BC Ferries Can't Spare a Dime

[Cock Throppled]

How fucking fucked up is BC Ferries? David Hahn gets $300,000 a year in pensions.
---------------------

A woman from Gabriola Island, B.C., is furious with BC Ferries after her daughter was stranded in nearby Nanaimo because she was 10 cents short on her fare.

The 20-year-old was trying to make it home a week ago but didn't have quite enough money left on her pre-paid BC Ferries Experience card.

Kathy Ramsey says her daughter had a small amount of cash on her, but BC Ferries requires a minimum of $60 to reload the Experience card, and the attendant wouldn’t make an exception.

“They never asked, you know, ‘Are you going to be okay? Do you have somewhere to stay?’ It's shocking,” Ramsey said.

“She couldn't do anything so she was stuck in Nanaimo for 24 hours until the bank opened the next day ... over 10 cents."

Ramsey says the situation was completely unnecessary.

"I had some pretty choice words for the ferry terminal worker, that's for sure, and for BC Ferries."

But BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall says the rules are the rules.

“It is unfortunate,” she said. “I know it was a small amount but we do need to have a policy in place to draw the line somewhere."

 

[VanessaofBC]

ouch...you touched a sore spot with me

BC (Bring Cash) Ferries

I have a love/hate relationship with BC Ferries, but I could only come up with ten reasons why I DISLIKE them.This was written during a long weekend trip.
1. The "hurry up and wait" game
2. The "no promises" policy.
3. Pulling up to the cashier to use my debit card and being told they do not accept debit. Going to the gift shop and being told they do not use Interac and there is a bank machine over there.(You know, the one that charges $1.50 per transaction)...wth!?!?! Even my pizza delivery guy takes debit now
4. After we waited 90 min to get on the LAST sailing at Horseshoe Bay, we were told "you might not get on".
5. When I left a three foot gap between cars (in the line up after we had been stop and go, stop and go for 90 min) i was told to close the gap. I mean I understand when we are on the ferry but in line!?!?!
6. Cold sweet potato fries
7. Disgusting muffins
8. No port-o-lets, we waited for over 2 hours in that stupid line at Horseshoe Bay without a restroom in sight.(We now know we were 1.5 km from the ticket booth that night)
9. No announcements made at H Bay to tell us the last ferry was late.
10. THE PRICE...did i mention the price? $50 to bring my car ONE WAY. then $50 to bring it back?!?!?! PLUS I have to pay for the passengers. So $160 altogether. it would have been $200 if I had reservations. (which would have bought us piece of mind, but ppl told us that reservations are a scam)

We were nice to all the employees and were certainly grateful to get on the ferry...but lemme give you a little insight, people are bitching in their cars all the way home thinking about the top ten reasons why they hate BC Ferries :/

 

[Unpossible]

One thing that bothers me about the story though, did the young lady involved even turn around and ask if someone had a dime so she could get home?

She had the dime but bcferries wouldn't let her use it. She was using a prepaid ferry card and was expected to load $60 on it as per their stupid policy.

 

[VanessaofBC]

FWIW, I know i can only use cash on BC Ferries. I went into the gift shop on the ship, made a purchase, received my changed and went to get something to eat. When I arrived at the til to pay for my food, it was only then I realized the gift shop chasier had given me change for 20 not 40. I went to the cashier who the got the Ship Steward. They then took the cash counted it and realized the cashier had made a mistake. They were overly apologetic but I understand, mistakes happen.

Its just BC ferries does not make it easy to use. Ever try taking Harbour Air to the Island? That is as painless as...well as painless as a glass of water. It is just so cool!! (bad pun, sorry)

 

[PuntMeister]

How fucking fucked up is BC Ferries? David Hahn gets $300,000 a year in pensions.
---------------------

A woman from Gabriola Island, B.C., is furious with BC Ferries after her daughter was stranded in nearby Nanaimo because she was 10 cents short on her fare.

The 20-year-old was trying to make it home a week ago but didn't have quite enough money left on her pre-paid BC Ferries Experience card.

Kathy Ramsey says her daughter had a small amount of cash on her, but BC Ferries requires a minimum of $60 to reload the Experience card, and the attendant wouldn’t make an exception.

