SEATTLE — Ahead of a busy travel weekend on the Washington State Ferry system, officials are hoping for cooler tempers. About a half-million people are expected to take a ferry this weekend – and August is the peak month for complaints of line-cutting.
On August 24, a line-cutting incident escalated into a confrontation between two people at the Fauntleroy terminal in West Seattle. A third person pulled a gun to break it up, and was arrested, WSF said.
WSF spokesperson Dana Warr said if you see an incident, you can report it to the HERO hotline - 1-877-764-HERO.
“What we want people to know is use the hotline, and call 911 if they see someone being hurt or weapons drawn,” he said. “Our employees are not law enforcement, nor can they enforce line-cutting.”
If an officer does witness someone cutting, Warr said, they can face a $139 ticket.
“You just feel like you’re being disrespected when someone cuts in front of you,” said Larry Cooper, heading home to Port Orchard.
The Mukilteo route sees the most HERO complaints, according to WSF data – 713 last year. That’s compared to 175 at Fauntleroy, and just one at Anacortes.
Seija Weed catches the Fauntleroy ferry home to Southworth. Waiting in a growing line Friday, she saw someone cut the line.
“Somebody passing by chewed him out, so he pulled out and went to the other end,” she laughed.
Still – she hoped for calmer interactions.
“If we just more patient with each other, things would be better,” she said.
