BoltBus Shocks Fung Wah

Every one who’s ever ridden a discount bus line to New York has a story. Last summer, I was happy to be alive after riding a foul-smelling and malfunctioning Lucky Star bus on my return trip from New York. Not only do Lucky Star and it’s more popular competitor, Fung Wah, give us the gift of appreciating the fragility of life, but they’re the cheapest way to get to New York.

That is, until now.

Boston.com reports that Greyhound is starting its low-cost BoltBus service between Boston and New York next month. And if we were Fung Wah, we’d be sleeping with one eye open because the service will offer tickets for as low as $1.

Yes. One American dollar. But it gets even better for riders.

BoltBus coaches will have extra legroom by having 51 seats per vehicle, [Greyhound spokesman Dustin] Clark said, compared to the industry average of 54 seats, and will have WiFi access and bathrooms.

It’s cheaper and roomier and comes with WiFi? Fung Wah will have to break the time-space continuum and get us to Chinatown in two hours to beat that.