Editor:
Another ferry tale: everyone reserves every trip, for free! Sounds good – unless you have no idea about the sailing you will be able to catch for your return to the Coast. Think about it. Should you take a guess and reserve a sailing? If you miss that sailing you will be penalized, how much we do not know. When you try to reserve the next ferry, maybe all of that boat is already reserved. Will you be one of the five per cent who get on? Of course, being in that five per cent means you will not only be penalized for having missed your original reservation but you will have to pay more again with a higher fare.
It would seem that BC Ferries should be satisfied with more passengers, even those without a reservation. Those with reservations may pay less but those without a reservation for any reason will always pay more. How many ferries will sail 95 per cent full while standby passengers wait for the last 17 car spaces? How many ferries will some standby passengers watch depart while waiting to be one of the five per cent?
Who benefits with this 95 per cent reservation scheme? Besides BC Ferries, that is.
Elaine Futterman, Roberts Creek
