, travel is being hampered by bad weather on the East Coast.

The National Weather Service reports snowfall will bring storm total snowfall to 6 to 12 inches from De Kalb County east northeast into the western and northern suburbs of Chicago. A few locations over the western and northwestern suburbs of Chicago could see totals just over a foot. For Cook County the heaviest totals will occur over northwest portions of the county, with storm total snowfall accumulations of 3 to 6 inches likely over southern portions of the county.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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