Welcome to EightWheels ... on the Road, especially for motorcoach (tour bus) drivers and passengers. My name is Bob Bergey, and I'm a motorcoach driver for Hagey Coach, Inc. (pronounced HAY-gey) in Franconia, PA. This site is one of the ways I stay busy during free time on my trips. Stay a while, look around, and come back often -- there's always something new here.
I’ve been railing on the Maryland State Troopers, but the picture isn’t all bad. There had been a real problem at the Molly Pitcher service area on the New Jersey Turnpike with trucks parking in the very limited bus parking there, leaving no room for buses. New Jersey State Troopers began ticketing the trucks there, as well as the occasional RV units that were parking in the bus parking area. Word spread, and today it’s rare to see a truck parked in the bus parking area. I was just there a couple of days ago again, and there were no trucks in the bus parking area. Good job, NJ Troopers!
Maryland State Troopers Still Don’t Get It
May 29th, 2009 · Drivers
Maryland State Troopers in Bus Parking at Maryland House
→ 2 CommentsTags: Drivers·Parking·Police
Five of My Favorite Broadway Shows
May 16th, 2009 · Passengers
I love Broadway shows, and because I frequently do trips to New York City, I get to see a few shows each year. Here’s a list of my top five favorite Broadway shows that are still playing, plus a few others worth seeing and two of my all-time favorites that are no longer playing.
1) The Phantom of the Opera
The longest running show on Broadway, and once you’ve seen it you start to understand why. Great music. And one of those very rare shows you want to see more than once. I had one passenger recently who was seeing it for the 11th time!
2) Mamma Mia
I love ABBA’s music, and this is a fun story built around their great songs. Another one you can see more than once — my wife has been there twice already.
3) Jersey Boys
Okay, I love oldies … and I love Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. So this show in a no-brainer — great music and a great, mostly true, story. [Read more →]
Five Day Trips Everyone Should Do
May 15th, 2009 · Passengers
Day trips by motorcoach are something nearly everyone can do and enjoy. Here are five destinations that should definitely be on your short list if you’re in the eastern PA area and haven’t already done them at least once. All are easy and inexpensive; just dress comfortably and wear good walking shoes. Most tour companies offer trips here, but if you want to go with the best, go with Hagey Tours, the company I drive for. You can go by yourself on a public (retail) tour, or if you have a group, charter a trip especially designed just for your group, including custom pick-up and drop-off points.
1) New York City
What an easy way to visit the Big Apple! Take the motorcoach directly to the Times Square area. There is so much to do. If you like Broadway shows, pick up a half price (or deeply discounted) ticket for a same-day show at the TKTS booth in the center of Times Square. Lunch at one of the hundreds of great restaurants. Shop along Fifth Avenue in some of the most famous stores in the world. A short subway ride takes you [Read more →]
Five Things to Take With You on Your Next Motorcoach Trip
May 12th, 2009 · Passengers
It’s easy to make your next motorcoach tour just a little more pleasant by remembering a few of these things to take with you. You may or may not want to take all of these, but consider the following.
1) Bottle of water
Even though most tours stop regularly for rest stops and meals, having a bottle of water along quenches your thirst, especially if you’re talking a lot with a seat mate or other fellow passengers. If you’re hungry, it can also hold off hunger pains until the next food stop. A snack bar or energy bar might also be a good idea if you think you might get hungry on the road.
2) Neck pillow
Seats on modern motorcoaches usually recline and are quite comfortable, but it’s always nice to have a small pillow of some kind with you. Places like Brookstone or gift shops in service plazas sell small pillows especially suitable for traveling, but [Read more →]
Eight Tips for Group Leaders on Motorcoach Trips
May 11th, 2009 · Passengers
Have you chartered a motorcoach for your group’s trip? Great — smart move! Here are eight tips for you, the group leader, from my perspective as your driver for your charter trip.
1) Introduce yourself, as the person in charge, to your driver.
You’d be amazed how often we have to guess or ask around the group to find out who is in charge of things like letting us know when you’re ready to depart, confirm destinations and time schedules, letting us know that all passengers have boarded, etc. Sometimes our paperwork tells us who’s in charge and we can find you, but just as often the person listed on our paperwork is the person who booked the coach for the trip, not the person who’s actually in charge on trip day.
2) Ride Bus #1, and sit in the front of the coach.
If you’ve booked multiple coaches for your group, the overall group leader should ride on the first coach in the group. Sometimes last minute “executive decisions” need to be made en route, and it’s difficult [Read more →]
Driving Tips for Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators
May 1st, 2009 · Drivers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has an excellent website with driving tips for commercial drivers. Although they’re written from the viewpoint of a truck driver, they apply as well to motorcoach drivers and even passenger car drivers for the most part. It’s certainly worth spending some time here:
Included are video clips in each article illustrating things drivers have done incorrectly, along with tips on how to correct or avoid bad situations. Here’s a list of some of the areas covered:
- Failure to Buckle Up
- Too Fast for Conditions
- Unfamiliar Roadway
- Inadequate Surveillance
- Driver Fatigue
- Driver Distraction
- Following Too Closely
- Inadequate Evasive Action
I’m planning to do a short summary of each area here over the next several days. Meanwhile, read ahead, do your homework, and check out their site!
→ 1 CommentTags: Drivers·Safety
Are Buses the New Way to Go?
April 30th, 2009 · Drivers, Passengers
Mystery Tour and Ligonier Photo Galleries Posted
April 29th, 2009 · Drivers, Passengers, Photos
I’ve posted photos from two of my most recent Hagey Tours: a Mystery Tour April 23 that included a tour of the fascinating Duke Farms in Hillsborough, NJ, and the Red Mill Museum Village in Clinton, NJ; and a two-day tour, April 26-27, to Ligonier, PA, that included visits to two of Frank Lloyd Wright’s homes, Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, plus tours of the Compass Inn Museum in Laughlintown, PA and Fort Ligonier in Ligonier, PA. Both were great trips, very interesting for the passengers and great photo opportunities.
Boston Marathon Trip Photos
April 21st, 2009 · Drivers, Passengers, Photos
Photos taken of my trip to the Boston Marathon 2009 are posted in the Photo Gallery. Click Here to go directly to the new gallery.
Unfortunately there aren’t any photos of the race itself — I couldn’t get the coach within walking distance of the race, and with my shuttling responsibilities for both runners and passengers wasn’t able see the race, except portions on TV. But it was an exciting day! I took 23 runners from our hotel out to the start of the race in Hopkinton, Massachusetts on the morning of the race, and all 23 finished, five of them in less than 3 hours. The oldest of the runners was 59, running in his 97th marathon — now that’s impressive! He finished with a time fast enough to automatically qualify for next year’s Boston Marathon.
All photos are available for purchase. Add the photo you’re viewing to your cart, then follow the directions to choose size, quantity, shipping, etc. Photos are shipped promptly and directly to you.
