BC Ferries Denies Passage for a Dime.

[krocky]

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

This boarders on the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I wonder how many hundreds of thousands we tax payers pay this Deborah Marshall. No wonder BC Ferries is such a fiasco. She should be fired for defending such an action. "We do need to have a policy in place", REALLY.. 10 cents, REALLY.. She even offered to pay the 10 cents. Unbelievable..!!! There is a time to stand behind an employees "error in judgment", but this is ABSLUTELY not it.

[GordonH]

Hey if I was next in line I would have given this young person the dime needed.


Added later: whenever I go to the island I avoid BC Ferries, fly in if needed rent a vehicle.

[krocky]

Hey if I was next in line I would have given this young person the dime needed.

Oh it's worse than that. She had the dime but they wouldn't take it. Her "card" was 10 cents short for the fare. She offered to pay the dime with a quarter and they could even keep the change but they would not allow her to. She would have had to add cash to the card and the minimum is $60.00 which she didn't have, so they denied her passage, without one iota of concern for where she would be staying, because she couldn't get home. WOW, WOW. WOW..!!!

[NAB]

I don't think the computerized system permits topping up with cash if the discount card has inadequate funds installed to cover the fare. But as far as I know they do take credit/debit cards (or cash) in payment of full fares.

Nab

[krocky]

I don't think the computerized system permits topping up with cash if the card has inadequate funds installed to cover the fare.

Perhaps, but then the system should allow an override or perhaps it does but they choose not to, I don't know. But not to allow a 20 year old female to get home for the sake of 10 cents is absurd beyond comprehension. What if she had been assaulted or injured, who would be responsible for that..?? I mean come on, what has the world come to, BC ferries, who pay the CEO a million dollar salary, can't afford to lose a DIME..??

[GordonH]

Oh it's worse than that. She had the dime but they wouldn't take it. Her "card" was 10 cents short for the fare. She offered to pay the dime with a quarter and they could even keep the change but they would not allow her to. She would have had to add cash to the card and the minimum is $60.00 which she didn't have, so they denied her passage, without one iota of concern for where she would be staying, because she couldn't get home. WOW, WOW. WOW..!!!

BC Ferries need to do policy change i.e Prepaid card shortfall can be made up by.... cash, debit or CC. Just like any other prepaid card out their.
This one shame on the corporation, I don't point to the frontline workers.

[NAB]

Probably the software has no way to accommodate a manual over-ride to make up the card shortfall and produce a ticket. Don't get me wrong though - very little about BC Ferries actions surprises me any more. Still, this apparently was an experienced ferry traveller on the short Gabriola run, so I am rather surprised she wasn't better prepared for such an event.

Nab

[krocky]

Still, this apparently was an experienced ferry traveller on the short Gabriola run, so I am rather surprised she wasn't better prepared for such an event.

Nope, doesn't matter how experienced she is/was, there is NO EXCUSE for this one, no how, no way. We are talking about a dime, 10 cents, we write off pennies every day now, 7 cents becomes 5 etc. There is just NO WAY to "justify" this one. To prevent "anyone" from getting home for a dime is incomprehensible, let alone a 20 year old female.

[GordonH]

Probably the software has no way to accommodate a manual over-ride to make up the card shortfall and produce a ticket. Don't get me wrong though - very little about BC Ferries actions surprises me any more. Still, this apparently was an experienced ferry traveller on the short Gabriola run, so I am rather surprised she wasn't better prepared for such an event.

Nab

I guess it time BC Ferries joins everyone in 21st century when it comes to prepaid cards.

[NAB]

Being personally very familiar with Gabriola and it's ferry link having travelled there a lot due to visiting family living there, I must say I am very surprised by this event. Somehow I don't think we have the whole story, or the whole truth - whichever.

Nab

[Veovis]

I heard this yesterday on the news and was shocked. I can't understand why a system would not have allowances to have a half and half when you can pay 100% cash or 100% card but not a portion of both.

I think it is and absurd enough event that perhaps it will actually get addressed as by the interviews I heard it isn't that uncommon for the ferries to do this especially to student aged kids.

[LoneWolf_53]

This is rich, they make a big stink about a dime, now they'll spend a few hundred thousand to restore the hit their image just took. LOL

[KL3-Something]

I sense a future in back-pedaling for BCFerries.

[Gone_Fishin]

Perhaps, but then the system should allow an override or perhaps it does but they choose not to, I don't know. But not to allow a 20 year old female to get home for the sake of 10 cents is absurd beyond comprehension. What if she had been assaulted or injured, who would be responsible for that..?? I mean come on, what has the world come to, BC ferries, who pay the CEO a million dollar salary, can't afford to lose a DIME..??

Yup. And the unionized employee that refused this young lady entry should be fired! The huge wage and benefit package that unionized employee makes is beyond absurd, and has in my opinion made that employee insensitive to the financial situation of a 20 year old young lady! I bet a non-unionized employee would have been far more compassionate and far less arrogant.

[LoneWolf_53]

I bet a non-unionized employee would have been far more compassionate and far less arrogant.

Probably would have found a work around the system, or just waved her on and had a superior find a solution.

Little wonder the current way of doing things is losing them money hand over fist. You'd think after sinking a ship, and drowning a couple of passengers, they'd be much more sensitive to potential negative reviews.