LET’S BE HONEST: YOU DON’T ride Megabus for the amenities. The Wifi is nice, but it only works about half the time, and the toilets don’t always meet the highest standard of sanitary excellence. If you’re anything like me, you pay the cheap $10 for the trip, and ask yourself, “What’s the worst that could happen?”
The worst that could happen is that the bus catches on fire, burning everything you own with it. And if you work for the Megabus Public Relations team, the worst that could happen is that the bus catches fire while a New York Times journalist is on it. Lucas Peterson, a writer for the NYT’s Frugal Traveler blog was on a Megabus traveling from Chicago to Milwaukee when the trip took a dark turn. He live-tweeted the whole thing.
Update: the bus is on fire. pic.twitter.com/alvXtoHbwL
— The Frugal Traveler (@frugaltraveler) February 21, 2016
Update: the bus exploded. pic.twitter.com/Sd0rBYN714
— The Frugal Traveler (@frugaltraveler) February 21, 2016
Emergency services here now pic.twitter.com/40BDWMM1q5
— The Frugal Traveler (@frugaltraveler) February 21, 2016
They've got us all standing in a grassy area by the highway awaiting further instruction pic.twitter.com/m3sZPBQw9e
— The Frugal Traveler (@frugaltraveler) February 21, 2016
Then driver said we have to turn around and go back to Chicago to switch buses. About five min later tire blows and we pull over on hwy 41
— The Frugal Traveler (@frugaltraveler) February 21, 2016
Someone on the top deck eventually says: "we should get off of this bus." So we all get out. People trying to get their luggage. Small fire.
— The Frugal Traveler (@frugaltraveler) February 21, 2016
Small fire over wheel becomes big; people abandon luggage and get away. Entire thing goes up in flames, series of loud booms.
— The Frugal Traveler (@frugaltraveler) February 21, 2016
What's left of the bus. pic.twitter.com/9nCdhHINLf
— The Frugal Traveler (@frugaltraveler) February 21, 2016
The kicker: officer says "they're sending another Megabus to pick you guys up." 😐
— The Frugal Traveler (@frugaltraveler) February 21, 2016
Alexei O'Brien, student at U of St Thomas, says he lost his clothes, schoolwork, hundreds of $ in textbooks pic.twitter.com/Uzhpji2tUa
— The Frugal Traveler (@frugaltraveler) February 21, 2016
Darnell McKinney says he was moving STL to MIL and lost most of his possessions, SS & credit cards, birth certif. pic.twitter.com/voWcn1UYVQ
— The Frugal Traveler (@frugaltraveler) February 21, 2016
…and we're back on the replacement megabus. pic.twitter.com/jyfhwBwCIM
— The Frugal Traveler (@frugaltraveler) February 21, 2016
passengers are looking up Megabus TOC which limits liability to $250; some very unhappy people. pic.twitter.com/8p5QDVIgS5
— The Frugal Traveler (@frugaltraveler) February 21, 2016
Passenger Alice Taylor estimates she lost $1700 worth of possessions, including her laptop. pic.twitter.com/nNcnzNJf5V
— The Frugal Traveler (@frugaltraveler) February 21, 2016
about 5 hours later, arrived in Milwaukee. Wishing everyone who stayed on bus safe journey to Twin Cities. pic.twitter.com/ldboKmY642
— The Frugal Traveler (@frugaltraveler) February 21, 2016
And the sign on the walls of the Megabus corporate office sadly must be reset to “0 Days since the last bus explosion.” 
h/t: Gawker