LETTERS ABOUT FERRY LOADING

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Stories about line jumping

Response to editiorial disputing figures used to preserved international service

Editor,

posted 02/16/2009
With regards to your recent negative editorial opinions of the statistical math aspects of the international Anacortes/San Juan/Sidney run, me thinks you are missing the boat!

And that literally is the problem. You are missing the boat. It's all about the boat, the ferry boat, the essential floating capital asset. In essence, you are advocating that we send one of our ferry boats away from serving our area's international AND domestic transportation needs. For now, we'll just overlook that you are in effect advocating that we stick it to our islands economic interests and the economic interests of the good folks of Skagit County and beyond, simply because you don't like the math.

The real issue is not about your personal interpretation of an economic report. It's about a state ferry system that is so vessel poor that the down sound ferry service area wants to cannibalize a vessel from our ferry service area. It's about legislative priorities so politically paralyzed that they won't contract to build fleet replacement vessels even when the money has been set aside for such purposes. It's about a pervasive legislative mindset that consistently ignores the essential capitol needs of a major state transportation component, the entire ferry system. While our legislators procrastinate, this state's ferry system is quite literally dying of vessel attrition. Every ferry boat eventually deteriorates to a condition where it must be retired. The current vessels are all well aged and well worn. Our newest ferry is over 40 years old already!

The current vessels are being pressed ever harder to fulfill the relentless service demands throughout the ferry system. As the remaining vessels are aging faster than ever; service disruptions will be more frequent and more serious than ever. And the only backup boat left in the entire system is the tiny, old, and slow 35 car Hiyu. And no replacement vessels are coming. It's no wonder that another regional ferry service area is trying to cannibalize a critical vessel from our regional ferry service area. And you are advocating that we just give it away! How does that math work?

Communities down sound want that ferry boat that now serves our international AND our domestic routes. For them it's a more certain way to reinforce their part of the system than futilely waiting for our state legislature to face responsibilities. Please do your research, it's a cold certain fact - Our "international" ferry boat will go away, it will go down sound to serve their needs and not ours. Our "international" boat will go down sound, which dramatically decreases our daily San Juan Islands ferry capacity by some 20%. Our "international" vessel goes down sound and will not be available to quickly "fill in" during those crippling peak season service disruptions. (Remember the 18 months that the Elwa was out of service? There was a back up boat available then, but not anymore.)

Please, do your research. Please report the relevant facts that really directly impact your San Juan Islands readers and their vulnerable economic prospects. Discontinuing the “international” run guarantees that our ferry boat will be reassigned. It goes away because we won't "need" it anymore to serve the international portion of its duties. Check this out for yourself, its no secret. We don't get to keep the boat! We lose in every way.

Please report that 20 percent of our daily domestic capacity goes away when our "international" ferry boat goes away. Please report that we're really screwed when our "international" vessel is no longer available to fill in during those inevitable nasty service disruptions. Every island destination will lose significant daily capacity, somebody losing even more than 20%! And the awkward logistics of running our schedule with one less boat also means slower runs with more stops. Remember the tedious "all stops" schedule of the past? If we lose the "international" ferry, we lose in every way.

Our county's working economy is absolutely dependent upon the level of reliable, adequate, and timely ferry service. If the "international" run is scuttled, we will forfeit that boat entirely along with its substantial international AND domestic service capabilities. Our working economy will be automatically down sized for lack of reliable, adequate, and timely ferry capacity. How does this ferry dependant working community afford that? Please, do your research and then run the math again.

Mike Stolmeier

Dear Editor,

Your editorial "Sidney Run a Luxury We Cannot Afford" fundamentally fails to understand the proposal embodied both in Governor Gregoire's proposed Budget and in Plan B of Washington State Ferries' draft Long Range Plan. Governor Gregoire and Plan B propose to eliminate one ferry from the mainland ferries that serve the San Juan Islands. To call this ferry the "Sidney" ferry is incorrect and reflects a lack of understanding of our ferry service.

• During the Winter Schedule, 100% of the capacity of the boat to be eliminated is dedicated to the San Juan Islands-Anacortes route and zero to Sidney.
  
