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Post by Mike C on Apr 4, 2020 19:10:45 GMT -8
Washington State Ferries doesn't appear to be cutting service quite as much as BCF did, though that could change the longer this lock-down drags on. I can potentially see Edmonds-Kingston and Mukilteo-Clinton dropping to a single vessel just like SEA-BRE and SEA-BAI. And, I wouldn't be surprised to see Anacortes-San Juans go down to 3 vessels by making the weekend winter schedule daily. I would hypothesize that WSF’s higher passenger loads and passenger demand overall make service cuts a bit trickier than BCF in order to maintain physical distancing on board. I know that this is something that we’ve been trying to figure out on the transit side - basically how to manage capacity in a way that allows for six feet of separation at any given time. Certainly a whole different set of challenges than anything any transportation agency has ever worked through.
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Post by Mike C on Apr 3, 2020 22:19:26 GMT -8
Hi everyone, as a result of some member feedback and the COVID-19 subject generating 28 new posts in the BCF Service Notices thread today alone, I’ve begun moving COVID-related discussions into this thread. Please use this thread for ongoing discussions on this topic, and we will reserve the general service notices thread for exactly that. Much appreciated, Mike. I hesitated to repeat my suggestion because I knew that I was asking Forum staff to offer their time when they have other stuff going on in their lives. But, wait a minute. That's what we pay you guys for, right? Well Scott, our boss, has us all working from home these days, and those TV streaming services aren’t going to pay for themselves... though it seems my WCF paycheque got lost in the mail again...
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Post by Mike C on Apr 3, 2020 22:07:18 GMT -8
Hi everyone, this will be the thread used for COVID-19 discussion at WSF.
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Post by Mike C on Apr 3, 2020 21:59:52 GMT -8
Hi everyone, as a result of some member feedback and the COVID-19 subject generating 28 new posts in the BCF Service Notices thread today alone, I’ve begun moving COVID-related discussions into this thread. Please use this thread for ongoing discussions on this topic, and we will reserve the general service notices thread for exactly that.
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Post by Mike C on Apr 3, 2020 13:16:07 GMT -8
how cone they dident keep one boat for route 2 for the public then just have the commercial boat for route 30?? Also curious to why they dident use just one boat for route 1?? Looks with that schedule each Spirit is doing a shift! I don’t know what cone you’re referring to, but I expect temporarily eliminating Route 2 helps consolidate crews and terminal staff at Duke Point.
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Post by Mike C on Mar 31, 2020 15:38:10 GMT -8
A note regarding the Arrow Park III on the MOTI Facebook page this afternoon:
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Post by Mike C on Mar 30, 2020 12:44:08 GMT -8
I would say, tangential to what this thread was going for, I would like to see BCFS designs to draw from other classes of ships out there. WSF has a utilitarian, but easily modifiable design in the Olympic Class that I think would have been well suited to replacing the B-Class here. I’m also a fan of the Osprey 2000 on Kootenay Lake, having ample lounge space and food services with an aesthetically pleasing design, that could be applied to routes currently with demand for a 70-80 AEQ vessel (rather than attempting to operate two small Island-class ferries). All of this is hindsight now, but I’m sure BCF will have the opportunity again in the not-too-distant future to think about future ship designs.
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Post by Mike C on Mar 28, 2020 20:33:49 GMT -8
Sorry for the short notice. Mods, delete if not aloud. Everyone has to say this post aloud or else it gets deleted.
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Post by Mike C on Mar 26, 2020 22:01:04 GMT -8
The Northern Sea Wolf is actually currently at Allied Shipbuilders in North Vancouver. Queen of Burnaby certainly was moved... a mile or so downriver, several weeks ago. She's back at Deas? I believe she returned to Deas shortly after the Skeena Queen left for Departure Bay to complete the final days of her MLU.
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Post by Mike C on Mar 24, 2020 13:57:01 GMT -8
What protesters are you referring to? The socializers in English Bay beaches who are refusing to comply with social-distancing requirements? The ones funded by US interest that were wiped off the face of the world by the news of Covid-19 and lunacy we are now living through. Umm, sorry? Everyone in Prince George panic-bought all the red string so I genuinely don’t follow.
