Greyhound crisis

Greyhound thinks its in a driver’s position in its fight to get $15M out of the various governments. Holding peoples of Northern Ontario and Manitoba hostage appears to work for the Limeys and Yanks that now run the bus line. To save a lot of ink, simply they are vile kidnappers and extortionists.

If I were residing in Northern Ontario I would crapping furious. It matters little if Greyhound backs out of its position and maintains service. The thought of it steams me.

For the last thirty years, I’ve been advocating Northern Ontario independence. This stands as another reason to set a course to freedom. A long list of federal and provincial governments, constantly mismanaged the northern economy. Compared with the early 1960s, its in tatters.

There are countermeasures that can the municipal governments in Northern Ontario can take now. They must be united though. Simply put, they ban Greyhound from entering their jurisdictions. If every community on highways 11 and 17 forbid the bus line from stopping, servicing or refueling or switching drivers, this would cause Greyhound second thought.

It all depends on the Cities of Thunder Bay, Sault St. Marie, Winnipeg and Sudbury falling into line. It would mean that every Greyhound bus travelling north of Parry Sound would not be legally able to stop til it reached the Saskatchewan border. No bus carrying people can do that.

Greyhound assumes that it still can keep the Winnipeg to Toronto run going. The province must step up and remove an exemption that Greyhound has always enjoyed. The provincial government could insist that all buses which are not permitted to stop and pick up or discharge passengers, must now stop in every truck weigh scale and endure safety inspection. There are about four stations to the Manitoba border.

People in each community, Greyhound serves now could protest. Having demonstrators meet the bus at every stop carries a powerful message.

In the winter, snow plowing personnel can stall all these units. What the Yanks and Limeys forget is that all these bus routes work fine in the summer and warm weather but it’s a long way from Parry Sound to Winnipeg and back. There are just so many things that people can do.

Of course this may seem weird but I also find that the Greyhound request for aid is totally appropriate. They did give good service to these areas. And the decline in the economy has hit these areas hard. It hit Greyhound similarly. The federal and provincial governments gave out billions to underwrite their stock broker and banker buddies. The federal government sends billions to prop up drug running warlords in Afghanistan.

It would be inexcusable not to help Greyhound maintain essential service during this economically difficult time. Its not the level of support for Greyhound, it’s the method of their request that truly makes one furious.