BC Ferries refuses woman 10 cents short on ferry fare

[shockedcanadian]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/bc-ferries-refuses-woman-10-cents-short-ferry-014248652.html


A woman from Gabriola Island, B.C., is furious with BC Ferries after her daughter was stranded in nearby Nanaimo because she was 10 cents short on her fare.

The 20-year-old was trying to make it home a week ago but didn't have quite enough money left on her pre-paid BC Ferries Experience card...

“She couldn't do anything so she was stuck in Nanaimo for 24 hours until the bank opened the next day ... over 10 cents."..."It is unfortunate,” she said. “I know it was a small amount but we do need to have a policy in place to draw the line somewhere."


Seems like $.10 is the line they have drawn...

[panzerfaust]

1. I believe "Jobsworth" is the Canadian phrase which fits?

[MADem]

2. No one would give the kid a dime?

No one?

Even if "the ferry" can't accommodate issuing a ticket with insufficient funds, there wasn't one single person -- one human -- who would give this young lady ten lousy cents? Even the hard-hearted ticket seller?

Damn.

I guess people are selfish. I would have coughed up a dime for the kid.

[PoliticAverse]

5. The article indicated she had 10 cents but not the required minimum of $60 to recharge the card. n/t

[MADem]

6. Bad headline! She didn't need a dime, she needed sixty bucks.

The company needs to make it possible for people to add cash to what's on their card...OR, to cash in their card.

[Cirque du So-What]

3. I feel badly for this woman and her daughter

I read some of the comments at the linked article - some of whom made a suggestion that matched my initial impulse: just give her 10 cents and be done with it. In actuality, it's probably not that simple, as I cannot imagine even the most hard-hearted individual refusing to help in this instance. The rules probably don't allow for mixed methods of payment - not unlike trying to get through a toll booth with a combination of cash and an E-Z Pass transponder.

For one thing, the financial bar is set too high for low-income individuals, as the article states that a minimum $60 is necessary to recharge the ferry card. That's even higher than the minimum purchase for recharging an E-Z Pass. For another, there appears to be no procedure for overriding an occurrence like the one in this article. I can imagine that the poobahs who administer this fee collection program believe it would be abused. Can't trust those peons who collect the fares, yunno.

[idwiyo]

4. WTF? I would have gladly paid full price for the ticket if I was there. Did before, would never

hesitate doing it again. Can't believe there wasn't one person there to give her 10p.

[DreamGypsy]

7. There is a U.S. historical precedent for this - the man who never returned...

...due a $.05 fare increase by the Metropolitan Transit Authority in Boston.

ok, it's just a song, but it makes the point.

The Kingston Trio did some great stuff...and probably still does, though I haven't listened/heard any of the recent material.