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Post by Mike C on Mar 22, 2020 20:56:36 GMT -8
Your decision to travel was reckless and irresponsible. Going forward, posts like this will be deleted without warning. I'm gonna take a friend's advice here, and that criticizing potentially poor decisions really does nothing to solve the problem and that there are enough of us 'doing enough' to help this get better that the people and their potential 'statemtent(s) of refusal" need only be ignored. I disagree with this sentiment. These are extraordinary times, and although myself and others would likely not have been as harsh in normal times, the circumstances of this public health crisis constitute it, I believe. I will also disagree with the advice you received and are reverberating here. This is not up to the “majority” to do the right thing, this is up to every single person. One irresponsible individual can undo the efforts of thousands of responsible people. I don’t want to create a culture in this forum of shaming, but we do need to get across the message that these decisions are irresponsible and reckless.
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Post by Mike C on Mar 22, 2020 19:56:35 GMT -8
Took a ride on the much missed Wenatchee today. I thought that was not enough and rode the Wally to bremerton and back. Just gotta wait 14 days till my fate but ok. Your decision to travel was reckless and irresponsible. Going forward, posts like this will be deleted without warning.
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Post by Mike C on Mar 21, 2020 16:51:40 GMT -8
Members / Voyagers / Forum Visitors: Your Moderator group wanted to provide you with some information and resources around the constantly evolving COVID-19 pandemic. I apologize in advance if any of this comes off as patronizing - I know many of you are living your lives under the parameters of social distancing, and respecting the requests of health officials. Be advised that we are instituting a temporary moratorium on all discretionary trip-planning posts in the public sections of the forum. Moderators will simply remove these posts without warning. If you’re posting about upcoming travel that is essential, or reporting back on a previous essential trip, you’re welcome to do that. We will use some discretion on how we execute this. If you feel your post was unjustly deleted, or have concerns about the rule itself, you are of course welcome to reach out to any of us via PM. Please abide by the following: - Refrain from discretionary travel on the ferries. As the weather warms up we begin to consider taking trips on the ferries, as we always do. To limit the spread of the virus, we expect our members to follow the directives provided by health officials to socially distance and self-isolate where necessary. Traveling on the ferries will exacerbate the spread of COVID-19, putting yourself and others at significant risk.
- If you absolutely must travel on the ferries, socially distance yourself. Please remain at least 2 metres / 6 feet away from the nearest passenger. If you’re traveling by car on BC Ferries, you may remain in your vehicle on Deck 2 for the duration of the sailing.
- Respect the service changes and requests of our ferry operators and agencies. There have been substantial measures put in place by BC Ferries and Washington State Ferries to reduce service, limit on board interaction, and suspend food services on vessels and at the terminals. Please understand why these measures are in place.
For more information on how BC Ferries is responding to this pandemic, please visit: www.bcferries.com/about/projects/covid-19.html?utm_campaign=COVID-19&utm_medium=web&utm_source=bcfhome
For more information on how the Washington State Department of Transportation is responding to this pandemic aboard Washington State Ferries, please visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/Notification.aspx
Our expectation of members is that you will make the best decisions for your own health, and the health of others. As this situation continues to evolve, we ask that you stay home, stay safe, and follow the direction provided by health experts and officials in your region. We can’t stop you from traveling on a discretionary basis, but during this time we will actively discourage it, and we expect you to be responsible.
We additionally expect our membership to show compassion and kindness towards one another, as this is a particularly stressful time for everyone.
One final note: Your moderator team is a group of volunteers, and we try to make the best decisions based on the information we have available to us at the time. This situation is fluid, and many of us are working long hours in stressful environments to respond to this pandemic in our off-forum, real-life jobs. Like many of you, some of us have even had our incomes suspended altogether. We ask for your patience and understanding because, honestly, we’re all kind of just making it up as we go. We’re not here to make your lives more difficult or try to discourage you from having an interest in the ferries.
This forum has spent 17 years adapting to changes in ferry travel, and we will continue to do so through this challenging time. Remember, our sunniest, warmest days on the outer decks are still ahead, and we will be back on the ferries enjoying the sunshine in the not-too-distant future (hopefully). If you have questions, concerns, or would like clarification on any of the above items, you’re welcome to send us a message.
