$1 to get from Oakland to LA, $2 round trip, one stop, and free Wi-Fi. Sounds too good to be true, no? Depending on your tolerance for crowded spaces, false advertising, and tardiness, this may or may not be the case. However, hearing that I could get home for only a buck, I was already sold.

The Megabus, which usually costs between $1-25 depending on how early you book a reservation, offers a “unique” travel experience for those looking to save money and avoid many stops along the journey. The bus runs through many cities in California including San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Sacramento, as well as other large cities throughout the United States. For it’s grand re-opening in California, the company had a $1 trip promotion, which is still available upon booking your reservations far enough in advance.

After purchasing my ticket, I decided to look up some reviews of the Megabus and hear what it was all about. It didn’t really make much sense for it to cost only $1, but, naturally, I didn’t question it. The first website I came across was dedicated to horrific experiences on the Megabus. Women breastfeeding, drunk bus drivers, fatal accidents, and my personal favorite- when the bus spontaneously combusted. Whether or not they should have, these stories made me slightly more excited to ride the Megabus, and hopefully come back with some outrageous story of my own. This did not end up being the case…

The most dangerous part of my round-trip Megabus experience was either the traffic getting through LA to get back to Union station for the return trip, or having a knife waved in my face in Oakland. No, no, it’s not what you think. You see, a man desperately wanted the phone number of the girl sitting next to me and simply threatened to cut her if she didn’t give it to him. He walked away laughing, and after I cleaned up the mess I made from peeing my pants in fear, I assumed he was joking and took it lightly. I later found out this man was in fact joking, a rather sick and inappropriate joke, but it at least gave me something to share with others interested in taking the big bus.

Along with the knife incident, the bus was two-and-a-half hours late, and the Wi-Fi did not work. This was quite a surprise to me (maybe it should not have), as Wi-Fi was Megabus’s main bragging right next to being only a dollar. I planned on sleeping most of the way, but I can imagine this being a bummer for anyone hoping to use Netflix or social media to pass the time.

Most of the things I have described are less than supportive of the Megabus, but, truthfully, it wasn’t that bad. After all, I did get to LA and back in one piece, and for only about two dollars total! Which is enough for me to take it again, assuming the one-dollar promotion is still available.

A highlight of the trip for me was when the driver came on the intercom at our lunch/ bathroom stop saying, “We have a no food and drink rule on the bus, but I don’t like that rule. So… No worries!” Awesome. Not to mention my bag was ten pounds overweight and I faced no repercussions and did not have to take anything out. The checker simply informed me that my suitcase was too heavy, walked away, and loaded it on the bus a few minutes later. Also awesome.

If you were thinking about taking the Megabus, my final comment would be to just try it! You can’t beat the price, and if anything, you might get some adventure out of it! I did the return trip with a friend, which made all the difference. Spending seven hours next to your best friend vs. spending seven hours next to a complete stranger is probably more enjoyable than you can already imagine.

Plenty of reasons not to, but the few reasons to try the Megabus simply outweigh the negatives for me. Try it with someone you know for added entertainment, sit back and enjoy the ride (preferably from the top level).

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