Megabus Sighting at Fulton Ferry Landing, Brooklyn

This little Megabus was idling down by Fulton Ferry Landing, near the River Cafe, the Ice Cream Factory, etc.

Megabus -- a "no frills" bus service run by the Scottish Stagecoach Group -- started serving New York City a little over a month ago, according to Wikipedia.

Megabus claims you can ride to the cities served -- Boston, Washington D.C., Toronto, Philadelphis, Buffalo and Atlantic City -- for as little as $1 plus a 50 cent booking fee.

A quick check of their website shows this to be true, if you book well in advance. A seat to Washington D.C. reserved for November 23 costs only $1, if you book today. If you want to travel on August 10, you can get there for $8. The same seat leaving tomorrow will run you $20.

According to MSN Money, Megabus keeps prices low is by using online ticketing and sidewalk stops instead of ticket counters and bus terminals.

You have to weight the good with the bad, however. According to Wikipedia, "Theft is a major concern with Megabus as there have been many reported robberies as luggage has been stolen off of passengers and from luggage compartments. Lack of prevention include pitch black rides at night, no video or staff surveillance, and no secure luggage storage."

Just Another Blog has a story about a really, really bad ride on Megabus.

Annie Baxter, writing for Minnesota Public Radio, gives us a great sense of what it's like to travel by Megabus, both the good (too cheap to be true!) and the bad (the bus broke down on the return trip, which seems to be a regular occurrence on Megabus).

Photo by MK Metz