  
• During the Spring and Fall Schedules, 80 percent of the spaces on the boat to be eliminated are dedicated to our Islands and only 20% to Sidney.
  
  
• During the Summer Schedule, 25 percent of the spaces on the boat to be eliminated are dedicated to our Islands.

We are not fighting to maintain a luxury. The proposal, if implemented, will severely disrupt truck and other commercial traffic to our Islands in the early morning and will severely restrict our community's ability to travel to the mainland for business, medical, educational, or other purposes.

In addition, commencing with the 2009 Fall Schedule, Washington State Ferries must comply with the U.S. Coast Guard's new work rules banning "touring watches". Compliance with these new crew watch rules will reduce the frequency of sailings to our Islands and thus capacity.

If Plan B and the new watch rules are both implemented, the impact on our community will be devastating. During the Spring and Fall Schedules, capacity will shrink by roughly 30%. During the Winter Schedule it will shrink by more and during the Summer Schedule by less.

We should all stop talking about the "Sidney" ferry. It is OUR ferry. It is a San Juan Islands' ferry. The sooner we grasp this fact, the better we will be able to protect our community's interests.

Robert deGavre

Violation in ferry loading

Dear Editor,

posted 08/12/2008
On Monday, August 4, 2008, I was in the overload line at the Anacortes Terminal awaiting the 5 p.m. ferry to Friday Harbor. I was #12 in overload and was put in Lane 11 with Lane 12 being vehicles with priority over Lane 11 which was the overload lane with vehicles appropriately marked.

As vehicles were loading from Lane 11, a double cab red pickup which would have been about #18 in overload in Lane 11 behind me pulled out and joined into Lane 12 loading sequence. I jumped out of my vehicle and ran down the lane yelling "stop her, stop her, she jumped the line, she jumped the line". She was allowed to continue on down and board the ferry. The lot attendant called down; was obviously dismissed and went over to load Lane 4 (the usual waiting lane for Friday Harbor). I approached him again as he was beginning to load Lane 4, and I was told nothing was being done.

I understand totally all the ferry loading rules as I travel weekly for my business. Today, I heard of a similar incident, again at the Anacortes terminal. It is illegal to jump a ferry line and board out of turn. The person in the red pickup should have been removed from the ferry, fined and left at the end of the line "licking her wounds".

Yvonne Swanberg

Response to FAC Chair takes cut in ferry line

An Open letter to Chairman Howard Rosenfeld
and San Juan County Council Members

"Here's the deal!!!!!!!! I am representing my community as a volunteer at these meetings, unpaid, and not even able to be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses. If someone wants to take my place, have them speak up." Ed Sutton, June, 2008.

posted 06/20/2008
Mr. Ed Sutton has recently been a very out spoken embarrassment to our community. I believe Mr. Sutton promised to behave in a professional manner after the last big FAC vs. Council and press debacle. This most recent incident shows a very less than professional behavior. Perhaps some habits are hard to change. What I do not understand is why Mr. Sutton did not leave his home about a half hour earlier to make the ferry if these meetings were so important. This situation is not the fault of the ferry schedule, the other passengers in the ferry line or the loading person and manager. Mr. Sutton has no right to expect special treatment just because he volunteers for the FAC. I believe Mr. Sutton has been on this committee 8 years (his statement at the last meeting with the Washington State Ferries in Friday Harbor.) Perhaps schedule and travel impositions over the past few years have caused his volunteer work with the FAC to lose its luster and it is indeed time for him to step down.

I would be most happy to take Ed Sutton's place on the FAC. I sent my resume to Chairman Rosenfeld several months ago indicating my interest in becoming a member of this committee. Even though there is a current vacancy, Chairman Rosenfeld told me the council was waiting for someone from Orcas Island to step forward to fill the roving position and because I was a San Juan Island resident, I would not be considered at this time. So, just in case my resume has not made it to a read in council chambers, I have attached it to this email for all council members to review.

