Yet another reason to stay home

[ltmurnau]

BC Ferries to screen passengersThis is bloody ridiculous. What are they going to screen passengers for? Will I have to leave my nail clippers at home when I want to visit my dad on Pender Island

Comments

[angelface_vic]

Granted I'm not working for the ferries right now, and never heard of this before. But really, passengers are allowed to bring guns onto the ferries, providing that they, A) leave them in their vehicles, or B) have them locked up in a carrying case, unloaded. Why would they bother now to do such things now? (of course my union often said that management likes to do such foolish things).

Security right now has been mainly left to the crew, usually the Deckhands, but sometimes even catering attendants like me had to do such things. Yes, it's not something a lot of my co-workers would have liked to have done.

Also the Swartz Bay to Tsawassen Ferries have a capacity of 1500 to 2000 passengers. I don't think they can search everyone and expect to load the ferries in time, because between docking and departing they got about 30 minutes to do that. You sure this isn't a joke?

[espressoman]

"Also the Swartz Bay to Tsawassen Ferries have a capacity of 1500 to 2000 passengers. I don't think they can search everyone and expect to load the ferries in time, because between docking and departing they got about 30 minutes to do that."

The ferries should be running 24/7
The current 7AM - 9PM nonsense is for the birds.

[ltmurnau]

I think we've had it amply demonstrated what happens when ferries sail at night....

[espressoman]

Oh!
Spot on Lt. Spot on!

How totally droll!

[r1vethead]

I concur this is pretty fucked up.

[victriviaqueen]

What I heard was "random searches" which is even more ridiculous. I don't think BCF actually offered to do this; I think their hands are tied, politically.

Hey. VicTriviaQueen...

[espressoman]

I know you! ;-)

How bizarre is this?
Do we BOTH know the Lt. ?

Wow. How odd!

Re: Hey. VicTriviaQueen...

[ltmurnau]

Victoria's not _that_ big.

Re: Hey. VicTriviaQueen...

[victriviaqueen]

Word.

I've often argued that if there is typically 6 degrees of separation, Victoria allows for only half that.

[nocturnalmuse]

Anton pointed this article out to me yesterday and we had a heated (read both of us ranting), ALL CAPS discussion about it via IMs.

I completely don't understand why they are searching passengers going from Canada to Canada. What sense does this make? I followed the link from the article to Transport Canada's website, and it seems to have something to do with various concerns, including people hijacking the boat, forcing it to crash, etc. Has this ever been a concern in the history of BC Ferries? Does Transport Canada realize they're putting a massive damper on the lives of everyone choosing to live on this island?

As if the trip via ferry from Victoria to Vancouver wasn't long enough.

[espressoman]

I can still walk down to the inner harbor in Victoria and get on a seaplane with no fuss, no searches and no bullshit and
be in Vancouver within 25 minutes.

[nocturnalmuse]

Yes, and I'm sure many people can. I can't however. And I reckon there are probably a few other people on this island that can't either.

Not many people would take the ferries more than once for fun, before they would opt to take Harbour Air; the difference in travel times is pretty extreme.

[espressoman]

In 100 trips to Vancouver in the last 20 years, 90 of them have been VIA B.C. Ferries.
Nowadays, I make a reservation (which is obscene) -- I pay
extra for the privilege of AT LEAST getting on one of these
rust buckets and am not credited for it [like you are in Europe...]

It is just like Gas prices on Vancouver Island (don't get me started...)

They have us by the pony-tails...
Life on the Island

[bruiseblue]

I can't imagine it'll be any worse than walking the bomb smelling dogs around the parking lot? What are they going to do, a full on customs style search of people's cars, inside and out?

*sits back and awaits the public outcry*