It’s no secret. Even with all its budget woes, staffing issues, congestion, and schedule changes. I am still a fan of the Washington State ferry system. It is, in fact, the largest ferry system in the United States.
What is happening?
Now here is the latest. It looks like prices are going to go up for some commuters. Obviously, prices have gone up over the years. But this latest increase seems to be a little selective and cuts into the convenience of paying for your ferry trip.
According to seattletimes.com,‘ Plastics are the future, someone once said, and in the case of Washington State Ferries, they’re about to come with a fee.Beginning March 1, a 3% fee will be charged on credit and debit cards used to buy ferry fares. The charge won’t apply to people who use ORCA cards or cash.’
First off, I won’t say that nobody pays in cash anymore, but OK, hardly anybody pays in cash anymore. I sure don’t. I know when I’m shopping in a store and I pay for something with a credit card and they tell me they’re going to add 3% to the price of what I just bought because I’m using a credit card, it bothers me.
And it shouldn’t bother me because I know that the reason they’re charging me 3% for my purchase using a credit card is because the credit card company charges the retailer 3% to use the credit card. The retailer is just passing on an expense that they have to pay. If you make a purchase with a credit card and the retailer does not charge you an extra 3% for your purchase, just remember the retailer is eating that 3%. They’re not getting it back anywhere else.
How much more?
So now my $19.70 ferry ride is going to cost me $20.29. I’m sorry, but I’m OK with that…