Speech free rights nowdays... remember communism?

Greyhound bus passengers stranded in Memphis up to four days

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - Dozens of Greyhound bus passengers were stranded in downtown Memphis Sunday afternoon waiting to get back on the road.

The bus passengers, who had been stranded for three days, began to get frustrated early Sunday as they continued to wait for the busses.

Chris Allen from Texas is trying to get to Omaha, Nebraska but has been stuck in Memphis for four days.

"They won't even talk to you in here," Allen said. "You ask them something and they're real snappy with you."

Allen was also delayed in Dallas, but said they people at that Greyhound station were far more accommodating than in Memphis.

"We got laid over in Dallas and they gave us free meal vouchers there because we were stuck for ten hours," Allen said. "We've been stuck here since Thursday and they won't even help you with a free cup of coffee."

Jimmy Gipson has been stuck for two days and said he needs to be at work Monday morning.

"They're taking busses to Chicago," Gipson said. "Why can't they go to St. Louis or Columbia, Missouri?"

When Action News 5 interviewed another stranded passenger, Cynthia Caponey, a security guard threatened to not let her back inside the station, claiming Greyhound "has that right."

Caponey was trying to get to St. Louis to see her son and grandsons.

"We're all at a loss in there, trying to figure out why we're the only ones not moving," Caponey said.

Caponey was in disbelief at how the security guard treated her.

"Just because I wanted to say something and voice my opinion," Caponey said. "I should be able to, I guess I'm not understanding that."

Despite the security guard's threats, Caponey decided to be interviewed in hopes of getting help for the other passengers.

After the interview, the security guard kicked Caponey out of the station, forcing her to wait outside in the cold for her bus.

"I should be able to talk to who I want to, when I want to," Caponey said.

Caponey believed that Greyhound was in need of some new management.

"It's not just for me," Caponey said, "it's for everybody else who comes through here."

Action News 5 contacted Greyhound, but was told to call back Monday.

Caponey's son made the drive from St. Louis to pick her up from outside the station.

Copyright 2010 WMC-TV. All rights reserved.

http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11910271