In response to concerns raised by Washington State Ferries (WSF) terminal staff and vessel crews, WSF has developed a new passenger code of conduct — a set of rules for passengers that will roll out in terminal and vessel announcements, posters, and on a “Yellow Card” given to those violating the code.

The new code, according to Vashon-Maury Community Council (V-MCC) member Justin Hirsch, who is one of Vashon’s representatives to WSF, was developed in part due to two incidents that had occurred this year at Vashon ferry terminals, which Hirsch detailed a community council meeting last week.

The first incident occurred at the Tahlequah terminal when a ferry worker was taken to the hospital after his foot was run over by a passenger who ignored the worker’s instructions. Another incident occurred at Vashon’s north-end dock when a driver spat upon a ferry worker.

In an email, John B. Vezina, director of planning, customer and government relations, confirmed the accuracy of these accounts of passenger misbehavior at Vashon terminals, but said the new passenger code had been in the works for months by the WSF Diversity Advisory Group (DAG).

This group, he said, had developed the code after hearing accounts of unruly and verbally abusive passenger behavior. The set of rules has now been reviewed by the Attorney General’s Office and Washington State Patrol (WSP) and approved by WSF’s executive team.

Vezina shared an email, sent by him on Dec. 15 to county and city elected officials from WSF-served communities, describing the code. Enforcement of the code, he said, will be left to law enforcement.

The new code, complete with a “Yellow Card” given to violators, will roll out this week, he said, in terminal and vessel announcements, as well as on posters displayed in terminals and on boats.

“The stories we’ve heard of abusive, racist, and misogynistic language simply isn’t acceptable,” he said, in the email. “Additionally, as you know, WSF is currently experiencing significant workforce challenges. Having our terminal and vessel colleagues called the “n” and “b” words, spit on, screamed at, and ignored, has become a barrier to hiring the diverse workforce we need to restore regular service across the system.”

He described the code of conduct as a “reasonable, fair, and balanced approach to educating passengers on both acceptable behavior and the already established possibility of inappropriate behavior leading to a temporary no-trespass order.”

Poster messaging for the new code, in part, instructs passengers:

• Refrain from the use of abusive or offensive language to fellow passengers or WSF crewmembers. This includes, but is not restricted to, racist, sexist, and homophobic comments meant to demean another person.
• Do not obstruct or impede WSF staff from performing their duties.
• Do not block or impede fellow passengers or otherwise interfere with their use of WSF services.
• Do not disturb others by engaging in loud, raucous, unruly, harmful, aggressive, violent, or harassing behavior.
• Alcoholic beverages may only be consumed within designated areas.
• Be courteous by keeping conversations, music, and videos at a level not disturbing other passengers.
• Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is not allowed in WSF terminals or on vessels.

Failing to follow the WSF Code of Conduct may lead to a time-specific “No Trespass” order from law enforcement.

A Yellow Card, to be handed out to unruly passengers, repeats these instructions.

In September, The Beachcomber reported on stresses experienced by a north-end ferry dock worker who had engaged in two life-saving efforts to help assist passengers in medical distress at the dock — incidents that occurred in a three-day time span.

This ferry worker said that the hardest part of these experiences came after the incidents were over.

Because boats had been commandeered in both cases to get the patients to the hospital as quickly as possible, ferry traffic was backed up, the worker said.

This led to the ferry worker being repeatedly confronted by ferry riders who, unaware of what had just happened, angrily demanded to know why the boats were late.

“That broke my spirit,” the worker said.