Stay safe, stay healthy, and be good to each other. We’re all in this together.
Your Mods
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Post by Mike C on Mar 19, 2020 9:25:27 GMT -8
As mentioned in other threads, we request that you respect the advice of officials and curtail non-essential travel on the ferries, including fan trips. We can’t stop you, but I’m just going to continue to copy-paste this message until we hear otherwise from health officials. Oh i should of explained better. This trip is going to take place AFTER the coronavirus explosion. If you’re planning this trip after this pandemic is well under control and we’re seeing a sharp decline in new cases, and health officials have removed the advisories and requirements around social distancing, I would say that this conversation in turn should also take place at that time. Not now.
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Post by Mike C on Mar 19, 2020 3:29:40 GMT -8
Alright so planning a trip to coupeville! I live in settle and i wanna know which one of these will be the most fun! Seattle-Bainbridge then Pt.Townsend-coupeville - Clinton- Mukilteo Edm-Kingston Then Pt.Townsend-Coupeville- Clinton- Mukilteo Muk-Clinton-Muk WHICH ONE?! As mentioned in other threads, we request that you respect the advice of officials and curtail non-essential travel on the ferries, including fan trips. We can’t stop you, but I’m just going to continue to copy-paste this message until we hear otherwise from health officials.
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Post by Mike C on Mar 18, 2020 14:04:14 GMT -8
What has happened with the Chimacum and Chetzemoka? What has happened to asking questions with context and purpose? We need more information on what you’re asking. Additionally, before posting about this again, I suggest taking a look in the Chetzemoka and Chimacum threads, and also Google is a shocking wealth of information.
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Post by Mike C on Mar 17, 2020 9:57:28 GMT -8
I am curious to know if anyone would be up to doing a trip aboard the Mayne Queen or Queen of Cumberland and or Skeena Queen Post MLU cheers Jimmy Carlos As mentioned in other threads, we request that you respect the advice of provincial officials and curtail non-essential travel on the ferries, including fan trips.
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Post by Mike C on Mar 16, 2020 22:00:54 GMT -8
I disagree with the decision to lock the coronavirus thread. I don't think there would be any more arguing about recognizing the threats in travel; I think the thread would have been useful as a historical record of this unique upheaval in our transportation patterns. I thought it was ridiculous that Transport Canada originally denied BC Ferries' request to allow people to stay on the enclosed car deck. As far as we know, the last documented death of a person on an enclosed car deck, due to mishap, was 1970, on the Queen of Victoria. The current situation, in my view, is a far greater danger than what Transport Canada was taking into account. We're having sailing cancellations due to a lack of traffic. People's attitudes are changing rapidly- I admit to doing a fan trip a week ago- something I certainly wouldn't do now. Our lives are being impacted in so many ways, and it changes daily, if not hourly. I think there's a value in a specific thread chronicling this virus' effect on BC Ferries, but I suppose people will find a way to post things to existing threads, if that's how it needs to be done. But sticking this into 'general news items' doesn't seem like the best plan. Neil, I appreciate the constructive feedback. I am less concerned about having an archive of discussion on this, and more concerned about the nature of the discussion itself, and throwing on the brakes. In a time when we need to be united in consideration for those other than ourselves, the argumentative nature was, I believe, to the detriment of that. I think that we can commit to watching how things progress and adapt accordingly, as this forum has always evolved. The nice thing about an online setting like this is that this is entirely an organizational question, and these posts of record are not being removed and can be reorganized at any time. We will watch and adapt. However: other members issuing demands to moderators proves that the hostility around this subject is very much pervasive, contributes nothing productive, and I am wholly disinterested in airing grievances in this setting. We’re a group of volunteers and we try to make the right decisions based on the information we have available to us at the time.
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Post by Mike C on Mar 16, 2020 16:58:10 GMT -8
All:
I’ve made the decision to lock this thread. It is my view that the seriousness of this pandemic is not something that is worth debating. I understand that the measures taken by government bodies and agencies have significant impacts on our day to day lives, and even greater impacts on travel plans - I myself am in the process of canceling about $1200 of Amtrak fares, so I hear you.
