Is this stuff too complicated for you?

Ticket booth, BC Ferries terminal, Horseshoe Bay, BC

Ticket booth, BC Ferries terminal, Horseshoe Bay, BC (Detail)

 

Ticket booth, BC Ferries terminal, Horseshoe Bay, BC (Detail)

Ticket booth, BC Ferries terminal, Horseshoe Bay, BC (Detail)

BC Ferries does not have the best reputation for customer service. A few years ago the firm increased the cutoff from 5 minutes to 10 minutes, meaning that anyone buying a ticket needed to do so 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Given that most of the foot passengers arrive on public transport, and buses are now known for their rigid adherence to timetables, this annoyed lots of people.

The move to 10 minute cutoffs was supposed to ensure that sailings would depart on time and BC Ferries wound be able to stick to its schedules and meet its on-time performance targets. (A hallmark of a well-run transportation system.)

I saw these notices at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal on the weekend. I find it remarkable that these are the only option to deal with a malfunctioning electronic sign. Can you not do better than a hand-written note taped to the window?

This does not communicate an image of a well-run system. I hope the rest of BC Ferries operations are a bit more polished.