KRAPF'S LATEST MISADVENTURES...

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse on Krapf's Coatesville to West Chester line service, it gets worse...

This morning's commute was plauged by bus problems. The 5:55am from Coatesville to West Chester (locals simply call it the "6 o'clock") ran nearly 15 minutes late getting into Downingtown. There were "mechanical problems" reported by the driver, who was forced to change buses at Oaklands Corporate Center, adding nearly 20 minutes to the delays. The bus finally arrived in West Chester at 7:30am, but not before the SEPTA 92 bus came by and took most of the passenger load to Exton Mall.

So why was an MCI over-the-road coach used on this particular trip over the past few days? The fleet (such as it is) of 2 Thomas TL-960 buses and 2 third-hand GMC RTS buses were all out of service for repairs. Amazing...

To make matters worse, the 5:55am West Chester-Coatesville trip was also running about 15-20 minutes late. At least we think it was running late, since the only bus heading in that direction was a school bus with a few people on board. Reportedly, the operators of those particular trips were forced to swap runs because one of the operators was not trained on an MCI cruiser bus.

And, remember, this is the same family who owns a large mansion off of Boot Rd in East Bradford Township providing junk buses in worse shape than SEPTA's aging Neoplan fleet that owns and operates the Coatesville-West Chester service, with strong backing from political power brokers both in Coatesville and at the West Chester Courthouse. Also bear in mind that there's no public accountability to PennDOT or any other government entity that we're aware of.

But, riders are expected to suffer on vehicles with damaged windows and no a/c. Yeah, right...