— by Patty Pirnack-Hamilton–
I had to change my ferry reservation last Thursday from the 6:30 to the 8:55, no problem. I was wishing I hadn’t even made a reservation as the late ferry is usually not crowded at this time of year. I rushed from my friend’s house and late dinner to make my ferry which I mistakenly thought was at 9:10 (LOOK AT THE NEW SCHEDULE PEOPLE). I was still thinking “Winter” schedule! I got to the booth with what I thought was 10 minutes to spare and expressed this to Jeff, my favorite booth guy.
I told him I knew about the “new rule” to be at the booth 30 minutes ahead of time. Jeff informed me that I was 2 minutes late and had been spit out of the system already! He added I was now on standby! I thought he was kidding but alas, he wasn’t. Still took me a couple of minutes to figure it all out as I got pretty flummoxed. Jeff, being Jeff took care of my $10.00 charge and of course there was hardly anyone in line for that late ferry but still….I was very surprised.
Definitely no more driving up 10 minutes prior to sailing and getting on unless it’s winter! So my fellow travelers, be warned that even if you are ONE minute late within the 30 minute deadline, the computer knows and you will lose your reservation status, be on standby and perhaps lose your $10.00 reservation fee.
I think this new rule is ridiculous especially when you can’t even get through the line to the booths at times. This has happened to me before and to many others. You get there 45 minutes to an hour ahead of time but you are stuck out on the street on either side because they can’t stage the vehicles fast enough. I’ve watched a half empty ferry pull away with me still down past the Ship Harbor development in Anacortes a few years ago due to having only one booth open a two days before the Thanksgiving weekend!
I will make sure I either get to the ferry at least one hour in advance now that summer is kicking in. Even then I fear that it still may not be enough time to get the vehicles processed. I am also suggesting once again to Wa. State Ferries that they have a special booth for islanders who have their “Wave 2 Go” passes. This would process a lot of us and get the lines moving far more efficiently. They had a special booth years ago before the ferry reservation system and it was a big help.
I think it is time for a barrage of letters once again although most of the time I don’t feel like anyone is listening.
And where exactly will they put this new lane for cars with Wave -2-Go passes arriving in Anacortes? A bridge or a tunnel from the top of the hill perhaps?
PS–If you take any boat the day of your reservation the $10 fee is waived–
Yes, even two minutes late. And you are put at the end of the standby lane. I have written and asked about why this change was made, and why no official explanation has been given. I don’t expect to drive up at the last moment, but it seems to me (and many others who have commented on this change) that if you are in the loading area by the time the ferry loads, your reservation should be honored.
So much for the promised benefit of “stress relief” of a reservation system.
I had a reservation for the ferry last Friday evening on the 8:55pm boat. After a plane ride from Spokane, riding back to Kent to get my car, flighting Seattle Friday traffic all along 405 (there were 3 accidents on I-5), getting refueled at Costco, I barely made my reservation. All I wanted to do at that point was to just get home. I pulled up to the ferry line (long) at 8:21 and arrived to the booth exactly at 8:25. One minute later, I would not have made the very full boat. Jeff processed my reservation and my pre-paid ticket but I’ll bet anyone behind me with a reservation would not have made it.
In the meantime, while driving from Anacortes’ main street traveling along the main road to the ferry, someone blew past several of the cars at a stoplight by flooring it, pulling into the left hand turn lane, and then screaming past all the cars who had just started to make their way through the light by passing them on the wrong side of the road. This same car passed numerous cars along the way to the ferry and I’m positive they were going well over the speed limit. My guess is they were trying to meet the reservation deadline and were willing to drive dangerously in order to make the boat to Shaw. As it turns out, I wound up right behind them in line and all that reckless driving got them to the ferry no sooner than the rest of us. In my opinion, a fifteen minute window is far more reasonable or just honor our reservations as before.
I have a small store on the landing at the ferry. Today a whole car full of young people who had made their reservation for the mid day boat came down. They were driving to Portland and have flights back to Ma. They got stuck in line and missed the 30 minute cut off by just a couple minutes. They missed their ferry and all travel plans a were set askew.
I felt so sorry for them, as they really tried, as we all do, to make it. They were upset and couldn’t believe their fate.
The message that I hear is that we may not come back from first timers as getting here and leaving here is messed up.
The new system for our convenience has caused more stress and tension trying to make it all happen in time. It really costs more as employees doubled and service is as good as it can be I guess.
Reservation priority line for residents really would make it better for people that live here. And summer is coming. All lodges and business’s, relatives need to be reminded to reserve both ways and do not cut your time short or we will have a riot.
So, commenters, contact WSF with your concerns, as Patty says:
wsfinfo@WSDOT.WA.GOV; 1-888-808-7977
The intent of the rule is to encourage us to be at the dock early enough so there is NO conflict…the boat starting to load and reservation holders still coming through the booth…and other “close calls”. I’m sure there were instances last year when people were passing through the booth, even 20, 25 minutes prior to sailing, and the reservation line was starting to load… confusion reigns, and tempers rise…
It’s a hard situation to solve….what ideas can we bring to the table? I agree with Patty’s request, at the Anacortes dock, for exclusive “reservations & Wave-to-go” booths (even then, passengers might need to purchase tickets at that time….but maybe they’d have to go through the stand-by booth) ) ; one separate booth would be for standbys and purchasers. We’ve suggested that before, but I don’t think they did it. There might be room for two lanes if the approach was reconfigured..
Along with separate booths, I’d go back to reservations being cancelled if loading has begun, and the dictate on all the WSF sites that we MUST get in line 45 minutes to 90 minutes ahead. They said 30 to 90 minutes before…psychologically that was the the kicker.
The good news is that reservations have given us locals the chance to travel on those forbidden days and weekends at peak time… with the 2 weeks and 2 days at 7:00 a.m. releases of space..(.that was designed for us locals with last minute plans, and I find it works well)); also less stress ..big anxiety for me when I didn’t know whether I’d get on or not, no matter how far ahead I arrived! (except the “new rule” puts some of that stress back); reservations have also created a much better use of the less utilized sailings…early & late, and therefore more efficient use all around for the whole system; another “new rule” is that you now can make or change (not cancel) your reservation up to 2 hours before sailing (it was 3 hours). So, it’s not all bad.
If you think about it, your reservation (your promise of having a space) being cancelled opens up 1 more stand-by space for that sailing, which might even translate to you in the stand-by line (if that line doesn’t have a lot more than the 10% or so allotment for that ferry).
Denise’s story above shows that there won’t always be that “replaced” drive-up space your cancellation has just freed up! All the more reason to go back to the old way of honoring reservations.
Be advised, that part of our Orcas problem is that they currently have the 124 space Chelan on our Orcas/Shaw route. The 144 space Hyak and Elwa do the Friday Harbor/Lopez route. Let’s hope we get the Samish when it’s back…..
Ferries begin loading 20 minutes prior to departure time. WSF is asking that we get through the booth 10 minutes before loading starts.
We all know the busy times.. 85% of boats sail with space still available. That means only 15% of the time is this even an issue.
We live on an island–plan accordingly. Get there an hour early or take the next boat.
Enjoy life! We have one of the best ferry systems on the planet and it is CHEAP!
PS- It would be against the law for locals to have priority–please get over that idea.