Letter to BC Ferries

On Sunday June 25th 2006 at approximately 3:50 PM I arrived at the Mill Bay ferry terminal. I rode past the line up on my motorcycle to the bottom and front of the line up to see what time the next ferry left. As I got there I realized that the ferry was almost arrived – so I took off my helmet to sit on the bench to wait for my turn.

At this point I had no intention of getting on the current boat, but I didn’t think I could get turned around and back up the hill so I’d decided to just wait till the next boat.

A man came down the line to dump something in the garbage can. He was dark and tattooed and when he got near me he said, “So you think you’re just going to bypass all these cars and get on first?” I replied: “excuse me?” he then said, “I don’t like this bitch I know where you live and you’d best watch your back and your bike.”

Being caught completely off guard, I replied that I didn’t make the rules, that it was my understanding that motorcycles and bicycles loaded first on all BC Ferry ships. The two foot-passengers standing there agreed with me.

He again threatened me with “I know where you live – watch your back – watch your bike”. I frankly became upset and could think of nothing more to say than “I don’t make the rules” the man continued to threaten me with the same threat – “I know where you live – watch your bike bitch – watch your bike…” over his shoulder as he headed back up the line to his vehicle. I became concerned for my safety and that of my vehicle.

When the ship docked a member of the BC Ferries staff came out past the dock to the lineup to take fees and I told him that I had been threatened by a fellow in the line up for going to the first of the line. He advised me to pay my fee and get on board.

I did so and then I rode onto the ferry and informed the deck hand that I had been threatened repeatedly. The deck hand paid no attention to me, I became more concerned as it seemed evident that the deck hand didn’t care that I’d been threatened.

As the ferry was loading I walked back to the portion of the ship with a roof to get out of the sun. The deckhand then accosted me, stuck his finger under my nose to inform me in a most aggressive manner that I was in the wrong and that “you will never again bypass the line up to gain board of this little ferry”.

I tried repeatedly to tell him that I had been riding this particular ship for years on my motorcycle and no one had ever told me that but instead of talking or listening he barked that my motorcycle takes up too much room and that I would not be doing that again.

At this point I turned around to find the man that had threatened me standing behind me laughing. It was quite evident to me that the man who had threatened me was personally acquainted with the deckhand. The deck hand then left leaving the man began to harangue at me again. So much so that people began to get back in their cars to get away from him and his mouth.

My motorcycle is licensed by the province of BC as a motorcycle, I require a motorcycle endorsement to ride it and as such members of BC Ferry staff do not get to decide if my motorcycle is too big to be a motorcycle. If in fact the motorcycles boarding first rules had changed – the Ferry employee that took my money should have informed me. But in fact when I asked him about it later he told me “now we both know”.

If in fact the rules had changed, the deckhand that yelled at me should have informed me in a calm professional manner. The deckhand, when he saw the man having at me again should have at the very least asked the man to leave me alone as his point was well made. As I am a single woman, part of his job is to see to the safety of the people on the ship.

In this day and age it is beyond reprehensible that a single women should have to be in fear while riding a BC Ferry. As a single woman I should have been able to find comfort or at least safety via the Ferry crew. Instead Ferry staff yelled at me.