Islander develops tool to predict if ferries are on time

||| FROM BRIAN LEONARD |||

My name is Brian Leonard.  I live on Orcas Island.  Last year, my wife and I were on a trip that had a delayed ferry, (of course!) and I thought to myself “Hmmm…I wish I had a Magic 8 ball to predict if my ferry would be on time.”  I did some homework, and realized that, with the exception of the WTF products (“Where’s The Ferry?”), there was nothing else on the market.  Thus, the Ferry Fate Ball was born!  

Basically, the Ferry Fate Ball is a novelty product intended to poke fun at the Washington State Ferry system, allowing travelers to answer “yes” or “no” questions about the timeliness (or not) of the ferries in a humorous, and clairvoyant manner. Here’s where you can check them out:  Ferry Fate Ball

I wanted to do it in a way that was not insulting to WSDOT, but at the same time, gave travelers a reason to giggle a bit in what are often frustrating situations.  There are 20 custom answers inside, like “Mechanical Issues”, “Crew Shortage”, “Ask Jay Inslee”, “Patience is a Virtue”, etc.

The idea originated on Orcas, and they are now being carried on Orcas and San Juan Islands, in Edmonds, and Pike Place Market.