Mr. Ferry rides his own boat
We went over to Manhattan today and then took the NY Waterway ferry home, a most enjoyable ride even though it was a cold, gray day, all the more enjoyable now that a deal has been worked out to keep the ferry company afloat. The last person on was an elderly gentleman who offered no ticket -- instead he ordered the crew to sweep the deck. He didn't need a ticket because he was the man who founded the ferry company back in 1986, back when the venture was dubbed "Arthur's Folly." Yes, it was the Horatio-Alger-Award-winning Arthur E. Imperatore Sr. himself, riding his own boat.
Our ride was just long enough for Mr. Imperatore to take a quick call on his cellphone. When we docked, he stood on that freshly swept deck and greeted every passenger, thanking them and assuring them that the ferries would keep running.
"How was the service?" he asked one.
"It's going to work out," he told another.
I took advantage of the opportunity and shook the old man's hand, thanking him profusely for our ferry service, and for all his efforts to save it. Other passengers were waiting behind me, so I didn't go on to thank him for everything else he's done for this area -- that's such a long list that the ferry would have fallen behind schedule.
posted by Janet Dagley Dagley @5:17 PM
|
29.12.04  |
|
