6 things you might be doing on BC Ferries that'll make the other passengers hate you

Car alarms

Ask anyone who has used BC Ferries at any point in their lives, and they will share tales of the symphony of car alarms that serenaded the upper decks from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay.

Deactivating your vehicle’s anti-theft when you park it on the ferry might seem like a no-brainer. Still, every major sailing seems to be set to the soundtrack of twenty different vehicles’ alarms going off at any given time.

Why would someone think they must leave their car alarms active? The odds of someone making a getaway with your vehicle are slim, considering the Pacific Ocean is their escape route. Trust me on this one, the ferry’s security deters most thieves from being bold enough to pull off such a heist when there’s nowhere to go.

Influencers

Ten years ago, the idea of social media influencers being a nuisance on the ferry wouldn't be a concern taken particularly seriously. Fast-forward to 2024, and everyone with a device is trying to find their 15 minutes of fame. Watching a choreographed dance on TikTok is something you wouldn't usually think twice about, but what about witnessing that dance being filmed in real-time?

There is nothing inherently wrong with trying to go viral on social media. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X are places where people can share their creativity, and now and then, that can pay off hugely. The issue is when creators trying to go viral get in the way of people just trying to make it from one destination to another in peace.

O​ne example comes from 2022 when a group of travellers on BC Ferries were subjected to a stand-up comedy routine from a man ​who introduced himself as the "unofficial mayor of Nanaimo." Unsurprisingly, his routine was not received particularly positively, and the aspiring comic conceded it was a "tough crowd" after most of his punchlines went without so much as a murmur. As a fan of stand-up comedy, I respect the courage it takes to try such a stunt, but I suggest saving routines like these for an open mic night instead.

Partying

It's understandable to want to decompress and blow off steam after a long week working to afford B.C.'s ridiculous housing and grocery prices—but the tequila fountain can wait 90 minutes for you to arrive at your destination, right?

Far too many passengers on Friday sailings have been subjected to bachelor and bachelorette parties that were too eager to get started.

There's nothing wrong with a little TGIF. Still, what may be Friday for you could be the middle of the working week for someone else, and being forced to hear "shots!" repeatedly isn't something everyone finds as fun as you do. Unless those shots are for everyone on board, we don't want to hear it.

Starting your car too early

It's been a long trip, and suddenly, you hear the announcement that it's time to head back to your vehicle and prepare for departure. The thing is, actual departure is still probably 30 minutes away, so there's no need to rush back to your car and burn five litres of fuel waiting for your turn to leave.

Maybe one day, when everyone is driving an electric car, this will be less of an issue. Still, until then, you might as wellsave some gasoline and try to prevent your lungs from burning out.

Using seating as a footrest

It's remarkable that this still needs to be stated. But here goes nothing: just because there's a seat across from you, it doesn't mean it's a footrest.

To expand on that point further, it also doesn't mean that it's a storage bin for your bags, either.

BC Ferries can get very busy during the summer when tourism is at its peak. From May until September, BC Ferries will pack as many travellers as they can onto each sailing, so don't be that person who treats the boat like your own personal shuttle. We're all just trying to get by here.

Not being in your car when it is time to board

This list is in no particular order, but if it were, not being in your car at boarding would still be the number one sin.

Understandably, someone with an hour to wait before the next sailing might want to spend some time stretching and seeing what the terminal's shops have to offer. That said, when the PA announcement to return to your vehicle is given, it's time to return. You do not want to be the car holding up the line to board the vessel — especially if you reserved ahead and could miss the opportunity to sail in the open-air deck, where you don't have to leave your car.

BC Ferries is expensive and is the only means of transportation between the mainland and the islands. It's up to us all to make the commute as headache-free as possible — for everyone!