Olympic Bus Lines

It is rare to interact with a company that holds itself to such a high professional standard. Olympic bus lines went out of their way to make sure they took care of my needs and make sure I was fully satisfied with my experience. They offer a much needed transportation service to the Olympic Peninsula. They are a great option for a ride home from the airport or to access this remote part of Washington or to connect to Victoria for leisure!

I recently travelled on Dungness Bus from Port Angeles to Seatac. Bus left on time, and made a few pit stops to pick up passengers and we got to Seatac on time. Bus was very friendly and professional. I would highly recommend this service.

I recently traveled on this bus line on august 7^th 2014. They picked us up on time from seatac airport. We were traveling to Port Angeles, where we were catching a ferry to Victoria, Canada. I gave myself an hour an 15 minutes time in between when we were set to arrive and and the ferry was set to take off. An hour goes by and we are still making stops in Seattle. I used to live in Port Angeles. It takes a solid 3 hours to get there in let alone in a bus. So I was kind of wondering but there was no rush from the driver so I didnt ask much. We make it to Port Townsend where we meet another bus from the line and pick up people. The bus was not there yet. We waited there for about 10 minutes before leaving. By this time according to our schedule we were supposed to arrive in Port in 10 minutes which would NEVER happen! We were probably 45 minutes out still. I figured as long as went straight there we would make it. Well we had to make a stop in Sequim, which took almost another half hour detour. We finally make it an hour and 15 minutes late as my ferry is pulling off. The next ferry was not for another 4 and a half hours. 5 people on that bus missed the ferry. We were never warned we were going to be late let alone an HOUR AND 15 minutes late. When we arrived to sequim I asked him if he thought we would make our ferry. He said there was a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ chance I would. Then he kept chatting with the people getting off the bus.
Most of my trip I worried about how I was going to get back because we had already purchased a round trip ticket through the bus line. I gave myself an hour and 55 minutes from when the bus should arrive to airport and when our plane should leave. After the trip there I had little faith I would make that plane ride. I call around other buses from Canada were hundreds of dollars. So I call the bus line told them about my experience, stressed that I was worried I would miss my plane if it were late again. The told me there was «95% chance that bus will be on time». So I just left my ticket as was.
The bus picked us up on time, left on time. Took a little longer in sequim ran behind 10 minutes. we get to our first stop in seattle, nothing went out of order we hit all of our stops. Along with classic Seattle traffic that is clearly not accounted for when considering timing. We were set to be the airport in 30 minutes when we got to our first stop. There was no way we were going to make it on time. Traffic was horrible (it was rush hour, that’s when they run this trip daily). We got off the bus on that first stop, and got a taxi. It took us 40 minutes to get the airport from that point. We would have missed our plane. 50 $ cab ride later we made it to the airport. This line sucks I recommend it to no one ever.

Unprofessional, unsafe, late, and overpriced. Left SeaTac on time. The coach has no shocks and driver frequently decelerates suddenly, especially on highway. Veering lane changes and too-​close following. We make several extra pickups not on the published itinerary, so we are still in the city 1 hour after leaving SeaTac. This delay could have been anticipated, which is tragic, because we will likely miss the ferry. But wait-​we arrive at the ferry 3 minutes before it departs! The gate is still up! We can make it! Driver idles the bus and goes in to buy a ticket. We miss the ferry. Buying a ticket? Don’t they do this trip twice daily? An hour later we board the next ferry.
Leaving the ferry, the driver turns on the automated welcome message. «please use seatbelts; there is wifi; free cookies up front.» This info would have been useful 3 hours ago!
Connecting bus isn’t at the meeting place. We head a few miles North and find it. Driver asleep in front seat. Moving luggage from one bus to other is rediculous. Drivers help minimally, and have parked so as to make it totally awkward. Instructions on which bus goes to which destination are all scrambled. One person winds up on the wrong bus. Our bus heads south, backtracking to the meeting spot. All this lost time in loading luggage and backtracking causes one passenger to miss their local bus connection by 90 seconds.
Most memorable of all, the second driver has a banjo, without strings, balanced by his seat. Why not stash it somewhere? You ain’t playing it. There’s no strings! But he keeps it balanced there, and when he makes a u-​turn across the local highway with a shout of «I can’t see a goddamned thing» the banjo goes flying across the bus. What did you think was going to happen to it? And maybe you should wait until you CAN see before turning across the road? Just sayin.
On the way back I took public transit and it cost 90% less, was much faster, safer, and more professional drivers. I can’t believe Washington DOT subsidizes Dungenness Bus Line.

Someday soon I am going to write a novel about my travels on the Dungeness Line to Seattle/​SEATAC.
Someday I am going to chronicle stories from the different travelers who board the Dungeness line from Port Townsend Park’n RIde for the 6:30AM trip. connecting with the bus from Port Angeles/​Sequim
at

Fat Smitty’s Restaurant for the journey to SEATAC. (Arrival: 9:50 AM)
You heard that right «Fat Smitty’s.» There’s a story for another time there
But about the Crabby Line, I mean, the Dungeness Line:
Not only are the travelers a diverse lot, but the Olympic/​Dungeness bus drivers are a
Hoot (Not to be confused with a Hootenanny)
There would be Bruce (who likes classical music),
Wayne (who tells some very amusing jokes),
WIlly Nelson
(no, not *that* WIlly Nelson but this one could pass)
and

a host of other drivers, each one more helpful, friendly and competent than the next.
There would be the complementary chocolate chip cookies on every trip (from «Lovin’ Spoonful in Port Angeles.)
There would be the bottle of water offered as you board,
«but we have a long way to go to the restroom on the ferry, so drink responsibly.»
And there would be the free wi-​fi, the cushy bus seats, and the ability to off-​board on the Kingston-​Edmonton ferry for the journey across «the magnificent Puget Sound.»
All in all, a bargain with roundtrip costing about half the price of comparable transportation from Port Townsend to SEATAC.
No parking worries, no driving into a snow drift, no fears that your portal-​to-​portal driver is gonna forget you. (Listen up, rival bus line, THIS MEANS YOU!)
And (of course) the ability to collect mucho material for that Great American Novel.
Which I will be writing.
Soon.
Unless you beat me to it.
Thanks, Dungeness! And Olympic Bus Lines, of course.
See you soon on the road less traveled…

to Port Townsend, Sequim, Port Angeles.

at Gate 00, SEATAC
Thanks for the lift, Dungeness!