Fung Wah, wah, wah

If you live in Boston or NYC, and ever walk through Chinatown, you have probably seen long lines of travelers waiting in line to get on the bus – the Fung Wah bus, which for $15 would take you from Chinatown to Chinatown (every half hour on weekends).

I can’t say that I’m exactly familiar with the bus fare between Boston and NY, but I believe that Fung Wah is on the low side. That said, it’s not necessarily alone in its rock bottom-ness. You can take the Bolt Bus (owned by Greyhound) for $15, although Bolt’s prices are variable, depending on the time you’re traveling. And some of the legs on the Megabus Boston-NYC round-trip, at ultra unpopular times – e.g., arrive 3.25 a.m. – are even cheaper.  Then there’s its truly direct competitor – Lucky Star – which I believe price matches Fung Wah pretty directly.

What really distinguishes Fung Wah from its competition is, of course, its reputation, which is such that many folks believe that Fung Wah translates into “Death Trap,” “Life in Hands,” or “No Return.”

The reputation was built one breakdown at a time, and burnished by the experiences of both riders and those who observed them fro the comfort and security of their own personal vehicles.

Truly, it’s impossible to spend any time on the Mass Pike between Sturbridge and Boston – or, presumably, on the rest of route from NY, through Connecticut, to the Massachusetts border – and have missed seeing a Fung Wah bus in the breakdown lane.

Actually, it’s a relief to see a Fung Wah bus in the breakdown lane.

What’s really nerve-wracking is seeing one hurtling down the center lane, sides shimmying, engine cover flapping, tires balding, smoke belching.

It’s commonly held that, if you’re pulled over for speeding, you can get out of a ticket if the trooper believes that you were just trying to get by a Fung Wah.

Alas – or, depending on your point of view, about time:

Fung Wah Bus is suspending all buses service to compliances a requested by US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for inspections and repair services.

Fung Wah bus will resume buses service soon after an inspection and repair service is complete by inspectors. Please call us at 212-925-8889 or email us at eticket@fungwahbus.com if you have any questions. All e-ticket will be refund.

接联邦交通部门通知，风华巴士公司的巴士要全部进行检查修理，因此暂停运作，检查后何日开始运作，另行通告。 (Source:  Fung Wah.)

Maybe Fung Wah gave more details in the Chinese, but Boston.com was a bit more forthcoming on the nature of the problem: structural cracks:

The frame cracks, located in the drive axle, rear axle, engine cradle, and other locations, posed serious safety issues…“We’re recommending that they deem this to be an imminent hazard, which would mean that they would shut down the company until the problems were addressed,” [chairwoman of the utilities department [Ann] Berwick said.

Having found major defects in 21 of Fung Way’s 28 “motor coaches”, Massachusetts asked the Feds to put a cease and desist on the company, which they did. Which those no risk, no reward, no fun(g wah), no sense of adventure nanny-staters took care of. Spoil sports!

I’m sure that Fung Wah, once it finds enough duct tape, spit, and baling wire to hold their buses together, will be back – and I’m guessing that this won’t cut into their business, at all. When the new and improved Fung Wah’s back on the road, the Chinatown queues will be back, too. After all, it was no secret that transpoing with Fung Wah was a ride on the wild side. Among college kids, artsy types, and the scruff-erati, traveling with Fung Wah had a certain cachet.  Take that, you effete, boujie Acela fans. Up yours, you money-grubbing, hedge-fund worshiping, jet-fuel guzzling snobs. Power to the Fung Wah people!

But that’s assuming they will be back. The latest word is that Fung Wah refused to give the Feds its safety records, and the Feds completely shut them down. (Boston.com)

I don’t get to NYC often enough, but when I do, I’m with the Aceler-ators or the jet set.

I like the train. It’s comfortable and soothing, and its lets you off in mid-town. Penn Station is pretty ghastly – too bad the beautiful and stately Grand Central is for commuter trains, not long hauls -  but once you’re there, you’re there, and not at LaGuardia or JFK.

Getting let off in Queens aside, I also like the plane. Once you let yourself ignore the schlep to the airport, the wait at security, and the schlep from the airport, it’s quick and easy to get from Boston to NYC. And to me there’s no feeling on earth like coming into Manhattan via the 59th Street Bridge.

Not to mention that, thanks to my husband the frequent flyer savant, we are able to fly to NY for $5. Which is, in fact, a lot cheaper than Fung Wah, Lucky Star, Bolt of Megabus (forgetting the cab fare from the Queens).

But everyone is not fortunate enough to have a spouse who’s a frequent flyer savant and, while there seem to be plenty of cheapo-depot alternatives, I’m sure that the Fung Wah aficionados will miss their ride.

Fung wah, wah, wah.