So the ferry rates are being raised. That is an accepted fact of life on the Vineyard and one of the increased expenses we pay for the lifeline to our beloved Island home (the Vineyard, not the vessel, per se).

I admire, respect and appreciate the men and women who work on the boats and in the terminals who make our safe passage possible, and I say thank you to each of them as I drive onto the ferry, especially when it is during the insanity of the season or when it is raining sideways or bitter cold and/or snowing. So along with being a request of the powers that be at the SSA, this is also a public thank you to all the people we interact with in our travels to and fro.

Since the SSA is raising our fees, I ask that they put some of the increased revenues toward improving the internet connectivity on the boats. Do not advertise Wi-Fi access when it doesn’t actually work. Connectivity on the boat works at the terminal and ends four minutes into the crossing, resuming when almost docked on the other side, making working or communicating via email on the ferry an aggravating and virtually useless activity. I may lose my voice from yelling at my mobile devices or lose my hair as I pull at it in utter frustration. Becoming voiceless and bald should not be one of the other accepted facts of life on the Vineyard.

Nicole Brisson
Edgartown