My voice of experience:

• a San Juan county resident and Friday Harbor home owner for over 10 years,
  
  
• a twice weekly ferry rider for the past three years commuting off-island to work at Microsoft in Issaquah,
  
  
• a professional business woman and local small business owner with 30+ years of program management, process documentation and training development experience and,
  
  
• I have ridden every San Juan ferry boat on every schedule imaginable.

It is long past time people of the San Juan Islands have representation from the working/commuting segment of our community on this committee. After all, we are the people most affected by the impact of rotating ferry schedules. It is also time our community presents a professional voice in Olympia, one that will clarify community transportation service needs with honesty, integrity, clarity and intelligence.

Thank you for your attention to this letter and considering my interest in becoming a member of the Ferry Advisory Committee.

Carol Anderson

Dear Editor,

posted 06/19/2008
This is actually a comment for Mr. Ed Sutton. Well. Aren't you special? I keep seeing evidence, from you, about how all important you and all your volunteer work are. It's amazing. Good thing none of the rest of us have needs as important as yours and wait in line, like the common folk should. I guess you could have fed your self delusion by being put in the medical lane. Come to think of it, maybe that would be appropriate for you, since you do seem to have a genuine problem.

Good for whoever complained about your behavior. I wish I had been there because I would not only have complained but I would have spoken to you personally. Of course I would have been there before you, so you would have cut in front of me and perhaps kept me from getting on the boat, your business obviously being so much more important than mine.

I have two suggestions for you. First, I suggest if your volunteer work is so onerous for you and you do it so grudgingly, perhaps you should just quit. I think we could live without you. Second, you could get to the ferry early enough to catch the boat you need to catch, like all the rest of us peons have to do.

Ed; I'm not impressed!

David Garfield

Dear Editor,

posted 06/19/2008
No excuses, not even "VERY important meetings," justify anyone, least of all the chair of the San Juan Ferry Advisory Committee, muscling his way on board an overloaded ferry.

None.

If the meetings were so important, he should have planned accordingly, just as the rest of us do.

Ed Sutton's actions and his comments are very disappointing. He should know better, but if he doesn't, perhaps he is not much of an improvement compared to our previous FAC chair.

Bob Distler

Dear Editor,

posted 06/19/2008
You said in your letter of explanation for why you needed to bypass Ferry protocol that if someone wants this job they should speak up.

As a new Islander since 2003 and someone who has studied not only WSF but the ferry system for Martha's Vineyard/Nantucket before moving here, I'd like to take you up on your offer.

I'm sure that you've worked hard in the past, but your current attitude suggests that perhaps you have grown tired of public service and are ready for a break.

Let me know when you'd like to hand over the reins,

Bryan Hoyer

Dear Editor:

posted 06/19/2008
It's unbelievable that any one would object to Ed Sutton moving ahead in the ferry line so that he could make it to a Ferry Advisory Committee Executive Council meeting at Colman Dock in Seattle.

Hmmmmm, let's see...He's the Chairman of the group that is our only voice influencing the ferry policies that affect the lives of most of us that live here in the islands. Oh, maybe that's not important. And all the meeting was about was this: "The meetings were dealing with all of the LOS (level of service) operational studies and pricing strategies being considered for the future." Who needs to be represented for that?

From San Juan Islander's story I get the impression that either the writer objects to Ed Sutton making a very important meeting by moving ahead in line; or we have sensationalistic journalism here.

Dan Christopherson
Lopez Island, Washington

To: NW Regional Manager for WSDOT

posted 06/19/2008
On May 20 2008 Ms. Russell (Orcas terminal manager) tried to prevent the SJFAC chair from jumping the line after he arrived late for the ferry. Ed Sutton apparently felt/feels that his volunteer service on ferry business bestows special privileges upon him. Even elevates him to "ferry staff" status. In his email to you he states he should have sought medical priority loading to bypass his late arrival. What a sad statement about his view of honesty.

Ms. Russell's stance against this gross abuse of position on the part of Mr. Sutton is to be commended. She should be held up as an example of integrity and good customer service. I have lived on San Juan Island for 27 years, and have frequently marveled at the patience our ferry workers demonstrate in the face of grumpy unreasonable passengers. It is truly offensive when they are abused by someone in Mr. Sutton's position.

Chris Clarke

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