Editor,

Reporter Laura Guido was given false information by Ian Sterling, “a spokesman for state ferries.” (March 13 story, “Kayak disrupts ferry.”)

I quote from Laura’s front page article: “Sterling said passengers were given the choice to either receive a refund or wait in line and get priority boarding when service resumed.”

Oh how I wish that were true. As we waited on the ferry to disembark at Mukilteo, I was near the front, perhaps the 12th car to leave the ferry, and had plenty of opportunity to speak to ferry crew members, none of whom could tell me anything. I was asking, “Where do we go from here?” Two crew members said they had no idea. When I was leaving the ferry but still on the dock, a ferry employee was passing out refund cards. I asked her, no, begged her to tell me where to go.

I swear to you, she shrugged her shoulders and said she didn’t know. She gave not a hint about any choice, nor did anyone else. I would have loved to wait and re-board the ferry when the incident was cleared, but no such choice was offered. I’m not blaming her or the other crew members.

I still can’t imagine why we had to disembark the ferry when in fact there was no threat to the boat whatsoever. So, of course I’m thinking it must be a bomb threat on the ferry itself. Why else empty the boat? Given no suggestion as to how to re-board or where to wait (other than at the end of the mile-long line of rush-hour traffic), I decided to drive the two and a half hour trip via Deception Pass to get home to Langley.

All of this happened as if in slow motion. No one seemed in a hurry. I fail to see why we were treated like cattle, with no sign of consideration for what amounted to a huge inconvenience to all involved. That Sterling lied (or himself was misinformed) about the choice that was not given to us just puts the tone of the experience right into the “fascist” realm, referred to by Sue Ellen White in her letter to the editor on Wednesday, March 13. We deserve better.

Rod Parke

Langley