Chinatown Buses Beware: Feds Launch Surprise 'Strike Force' Inspections

Chinatown buses are known for a lot of things – their bare-bones service, their close quarters, their appeal for anyone who doesn't possess Amtrak-caliber cash. They are not, on the other hand, known for their regulatory rigor.

If you board one in the next two weeks, though, you may be in for some serious transportation-safety theater. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced this week that it's rolling out a "strike force" of surprise inspections on intercity bus travel in all 50 states (with emphasis on what they suspect are the shadier operations). Law enforcement officers and commercial motor vehicle inspectors will be popping up, unannounced, at terminals and drop-off points to board buses and pick over everything from windshield wiper fluid to tire pressure.