Warm sand beneath my toes. Finals done. Freedom. Summer at last!A glistening sea extends to the far-off horizon. As I gaze at that delicate line, I know that a continent is on the other side, but I can only imagine where. Swimming out for the big one. It takes me giddy, up, up to the sky then down again – its blue silken back ripples with invisible muscles. I extract myself from the swirling, refreshing, living mass engulfing me and find my beach blanket. The rhythmic cadence of waves travels through the sand to my ear on the blanket as I drift off to sleep in a sunny daze of suntan lotion, Rolling Stones songs from transistor radios, and thoughts about how the last wave curled like a lock of my boyfriend’s hair.
By Christine Cordi
Published: August, 2000
Warm sand beneath my toes. Finals done. Freedom. Summer at last!A glistening sea extends to the far-off horizon. As I gaze at that delicate line, I know that a continent is on the other side, but I can only imagine where. Swimming out for the big one. It takes me giddy, up, up to the sky then down again – its blue silken back ripples with invisible muscles. I extract myself from the swirling, refreshing, living mass engulfing me and find my beach blanket. The rhythmic cadence of waves travels through the sand to my ear on the blanket as I drift off to sleep in a sunny daze of suntan lotion, Rolling Stones songs from transistor radios, and thoughts about how the last wave curled like a lock of my boyfriend’s hair.
Now as an adult and part of the responsible working world, I hardly get to indulge in the sense of summer I once had in high school. But closing my eyes, riding on the top deck of the ferry to San Francisco in the summer, or indeed, whenever, it’s not too big a jump for me to think back. And then when I hear the cries of a few gulls – who’s to say exactly where I am?
The bad news for me and other riders of the Richmond Ferry is that this slice of summer is scheduled to end. The reliable, safe, friendly, secure, stress-zapping Richmond Ferry will be disappearing at the end of September per the recent Red & White Fleet announcement. Low ridership numbers says Red & White. Yes, currently the Richmond Ferry is unsubsidized, but it makes no sense to believe that the potential riders cannot be increased from cities whose aggregate population numbers in the hundreds of thousands. For some it is not a question of build it and they will come. Instead for them it is rather you have to market, you have to personally reach out to potential riders, to overcome inertia, uncertainties, and potential fears. The tragedy is that the modest-sized but dedicated army of Richmond ferry riders had just recently started their own outreach program, spending their own time and in many cases their own money to make presentations, guerrilla posters to be placed in neighborhood stores, and to distribute Red & White for schedules and door hangers.
Kristel Frank, chief organizer and spokesperson for the Richmond Ferry riders has been stumping for continued service, including at last week’s meeting of the West Contra Costa Transport Advisory Committee. She states "this is an opportunity for the West Contra Costa County cities and agencies to work together and come up with a plan to help keep the ferry operating, so that we don’t lose this wonderful asset. The ferry riders have made a visible difference in increasing the ridership. With time, resources, and increased support from elected officials we think we can grow the ridership to meet Red & White’s expectation." "No ferry had an easy start," Frank adds.
If you are a potential rider of the Richmond Ferry, do try it. Soon. Maybe you will make the difference. Maybe the course here can be changed.