“They never asked, you know, ‘Are you going to be okay? Do you have somewhere to stay?’ It's shocking,” Ramsey said.

“She couldn't do anything so she was stuck in Nanaimo for 24 hours until the bank opened the next day ... over 10 cents."

Ramsey says the situation was completely unnecessary.

"I had some pretty choice words for the ferry terminal worker, that's for sure, and for BC Ferries."

But BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall says the rules are the rules.

“It is unfortunate,” she said. “I know it was a small amount but we do need to have a policy in place to draw the line somewhere."

Great service is finding that fine line between good policy and common sense. I prefer to spend my money at organizations that make good common sense decisions. When you have a big company wanting black and white policy and a strong union wanting black and white rules, you get black and white service. You want common sense, go to a dime store or independent coffee shop. Unfortunately they won't get you from horseshoe bay to anywhere. If you are travelling, better have your Bluenoses in a row. Personally, I'd like to kick the ass of the person who didn't know when it was right to break the rules. Train people to be sensibly selective and support that behaviour, and the karma will make up for more that a hundred lost dimes.

-Punt.

 

[InnocentBoy]

If they had a car sharing program in victoria it would be worthwhile to fly. However most people take the ferry so they can drive.

 

[summerbreeze]

Harbour Air is a great option to be sure.

Hard to take a car with you though. BC Ferries is like any monopoly, employees grow indifferent over time and management take an institutional approach rather than showing leadership or respect for customers. Policy is the excuse they hide behind rather than taking responsibility and making decisions, or using good judgement.

Human nature really. Monopolies get fat and lazy, management cut costs where they can rather than work harder to provide better service and drive additional revenues.

Could have the same discussion about almost any service which lacks competition.

Good news is that because it is part of the federal transportation network it's subsidized. If this were Europe the price would be 3 times as much.

 

[sensualsixty]

Cars on BC Ferries

Some people realize that it is cheaper to rent a car for the day (or two) at the end of the ferry trip than it is to take the car with you if you only need it for a day or two. Those who have tried it have been impressed by the service of the car rental companies with whom they dealt.

 

[VanessaofBC]

BC Ferries is a sick joke. Harbour Air, when you consider your time as a valuable commodity, is utterly fantastic and quite economical. The ferries will waste 3-4 hours of your time one way without a reservation. The harbour flight is 30-35 minutes. At 130 one-way, so long as your time is worth 20 bucks an hour to you, you are ahead on the plane.

If you go in the off hour you can get flight for $64!

 

[Smilf]

If you go in the off hour you can get flight for $64!

Yup this is what a lot of my clients from the islands do and right now they're having a seat sale I can't stand the ferry.

 

[bcneil]

Harbour Air rocks.

For business travel its way cheaper too.
If I have to go to Victoria for the day. I can fly in and out the same day.
By back to work the next day at the normal starting time.
All my employer has to pay is for the roundtrip airfare, and taxi fare in Victoria.

If I take the ferry. Its the round trip cost. Fifty something cents a km for my personal car.
Hotel for overnight, which then means they have to pay me for 3 meals and incidentals too now.
Then the next day I ferry back and show up at the office around lunch.

 

[VanessaofBC]

Harbour Air rocks.

For business travel its way cheaper too.
If I have to go to Victoria for the day. I can fly in and out the same day.
By back to work the next day at the normal starting time.
All my employer has to pay is for the roundtrip airfare, and taxi fare in Victoria.

If I take the ferry. Its the round trip cost. Fifty something cents a km for my personal car.
Hotel for overnight, which then means they have to pay me for 3 meals and incidentals too now.
Then the next day I ferry back and show up at the office around lunch.

Harbour Air doers rock!! They are so friendly and make it so painless and effortless, especially when comparing them to BC Ferries.
In one day : Metrotown - Waterfront Station -Nanaimo -Downtown Vancouver - Metrotown Station = 4.5 hours. I kid you not.

Too deep, too far, too windy, too many ships and too many earthquakes.

http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/Publications/reports_and_studies/fixed_link/fixed_link.htm

Not to mentioned the typical B.C. wing-nut protester factor.

+1