A Man is Beheaded by Passenger on Greyhound Bus

I woke out to the scariest news this morning on CBC Winnipeg. A terrible incident had occurred on one of the Greyhound buses that originated from Edmonton, Alberta and headed for Winnipeg, Manitoba. The news was that a young man who joined the bus from Edmonton was beheaded by another passenger during the wee hours of Thursday morning.

The Greyhound had stopped and picked up passengers from Brandon where the killer boarded the bus. The Greyhound was then heading for Portage la Prairie, then to Winnipeg.

Eyewitnesses reported that about one hour after the bus left Brandon chilling screams rang through the dark bus. It was the seat mate of another passenger calmly driving a knife through the other's neck about 50 to 60 times. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are investigating the murder. The men did not appear to know each other.

Greyhound buses are not strangers to violent incidents. There have been several violent incidents on greyhound buses in Canada over the past 8 years including an attempted murder, but this may be the worst one ever in Canada.

Is Greyhound going to do something about it's security now? There are high security on airplanes and at airports, but buses and bus depots are considered harmless. Security is lax in these places. I hope that this incident will help Greyhound revisit its security guidelines.

I believe that Greyhound should not allow any passenger to go unto a bus with a weapon. I know this may be difficult given the fact that they stop so often and people get on and off the bus and can always buy a knife or other weapon at any point in the journey. But making this a part of bus drivers' responsibilities will not be too much to ask.

I am planning to take the Greyhound in a couple of weeks and I am having second thoughts about it because I feel scared at the moment. I know it is highly unlikely for something like this to happen a second time but it's always a chance one takes traveling on the bus where you have to spend two or three nights with people coming on and off all of the time. Greyhound does not offer non-stop trips. This is unfortunate because it is a safer alternative.

I love traveling on buses. It is relaxing. I get a chance to unwind before I arrive at my destination. I have never imagined something like this could ever happen on a bus. It had never crossed my mind before. I know small incidence like disagreements between tired passengers, noise violations, and trying to smoke in the bathroom could create some disturbance but never anything like this. It is an eye-opener for me. I do not think this incidence will stop me from taking the Greyhound but I will be a lot more careful.

Here are some tips to keep safe while traveling on Greyhound buses:

- If possible always travel with a partner this way you know who will be sitting next to you at all times

- Sit near the front of the bus near to the driver. The driver has to be awake and alert to what is happening on the bus

- If you have to sit near to a stranger take the aisle seat that way you can make your escape and have more room to maneuver to protect yourself;

- If you have to sleep try and sleep during the day time so that you can be alert in the night

- Trust your instinct about people; if you feel uncomfortable move to an empty seat;

- Be alert and observant of what is going on around you.
- Do not engage in arguments on the bus, be calm. You do not know the state of mind of the person with whom you might want to start an argument
- Be prudent; be safe.