Reporting line-cutters, & other Washington State Ferries changes

| Fauntleroy | Transportation | West Seattle news

(Fauntleroy ferry dock, photographed last week)
Two notes in an announcement from Washington State Ferries – first, this Sunday marks the start of the spring schedule, which means Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth is back to three boats; second, on that same day, WSF joins the State Patrol’s tipline service, so you can report line-cutters by calling a special hotline. Read on for the official news release with details of both:

WSDOT Ferries Division (WSF) will begin operating its spring sailing schedule on Sunday, March 28. Features of the 2010 spring schedule include re-opening of the international route, increased service on some routes and changes to sailing times on the Point Defiance/Tahlequah route. WSF is also introducing a system to officially report line-cutters.

Following the annual winter closure of the international route, WSF
resumes service with one round trip per day between Anacortes and
Sidney, B.C. on the 124-car Chelan. To make reservations for travel on
this route, visit the WSF Web site or call 511.

Other service increases with the spring schedule include:

* Weekend inter-island service in the San Juan Islands resumes
after the winter hiatus.
* Restores eight hours of mid-day service Monday through Thursday
between Anacortes and the San Juan Islands.
* Resumes weekend three-boat service on the
Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route (the third boat will operate eight
hours a day on Saturday and Sunday).

WSF has also made adjustments to afternoon and evening sailing times on
the Point Defiance/Tahlequah route in efforts to improve transit
connections and on-time performance. WSF worked with the Vashon Island
Ferry Advisory Committee, Pierce Transit, and other groups to develop
these schedule revisions.

The complete spring sailing schedule is currently available on the WSF Web site. The spring schedule will be in effect March 28 through June 19, 2010.

WSF is also joining WSDOT’s HERO program to give ferry customers a way to officially report line cutters. WSDOT’s HERO program encourages drivers to self-enforce HOV lane rules by reporting violators. Starting March 28, drivers who witness someone cutting into a ferry line can call 877-764-HERO (4376) and submit the line cutter’s license plate number and state of origin. An education letter and brochure will be sent to the registered owner of the vehicle. If a second complaint is logged, the registered owner’s information will be forwarded to the Washington State Patrol. A ticket for line cutting costs $124.

For more ferry system information, please visit the WSF Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries. To sign up for free e-mail alerts about service disruptions and other route information, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/email_alerts.

Brian March 23, 2010 (10:07 am)

Heck yea!! You are NOT more important than me. Wait in line like everyone else!!! I WILL report you, and if you don’t pull directly in front of me I will get out and come to your car to write down your plate number.

Robert2715 March 23, 2010 (10:11 am)

“I wasn’t cutting – This is a Toyota – I couldn’t stop at the end of the line”. “-)

marty March 23, 2010 (10:17 am)

A little tip line information: The result of a call is a letter to the offender. Multiple calls will land the offender on a “watch list”. In other words, it accomplishes nothing. We pay for the signs, telephone, an employee to send out letters (pay includes full state benefits), postage etc. With our present budget issues, it would be a good service to stop, not increase.

A policeman is usually at the head of the line during busy times for the ferry. If you point out the offender he will send them to the end of the line. That’s much more effective than a worthless phone call.

JoAnn March 23, 2010 (10:35 am)

Bus zone violators are my pet peeve. Bus drivers are often being creative in the evening commute because bus zones (as well as marked cross walks) are occupied by drivers waiting for the ferry. THIS NUMBER IS AN HOV OFFENDERS REPORT LINE and it would be an appropriate number to report those drivers as well.

mark March 23, 2010 (11:14 am)

Personally I find a line cutter to be one of the lowest forms of life we have to deal with. 1-800-Hero is nice, but also a call into the anti-littering number might be a good idea, 866-548-8371, again, like 1-800-hero it results in little more than a letter, it does put them on a watch list.

Brian March 23, 2010 (12:02 pm)

@mark – I am all for reporting someone for doing something wrong, but false reporting? Why not just call 911 and say he is brandishing a weapon? At this point you are feeding Marty’s view on this being a waste of tax payers money as they are spending money on something that is not needed. Get them on a watch list and the next time you point him out to the officer at the end of the line he may get more than sent to the back of the line.

mark March 23, 2010 (12:08 pm)

Brian, I think 911 might be a little over the line, but there have been times I have been mad enough that I have wanted to do it. If the phone call is in fact worthless then lets save money and take the signs down and turn off the phone number.

Reg Morgan March 23, 2010 (4:17 pm)

The image of the Fauntleroy Ferry Dock brought back many pleasant memories. I fished off the dock 65 years ago when I attended Fauntleroy Grade School, now closed.

marty March 23, 2010 (4:59 pm)

Reg… I fished off the dock and attended Fauntleroy too, but it was only 55 years ago for me!!

MB March 23, 2010 (5:47 pm)

The cop won’t always help either by the way. A few months ago we waited in line for over a hour (all the way up to the gas station) and some jerk cut right up at the dock…my brother was quick to get out and point out to said jerk that he had just cut (thought he wasn’t that polite), the guy proceeded to tell us that there were people waiting for him on the dock already (and he didn’t say it that nicely either). Ya, um, sorry buddy…not how it works. We told the officer and he still let the guy on our ferry. It was the biggest load of crap I’ve ever seen. And I guarantee it was not an emergency because he seemed pretty proud of himself during the ferry ride. I just don’t get it…if I remember correctly that was probably one of the first things I learned in preschool…don’t cut in line! I hope for your sake you never cut in front of me…you will regret it.

JB March 23, 2010 (5:51 pm)

I am 28 yrs old and have been riding the ferry since I was a little one. People that cut in line at the ferry reguardless of which one, are the lowest of low. I will get out of my car and let you know how I feel with no regret. you are crappy people and should know that your not more important than any one else. If your late, you should have left earlier!

Glad Tobefree March 24, 2010 (10:59 am)

Image of the Fauntleroy Dock brought back memories of waiting in line for that ridiculous ferry and the complete aggravation of it all. Someone cutting in line? Not cool, but the whole sad sorry endless exercise of ferryness is but a distant memory for me, thankfully. Happy waiting, and waiting, and riding!

velo_nut March 24, 2010 (7:56 pm)

“Line cutters are the lowest of low”

So what are rapists and child molesters?

Mary T Sheely March 24, 2010 (11:07 pm)

We were in a long line once coming back from Whidbey and a woman cut in line at an intersection. We watched someone in the car in front of us pick up her phone and make a call. A few minutes later, we watched as a cop pulled up, talked to the woman who had cut, and then stopped traffic for a moment so she could pull out and go allllll the way to the back of the line. That was SO gratifying.

MB March 25, 2010 (6:22 pm)

velo-nut: “So what are rapists and child molesters?”
Ya, because I’m pretty sure he or she meant that line cutters are worse than child molesters/rapists. Oy vey, clearly we all know which is worse. I think the point was that line cutters suck…

Sorry, comment time is over.