Passengers on an overnight BestBus trip from New York City to Washington, D.C., say a replacement driver refused to complete the scheduled route after a driver swap. A Bluesky user, "Musicology Duck," livestreamed the incident, reporting the driver ignored calls, drove at high speed and later let riders off in Vienna, Virginia. BestBus sent another coach, issued full refunds and credit vouchers, and opened an internal investigation. The incident went viral and prompted mixed reactions online.
BestBus Passenger Says Replacement Driver Refused To Deliver Riders To Washington, D.C.
Bus driver refuses to take passengers to DC destination, customer says
A passenger on an overnight BestBus run from New York City to Washington, D.C., says the trip went off course after a driver change and the replacement operator allegedly refused to bring riders to their scheduled destination.
The account, shared live on the social network Bluesky by user "Musicology Duck," says the poster awoke from a nap to discover other passengers had realized "we're not going to the right place." According to the rider, the bus had stopped for a driver swap at a rest stop and the new driver told passengers they were "the ones on the wrong bus." The rider says the driver declined to answer questions and began driving "really fast."
The reported change in route and the driver's speed prompted many passengers to contact BestBus customer service and some to call local police. Company attempts to reach the driver initially failed because he would not answer calls, the passenger said. Eventually, a BestBus representative reached the driver by phone and instructed him to proceed to Washington's Union Station as scheduled.
According to the Bluesky poster, the driver reacted angrily, allegedly shouting that he "doesn't get paid enough," and continued to refuse to stop. The passenger says the driver drove toward Vienna, Virginia, where he ultimately let passengers off and then drove away before police arrived. The rider also posted videos in which the driver reportedly would not provide his name.
BestBus confirmed it sent another coach to collect the affected passengers and issued full refunds plus credit vouchers for future travel. In a statement to Nexstar, the company said the social media account "does not reflect the standards we expect from our team or the service our passengers deserve" and that it has launched an internal investigation into driver conduct, operational procedures and trip conditions.
"We are aware of an overnight incident involving one of our drivers on a recent trip," BestBus said. "All affected passengers have received full refunds and a credit voucher for a future trip. We are reviewing all available information and will take appropriate action as needed."
The Bluesky thread went viral, collecting more than 18,000 likes and over 4,000 reposts. On Reddit, a user who said they had been aboard described the post as "wildly dramatic," but acknowledged the driver appeared to have taken the wrong route and ignored management. Nexstar said it tried to contact the Bluesky poster and followed up with BestBus to ask about possible discipline for the driver but had not received details at the time of reporting.
What we know: Passengers reported a driver change, an alleged refusal to follow the route to Union Station, an erratic drive to Vienna, Virginia, video posted on social media, and follow-up action from BestBus including refunds, vouchers and an internal review.
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