BC Ferries Denies Passage for a Dime.

[simnut]

Fares are expected to be paid in full, with the system setup for such. I agree, they should be setup to "top off" a prepaid card as you can in other places...and perhaps this will be a catalyst for this. In todays world, security.......passenger count......proof of fare (ticket) etc are all important for liability in a business such as hauling humans...be it planes, train or automobiles...and in this case , ferries. If she couldn't pay in full with whatever "card" she was using, the system would not allow a ticket to be printed. That's pretty simple. What if they let her get on without a ticket, and an accident occurred.....passenger count would be out by one for rescuers and employees onboard ship. This is called a liability issue.

You can blame the front line worker all you want, complain about how they make etc.....that they should have made an exception...etc. If that worker did make an exception, there is a good chance of getting fired (which is a stupid move by ANYONE) and now there is a passenger on the ferry without a fully paid fare or ticket.

Like I said, change the software to allow a top off of prepaid cards....that would solve this issue. Watch...that is exactly what will happen.

[krocky]

You can blame the front line worker all you want, complain about how they make etc.....that they should have made an exception...etc. If that worker did make an exception, there is a good chance of getting fired (which is a stupid move by ANYONE) and now there is a passenger on the ferry without a fully paid fare or ticket..

The fact that a corporation, any corporation, put the safety of a human being at risk over 10 cents is a tragedy of epic proportion and a HUGE black mark on society, IMO.

[Gixxer]

Probably more to this one sided poor me victim story

[krocky]

Probably more to this one sided poor me victim story

Nope, can't justify this one. Watched it on the news and BC Ferries confirmed it, and all they had to say was

"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

[simnut]

The fact that a corporation, any corporation, put the safety of a human being at risk over 10 cents is a tragedy of epic proportion and a HUGE black mark on society, IMO.

Why make this a life or death situation, when it wasn't???? She didn't have the proper fare.....simple!!!


As stated:

"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

[WhatThe]

Sure have policy to draw the line (policy is a guideline for employees) but that's why there are supervisors/managers to make business decisions in what's best for the company... And this isn't what's best for the company.

[simnut]

Sure have policy to draw the line (policy is a guideline for employees) but that's why there are supervisors/managers to make business decisions in what's best for the company... And this isn't what's best for the company.

I don't disagree with that , but if the system is what it is and won't allow a ticket to printed in the situation such as this....what can you, a supervisor or the ticket agent do? Nothing! But now...work on the system to correct this.....thats what can be done!

We have to think with our heads on this one (business) and not with our hearts......

[krocky]

Why make this a life or death situation, when it wasn't???? She didn't have the proper fare.....simple!!!

How anyone could try and justify this is beyond my comprehension, but be that as it may. I would venture a guess that you don't have children.

“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."

If you do have children how would you like your "daughter" stranded for 24 hrs anywhere for the sake of a ridiculous policy. Keep in mind she had the dime, they wouldn't take it. The fact that she wasn't hurt, or raped, or murdered does not mean it "wasn't" a "life or death" situation, it means she was lucky, and BC Ferries should be ashamed.

[Rwede]

A 20 year old can't spend a day alone without getting raped or murdered? :|

[krocky]

We have to think with our heads on this one (business) and not with our hearts......

OH please.. We are talking about 10 cents here, 10 CENTS. WE (tax payers) pay the CEO of BC Ferries a million dollar a year salary and you're telling me he can't do better than that. for a DIME..!! You would have us put the safety of a 20 year old female at risk for a DIME and call it "business". Please don't insult US business people with such nonsense.

[krocky]

A 20 year old can't spend a day alone without getting raped or murdered? :|

The fact that she DIDN'T get raped or murdered, makes it OK by YOU..??

[krocky]

A 20 year old can't spend a day alone without getting raped or murdered? :|

And if she had..?? If the next one does..?? How will you JUSTIFY that.. pray tell..??

[NAB]

These prepaid discount cards and the system and rules surrounding them have been a source of controversy for several years now, so I think it a bit unfair to try to place the responsibility for this situation on the terminal staff - their hands are pretty much tied, and in my own experience most of the staff at the Gabriola terminal are always pleasant and as helpful as possible (within the rules of course). And because they serve such a small community it is not unusual for many staff and passengers alike to know each other personally.

In this case apparently the individual grew up on Gabriola, and would have travelled the ferry regularly between Gabriola and Nanaimo as a high school student until 18 years old - so somehow I suspect this situation has been a bit overblown. The article doesn't tell us what day of the week or time of day the situation occurred, and bearing in mind that there are departures from the Nanaimo end every hour or so from around 6 AM to 11:30 PM 7 days a week. it is pretty difficult to end up "stranded" for 24 hours. And unless it was the last sailing of the day pretty much the worst that could happen would be an hour or two delay until one of the next departures - plenty of time to figure out some way to cover the fare. After all, this is not a child but a 20 year old woman who should have been equipped to deal with things when they don't go according to the book, and if she did not have a credit card or maintain some cash for emergencies she would at least be expected to know how to use a telephone to contact her mother or other family member or close acquaintance for assistance..

IF however it was the last sailing of the day, particularly if departure was imminent and there was no time to adjust, then yes - I too would be disgusted with any employee of BC Ferries who would simply turn out the lights, lock the gates, and leave a young woman alone in that area in the middle of the night, .....regardless of what the rules are.

Besides, after the end of a shift he/she is not on BC Ferries time anyway so should have been motivated to help assure the woman's safety in any event. Assuming of course the woman hadn't left and was still around to be helped.

Nab

[krocky]

IF however it was the last sailing of the day, particularly if departure was imminent and there was no time to adjust, then yes - I too would be disgusted with any employee of BC Ferries who would simply turn out the lights, lock the gates, and leave a young woman alone in that area in the middle of the night, .....regardless of what the rules are.

Nab.. You make some valid points and perhaps there is more to the story i.e. history of trips etc. and perhaps not, we don't know. What we do know is what BC ferries has admitted to and "TRIED" to justify. In my opinion it's immaterial though, as again this isn't just about the insignificant amount, it's about the principle.

Its not even just that her card was short the 10 cents so they denied her boarding. TO ME, its even more about the fact that her card was short 10 cents and she offered them a quarter. BUT NO, their "policy" is that it HAS to be a minimum of $60.00 which she didn't have. IF their "system" can add $60.00 to the card then it "CAN" add 25 cents (and to the "other" posters, please don't insult "everyone’s" intelligence by trying to say, in this day and age, that it CAN'T). They "chose" not to accept it, as per policy and risk her safety instead. The article AND the news stated she had to stay in Nanaimo for 24 hrs and we have no "evidence" to suggest otherwise, so does 24 hrs NOT include overnight..?? That IMO put her at risk..!!

[NAB]

Dunno.... I often run into Computers / Software that are programed to accept input only if it meets certain parameters - i.e. in this case minimum $60.00, maximum $3000.00, before it will allow moving to the next step. The problem in this case appears to be that she had no immediate way to pay for the minimum required load amount. But I say again, unless it was the last ferry of the day there must be some way she could have overcome that without being stuck overnight (such as contact her mother to top up the card for her). The ten cents is obviously, at least to me, the real issue.

Nab