To the Editor:
It has been with much interest that I have been following the reports of recent cancellations and delayed sailings of the Steamship Authority. Since the service for which passengers have paid has not been provided, I wonder if fares are being refunded. If not, maybe they should be. Airlines having mechanical problems with their associated delays give compensation; why not the Steamship Authority?
I recently read about the young passengers who were left behind in Woods Hole one evening when the Peter Pan Bus arrived a few minutes late, only to find that the last ferry had already left. I can report that the coordination between Peter Pan Bus and the Steamship Authority continues to be appalling. On Friday, July 6, I traveled to Woods Hole on the MV Nantucket, which arrived at 10:26 am (nine minutes early). The Peter Pan buses were clearly visible waiting for their passengers but, alas, their passengers missed the bus since walk-ons had to wait until the last car left the boat, so we didn’t arrive at the bus stop until 10:36 am, by which time the 10:35 am bus to Boston had left.
I am astonished that this situation happened at all. Doesn’t the bus driver know that his passengers must be walk-ons and were coming off last due to the construction? Doesn’t the Steamship Authority know that the bus is waiting for the walk-ons, and maybe it might be a good idea to let them off first? Doesn’t anybody think? One of my fellow abandoned passengers was faced with actually missing his flight home; I was only late for an appointment.
After shooting off disgusted emails to customer service for both Peter Pan Bus and the Steamship Authority during my hour-and-a-half wait for the next bus, I was pleasantly astonished to receive a phone call from the a nice man at the Steamship Authority who apologized profusely, promising better communication with Peter Pan Bus in future, and that crew members would be instructed to allow walk-on passengers with bus connections to disembark first. I am hopeful things may be looking up.
Susan Kimball
Oak Bluffs
The post This may be looking up appeared first on The Martha's Vineyard Times.
