Juan is a mechanic and bus driver of Mexican and Irish heritage who operates a service station at Rebel Corners. He lives a stable but deeply unfulfilling life, feeling restricted by his marriage and his daily routines. He harbors a deep homesickness for his childhood home in Mexico and quietly fantasizes about abandoning his responsibilities for a life of freedom.

Alice manages the restaurant and convenience store at the Rebel Corners bus depot. She suffers from intense loneliness and deep-seated insecurities, which she projects outward through aggressive outbursts and inward through heavy drinking. Her consuming love for her husband drives her to view all other women as threats to her marriage.

Elliott is a wealthy, conservative businessman traveling to a family vacation in Mexico. He projects an image of absolute control and moral superiority to his peers and family. Beneath his polished exterior, he feels a cold, lingering loneliness and frequently attends stag parties, hiding a repressed sexual nature behind his respectable facade.

Bernice is an affluent housewife who rigidly adheres to the social expectations of her era. She suppresses her own opinions and spontaneous feelings to maintain the illusion of a perfect family life. When the stress of her repressed existence becomes overwhelming, she suffers from debilitating migraines that force her family to cater to her needs.

Pimples is a transient teenage mechanic working at Rebel Corners, burdened by severe acne and the unflattering nickname it inspired. He prefers the name Kit and desires to be seen as a mature, capable adult. Deeply self-conscious and lonely, he clumsily attempts to emulate older men and win the romantic affections of the women around him.

Norma is a young, isolated waitress who maintains a rich fantasy life to escape the harsh realities of her job. She writes letters to Hollywood actors, pretending they share a personal connection. Recognizing she needs a change, she ultimately packs her bags to join the bus passengers on their way to Los Angeles.

Ernest is a traveling salesman dealing in gag gifts and novelty items. A veteran of the recent war, he carries unacknowledged trauma that informs his cynical view of traditional American prosperity. He outwardly claims to want a stable home life, yet he actively avoids permanent commitments and prefers the freedom of the road.

Mildred is a twenty-one-year-old college student traveling with her parents. She views her family's conservative lifestyle as stifling and desperately wishes to live an extraordinary life filled with adventure. She believes that breaking away from her parents' expectations and engaging with different types of people will give her a unique identity.

Van Brunt is an older, disgruntled passenger joining the bus route to San Juan. He constantly complains about the weather, the driver, and his fellow travelers, making him highly unpopular. His hostility serves as a defense mechanism against his intense fear of death and the dark, uncharacteristic desires brought on by his declining neurological health.

Camille is a striking passenger who makes her living as a nude dancer, a detail she carefully hides from the others. She travels under an assumed name to avoid the constant harassment she faces from men. Highly observant and practical, she easily deflects the advances of her fellow passengers while maintaining a cool, detached exterior.

Louie is a Greyhound bus driver operating out of the San Ysidro station. He uses his modest authority to manipulate his surroundings, whether by pocketing extra reward money or rearranging seating assignments to ensure attractive female passengers sit near him.

George is a cleaner at the San Ysidro bus station. He dutifully hands over a lost wallet to the driver, fully aware that he will only receive a fraction of the actual reward money in return.