A Bluesky thread went viral on Jan 19 after the passenger discovered that their late-night bus ride from New York City to Washington, D.C. went rogue. The replacement bus driver's switch happened while Musicology Duck (@musicologyduck.bsky.social) was sleeping.
"I just woke up from a nap and somehow while I was asleep, everyone on the bus has figured out we are not going to the right place," they wrote around 9 p.m. on Monday. Soon after, they added that the new driver insisted passengers were on the wrong bus, rather than him taking them on the wrong route.
"He’s refusing to talk to anyone while he’s driving"
From there, the thread became a rapid log of escalating events. First, Musicology Duck said the driver refused to answer questions and drove at high speeds. When he wouldn't see reason, passengers began calling the police, while others contacted the bus company. "Someone pulled up Waze and said he’s going 75 in a 55 zone," Musicology Duck wrote.
Meanwhile, several riders confronted the driver directly. "Two big guys just went up and said we’re going to Union Station!! and he said no we’re not," the post read. The driver allegedly claimed he planned to stop in Vienna and Manassas, Virginia. Because of that, riders feared being dropped far outside D.C. late at night on a national holiday.
The situation grew louder and more chaotic. According to Musicology Duck, a passenger put the bus company on speakerphone, and an employee shouted, "YOU’RE GOING TO UNION STATION." However, the driver reportedly yelled back that he did not get paid enough and refused to follow the scheduled route. At the same time, the bus became divided over calling the police, since some feared setting him off further.
Later, Musicology Duck wrote that if passengers approached the front with phones, the driver grabbed them and hung up. "This is uh, f*cking crazy," they added. Eventually, a woman on the phone with the bus company told them, "Just so you know we just reported to the police that we’re being kidnapped." Because of jurisdiction issues, though, police struggled to respond to the bus-napping.
Videos, refunds, and an investigation
Eventually, the bus exited the highway with its interior lights on. Passengers blocked it from leaving while they waited for help. Notably, Musicology Duck mentioned an unaccompanied minor who initially refused to get off the bus because his mother expected him at Union Station.
Afterward, Best Bus sent another driver to pick everyone up. The original driver left before the police arrived. Musicology Duck shared videos taken after passengers disembarked, including one where the driver said, "Take the videos, I don't care."
The next day, Musicology Duck shared that the company emailed an apology with a full refund and round-trip travel credit. They also clarified in one post that the driver would not give his name and appeared to be French.
In a statement to People, a Best Bus spokesperson said, "We are aware of an overnight incident involving one of our drivers on a recent trip. The experience described on social media does not reflect the standards we expect from our team or the service our passengers deserve." The company confirmed an internal investigation and said all affected passengers received refunds and credits.
Musicology Duck did not respond immediately to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via Bluesky.
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