Ferry Tales

It was a warm sunny Seattle summer day, I had just finished a large lunch complete with birthday cake in celebration of a Co-workers birthday.  I sat at my desk mindlessly typing on my keyboard and listening to a book on tape.

The book was a wonderful story, but nothing could hold my attention over the drowsiness that was over coming me, and defeating my every effort to stay awake. I started to drift off, when my phone vibrated, alerting me to news that jolted me out of my near slumber into full blown panic in less than a minute.

The Bainbridge ferry, the Tacoma has had a power failure mid route, and Bainbridge is now closed as a ferry route, Bremerton delayed, as they sent a boat to rescue the stranded passengers.

My heart sank. Minutes earlier I had dreamed of nothing more than avoiding all people as much as possible for the rest the day, getting home as quickly as possible, and watching highlights of the Commonwealth games while throwing tennis balls to my dog.

Now, however, I knew I would get home late tonight, if at all, and I'd be in a crowded ferry terminal, followed by probably a crowded ferry, with irate people wanting nothing more than to get home from work, eat dinner, and see their loved ones, before going to bed, probably early to make up for their frustration.

Surely, I thought, they will pull a second boat from somewhere. Surely they will be running things by the time I go home. Surely they won't put Bainbridge in a rush hour lurch.

The time came, and I went. One ferry was running again, and there were no more notifications about Bremerton being behind. Surely, it won't delay me more than an hour, I thought as I walked at a leisurely pace to the ferry.

I thought wrong. I arrived at the ferry terminal and saw State patrol and police tape blocking the walk-on exit area of the Bainbridge side of the ferry terminal. Maybe they are just keeping people from blocking the exit? I had no clue, but that was my only guess.

I walked into the terminal. Already the line was almost back out the door, but there were no indications that we should stand in the line, appart from the line, which we usually don't have we have a massing of people.

So I walked forward to investigate. The turn style area was roped off, with a limited number of people waiting casually in the area. My feet were hurting from my plantar faciaitis,  so I decided to take a seat for a while, and think.

It wasn't so bad yet, that I didn't believe everyone there at that time could be on the next ferry. Should I get in line for Bainbridge, or should I just head to Bremerton and try to get a ride from a friend?  I decided I'd better get in line while I thought, because people were starting to grow very hostile towards anyone not in the line, probably out of fear of people cutting in.

I joined the back of the queue, now only ten feet from the entrance door. I was there only five minutes when the announcement came that they would only take 600 people on the next ferry. 

I thought that meant walk ons, more from cars, but it still seemed like too great of chance I wouldn't make the cut, and people were starting to get mean, and my foot hurt. So I ditched the line and went for plan bremerton.

Soon after, I heard another announcement. One boat doing the whole run. That's one boat leaving seattle about every hour and twenty to fourth minutes. 600 total people. 300 from the cars, 300 from the walk ons. Pleas began to come over the intercom every ten minutes. Please remain orderly, if you're going to bremerton stay on your side of the terminal and away from the Bainbridge side.  Usually there is a ferry each half hour, taking 2500 passengers including cars. That was going to get even more ugly, as rush hour ferry traffic swelled the ranks of waiting stranded people.

I sat on the floor in a boarding area for bremerton. Guaranteed to be one of the first people on the next boat to come. I'd left work at 3:30. Already it was nearing 4:30, and some people were saying a ferry wasn't expected until 6, or 7 pm. I wasn't sure any more of my choice. I felt stranded either way, and tensions were building over here too. I used to commute on the Bremerton boat, I knew people could sometimes get vicious and territorial.

I wasn't used to seeing that on the Bainbridge boat, but circumstances made it clear those people were human too, and tempers were flailing before I defected lines. But I also knew of the bitterness and rivalry Bremerton commuters have, and the animosity they feel towards Bainbridge for the numerous times we've put them down a boat to cover our run. Bitterness and bad feelings run deep for Bremerton commuters towards Bainbridge commuters. Something most Bainbridge commuters are blissfully unaware of. I was not, but a man in front of me was, and was shooting off his mouth. I feared a fight could break out, and he was surrounded.

Well, the Bremerton boat made it by 5:04 pm. Just a half hour or so off schedual. minutes before we heard Bainbridge folk being encouraged to maintain order as the 600 boarded their vessel. A clue to the likely flailing tempers and disorder that were likely to build with each passing hour.

I boarded Bremerton with no incident. It was packed to the gills, and at one point they asked everyone to stay still while they counted passengers. There were a lot of people standing, or sitting on the floor, so doubtless we were over or at capacity.

But the atmosphere became friendly,  the hour ride passed quickly, and we arrived without incident. And I, will make it home tonight, about two hours late. Not what I wanted or dreamed of, but better than it could have been, or is for some of my friends, still stranded and waiting for Bainbridge transport. I won't get all I wanted, but, I'm happy to be home before 8 tonight. And that's today's true ferry tail.