The Ferry Ride

I realised as I was writing the last story that just getting to Courtenay was half the excitement.  Well, not really, but it is a story.  You remember John Schlesinger, my boss, the cheapskate from a previous post.  Well, he came with us on the road this time too, so it was his Volkswagen Jetta we took.  As I believe I've mentioned before, the deal (if you can call it that) is that the driver pays all the transportation costs in exchange for a cut of the crew's commissions.  Everything else is on us; we split the cost of the motel, pay for our own food, etc.

As you may have figured out, since Courtenay is on Vancouver Island, simply driving there is not so simple.  In fact, it is a two hour ferry ride from Vancouver (actually the major metropolis of Tsawwassen) to Nanaimo on the Island.  So as we drove up to the ferry terminal, John, with an air of insouciant nonchalance 

(quick, keep writing before the smart pill runs out)

asked for everyone to chip in for the ferry ride.

Ladies and gentlemen, I lost it.

I've always been a pretty easygoing guy, tending to avoid conflict.  Go along to get along, you know.  But my frustration and exasperation with my company's BS had been simmering and stewing for months, and this was the straw that broke the camel's back.  (Don't like my mixed metaphors?  If it's good enough for Shakespeare, it's good enough for me.)   This job was, to say the least, not what they had told us it was going to be -- remind me to tell you that story some time -- but I was stuck with it for the time being, and wanted to make it work.  But the resentment was growing, and it exploded when John asked for ferry money.

"No," I said.

"What do you mean no?  Pay up!"

"No!  I'm not paying for the f***ing ferry!  Transportation is supposed to be on you!"

"That's gas and maintenance for the car.  I'm not paying for you to take the ferry.  If you don't like it, you can take the bus home, and you'll be paying for that too."

"JOHN!  GET THIS THROUGH YOUR F***ING HEAD!  I'M NOT PAYING!  The transportation is on you!  That's the f***ing deal!  If you don't wanna pay for my f***ing ferry ride, then YOU WILL PAY FOR MY F***ING BUS RIDE HOME!"

I was in such a haze of fury, I can't even remember what the reaction of the other crew-mates was.  It might as well have just been John and me in the car.  John's reaction, however, was unexpected.  He laughed, and decided that he liked my resolve and initiative.  He paid for the ferry, and the incident passed.  I had earned John Schlesinger's respect.

Not that it was worth anything.