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The only things certain in life are death, taxes, and problems with Fung Wah buses. Mac Daniel reports that the latest Fung Wah problem involved two tires coming right off the bus as it headed down the Turnpike.
But here's the real howler - the bus passed its state inspection on November 29. Surely, whoever inspected that bus was smoking something absolutely magnificent. How on earth can someone whose line of business it is to inspect buses miss loose lug nuts? And how can they miss a loose lug nut on a Fung Wah bus, when you know there's already going to be trouble?
Bostonist has forgiven Fung Wah before, as it is has spawned a decent balance of hookups to accidents. Why, oh why, Fung Wah, must you break the trust? The driver didn't think it was a big deal, saying to WCVB, "Nothing. This is nothing." Is that statement the result of Fung Wah's attempt to improve driver competence?
Yes, Fung Wah may be cheap and, in the words of the Christian Science Monitor, emblematic of "counterculture cool." The bus-riding stalwarts have shown Fung Wah the love, but it's time for Fung Wah to show them some love back!
Image of Fung Wah from Wikipedia, where someone beat Bostonist to adding an update about the missing-wheels incident.
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Suggest you read the Globe article -- a bus wheel specialist says that such incidents are common. The explanation given in the article makes it pretty clear how lug nuts could become loosened through conventional wear and tear.
In the history of Fung Wah incidents, this one is pretty minor, though it's obviously opened a few people's eyes to the reality of bus travel.
Oh, and the wheels didn't come off the bus. Not sure where you got that idea. The driver felt something funny and pulled the bus off the road.
Thanks for the update. This post was based on Mac Daniel's earlier report in which he said the wheels "literally fell off." And, when it comes to road safety, there's not much difference between "literally fell off" and "barely hanging on." If I were on that bus, I'd still be horrified.
I wouldn't use Chinese tools to fix my car- the aggrivation of "cheap" tools and their "peanut butter" steel alloy makes them unreliable...
I had a Chinese-made car jack "explode"-sending a 2,200 lb.car crashing down...and this was a "new" jack. I learned it is better to spend $400 and get a good USA-made tool - especially if your life depends on it instead of a cheap Chinese-made $50 jack.
Same thing with bus lines. Use a quality-made USA-made bus line with USA-made drivers. I wouldn't ride on a Chinese bus. Those busses do not even come close to meeting federal safety standards...
You DO get what you pay for...