Another megabus (aka windstar bus) ride and Portillos dog — Dsm to Chicago

I know, I know. I swore I’d never ride the megabus after my last hellish experience (the one with the alleged burglary of a passenger’s diamond ring…no joke.)

But I’ve got some extenuating circumstances– namely a broken arm that ruled out driving to Chicago as planned to see Chicago family plus my LA brother and his family. Gotta say, the ride hasn’t been bad. Helps that we have a very no nonsense driver who runs a tight ship, err bus. He has twice warned the male riders not to pee on the toilet seat in the bus bathroom, I.e. lift up the damn seat before you wee. And he has started each leg of the trip with a walk down the aisle, looking sternly (bordering on disdainfully) at us passengers.

The college kid next to me who boarded in Iowa City (replacing a rougher character with a cane that had a handle. wrapped in electrical tape) said he prefers the windstar buses that replaced the old megabus double deckers. More comfortable, he says. I have no complaints although I am glad I wore long pants and brought a scarf. The AC is intense.

The two stops we made to drop off or pick up passengers ( coralville and the quad cities airport in moline) were quick and everyone returned promptly after mr. no nonsense stated clearly the time he would be leaving and warned “don’t get left behind.” There is no meal stop, as there has been in the past at some god forsaken fast food joint. And for this I am also thankful. (My first seat mate did show up with some smelly McDonald’s.)

Emma kindly picked me up at 9 pm at the bus stop in downtown Chicago, conveniently located near a Portillos, where we had a late dinner of classic Chi-town hotdogs.(They really do squeak when you bite thru the casing.)