Some folks who are on this forum (myself included) are in the public service, and are working under extreme circumstances to balance the ability to provide a service to those who rely on it, while also working to protect our most vulnerable. I therefore have this list of requests for members:
Don’t travel on the ferries unless you have to. Take social distancing seriously. While you yourself may not be impacted by COVID-19, you may be directly or indirectly putting someone’s health in substantial jeopardy. In all likelihood, someone you care about is in a position of significant risk at this time.
Respect the requests of government bodies and agencies, including BC Ferries. This is on an ongoing basis, but things are likely going to get tighter, and the number of cases of COVID-19 are forecasted to rise sharply. BCFS, as well as other agencies, are likely going to take further measures to curtail the spread of the virus. We can debate and evaluate the legitimacy of policy in less extreme times.
Don’t discount what the media tells you as “hype” or “overreaction”. If, at the end of this, we say that we overreacted, then we made all the right moves.
Thanks for being responsible ferry travellers and contributors.
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Post by Mike C on Mar 14, 2020 16:52:06 GMT -8
I find it interesting because if you think that you will be put onto Deck 4 if you have a reservation and you arrive on time, that wasn't the case for me going back on the family day weekend. We arrived on time and we booked a reservation and we were still put onto deck 2 with no explanation. Speaking from my own experience, I don’t think this is an uncommon thing. Reservation space on the ship is allocated based on the available space on that sailing. I’ve had about a 50/50 split with reservations being on Deck 4 or 2. Having a reservation does not guarantee you will be placed in a particular spot on the ship. Generally, if you want to be on Deck 4, you can request it at the booth and they’ll try to accommodate you, but no guarantees.
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Post by Mike C on Feb 10, 2020 20:03:42 GMT -8
So were those photos taken? Yes, the photos were taken.
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Post by Mike C on Feb 3, 2020 20:11:31 GMT -8
I was on the Orca's 5:40pm from Tsawwassen to Village Bay Sunday night there was a bit of an issue at Tsawwassen. 4 of us were almost left behind on the dock at Berth 4. Is it not the crews responsibilty to make sure no one is waiting before they put the gate down??? No one had walked on the car deck as the overhead walkway was being used at Berth 4 but there were people waiting with dogs and bikes. The one terminal attendant who signaled the crew said we were late which we were not we had been waiting at the dock for 20 mins or so. It was not a big deal for me as I was taking the long way back to Swartz Bay but other people were probably heading home and would of been stranded if they had actually left. Just curious as this bugs me and should not of happened. Who's at fualt here? The crew I would assume. I hesitate to assign blame or throw anyone under the bus in a venue like this, particularly when it comes to BCF’s frontline operations staff. I expect that there was likely a debrief after the fact that could have involved a supervisor. I think the incident is noteworthy but I don’t think it’s productive to look to find who is at fault on an online discussion board.
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Post by Mike C on Jan 28, 2020 21:11:45 GMT -8
Well you see BC transit is not doing to good for many reasons such as the fact that employees are quitting or retiring and they are super short on employees of all positions now and if this continues then there will be a serious problem. A couple points, since you’ve taken a rather assumptive approach to the supposed decline of an organization: 1) Retirements are not indicative of organizational decline - it simply means new staff must be brought in. Your reports of mass-quitting is fabricated and untrue; and 2) BC Transit is a continually growing organization. I don’t believe they are short-staffed. They manage 52 systems over 83 communities - a majority of those systems are growing and require more people to administer, as overall transit demand and ridership increases.
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Post by Mike C on Jan 28, 2020 21:01:21 GMT -8
Oh jeez BC transit is really headed down the toilet 🚽 now 😱 Jimmy, myself and others here have some working knowledge of transit operations in BC. Perhaps we could shed some light on a particular issue, if you take LLM’s suggestion and provide us with some clarity.
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Post by Mike C on Jan 25, 2020 22:48:44 GMT -8
Hello there everybody i have been a member for a year now but i thought I should properly introduce myself my name is Jimmy. I have autism i love buses planes and ships i am 17 almost 18 and i have a instagram account @pacificnorthwestspotter. Hope to meet some of you guys one day and cheers 🍻! Hey there Jimmy, we appreciate you taking the time to introduce yourself - welcome to the forum. When our membership takes the time to introduce themselves, it helps us get a better understanding of who our new membership is, so we thank you for the introduction.
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