02/11/2005: "Woman's Restroom on the WA State ferry"

I've gotten complacent, lazy I thought, as I pondered what to do about the fact that there was no toilet paper in the toilet stall of the woman's restroom on the WA State ferry. Years ago when I was in Czechoslovakia, I developed the habit of coming prepared. Even if there was something to use in the rare public accommodation, the toilet paper had more in common with wax paper than anything else. So you mined your jacket or purse with more ‘accepting" materials. Luckily this time there was a Kleenex in my pocket, so I managed -without waiting to call out for help when someone else entered the room . After I left, I stopped by the pursers office, he was siting there, feet up, reading a paperback. I suggested that he have someone look into this situation. He looked at me, which was, I guess his way of acknowledging my complaint.

On a the return trip several weeks later, I was sitting in my car reading a book when a ferry employee stopped at the car next to mine and engaged the passenger in a rather spirited political discussion. Not realizing I was in my car, he lounged against my door -rearranging my mirror. This started before we got to Lopez, and ended after a brief interruption, in Friday Harbor. I had not had until then realized that these people had nothing to do but load cars – I was going to suggest that he check the restroom conditions, but then figured it was probably the responsibility of a different union, so I avoided the conflict. As we sat waiting to leave the boat, I pondered the ferry situation, marveling at how accepting we were about the conditions, lack of amenities, increasing costs etc. We accept the situation as a given, something beyond our control to change. Then I thought about Slovakia and the Czech republic.