Dear Editor:
On Dec. 11, my wife and I decided to visit family on Bowen Island. A decision to be made was: Do we drive to Horseshoe Bay, park and take the ferry, or do we park in West Vancouver, take transit to Horseshoe Bay and then the ferry? Cost for parking in Horseshoe Bay versus four $2.50 tickets was about the same, however taking transit we would reduce our carbon footprint.
After our experience with transit, I say to hell with carbon footprint and to hell with TransLink. If TransLink was a private corporation they would be out of business.
Here is the sequence of events and how our outing unfolded. 1. Make sure we arrive well ahead of time at the bus stop so we do not miss the 257 express bus to Horseshoe Bay. We were taking the 11: 20 a.m. in order to make it onto the noon ferry.
2. Bus arrives and stops at West Vancouver stop, we get on and pay our fare ($5) and find a seat. Time around 11: 10 a.m.
3. 11: 20 a.m. another bus which is totally full stops behind us and 20 or more people exit the bus behind us and join our express bus stating that why should they stand on the bus behind us when they can sit comfortably on our bus.
4. 11: 25 a.m. driver gets on our bus and commands us all to get off this bus and get onto the full bus that has pulled in behind us. Well, guess what? This bus is so full that even if you pushed the people inside there would not be a place for my wife and I to stand.
5. Bus driver instructs us and a few other people to wait for the next bus. I tell him that we will miss our ferry and his response is "Too bad, there is nothing I can do."
6. I request a refund for my $5 fare as we had now decided we would drive to Horseshoe Bay. Driver's answer is "We do not do that," meaning TransLink drivers do not give refunds. No mention of how we may proceed to get a refund, nothing, just closes the door and drives away.
So, next time you need to take transit in West Vancouver, I suggest you give my experience a thought. I will never take transit again unless I have no other alternative. To hell with my carbon footprint.
Gerald Cassel North Vancouver
