Page Seven  

29 SEPTEMBER 2004

Hey... lookit I found....

PRESS RELEASE CycleCanada Report 166 Albert Street West, Box 310 Alliston, ON L9R 1V6 Canada www.CycleCanada.com  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto to Rochester Ferry Fares Badly in CycleCanada Survey
ALLISTON, CANADA — December 27, 2003 — A survey conducted by CycleCanada Report on ferry fees around the world suggests that those travelling by bike between Toronto, Ontario and Rochester, New York, will be gouged by the planned service.   The Lake Ontario crossing by the Spirit of Ontario ferry is scheduled to begin in May 2004 — which also is the start of prime cycling season. The new ferry service is getting an $8 million government grant to help build a new terminal facility in Toronto. But the fee structure delivers a message that cyclists are not welcome. The CycleCanada Report survey shows that the one-way fare for a bike and rider on the Spirit of Ontario is 64% of the car/driver fare. Other ferry services around the world are much more bike friendly and in Europe bikes often travel free. Two solo cyclists pay almost the same amount as two people in a car. The message to people coming to downtown Toronto — bring your car. The spirit of Ontario tourism clearly does not include cyclists.   To read the CycleCanada Report article, go to: http://www.cyclecanada.com/Report/ For more information contact: Bud Jorgensen Tel. 705-434-1100 or by e-mail at news@CycleCanada.com   Tour du Canada, CycleCanada, CycleCanada.com and Discover Your Routes are registered trademarks of Cycle Canada, the Veloforce Corporation.

And a follow-up:

Do I detect a note of cynicism here?  Just how many bicycles would it take to equal the weight of, say a Honda Accord?  Would even one hundred bicycles weigh down the ferry enough to justify the disproportionate fare?

Or does (rather.. did) CATS try to gouge cyclists to make up for its lousy business model?

Guess it doesn't make much difference now.  Looks like Canadian cyclists will be staying closer to the northern lake routes from now on instead of exploring the southern route.

Cha-CHING.

Judge orders Toronto-Rochester ferry seized Last Updated Tue, 28 Sep 2004 21:27:12 EDT ROCHESTER, N.Y. - A U.S. judge has impounded the new fast ferry that had been running between Toronto and Rochester until earlier this month. The judge made the decision on the same day that the ferry's fuel supplier sued the company, claiming $370,000 in unpaid bills. The Spirit of Ontario (CBC Photo: Peter McCluskey) The ship, the Spirit of Ontario, is docked in Rochester, N.Y. The operator of the ferry, Canadian American Transportation Systems (CATS), stopped service between the two cities due to financial problems. An estimated 140,000 passengers crossed Lake Ontario in its first 11 weeks in service before it was indefinitely docked. The company said it lost more than $2 million since the ferry, nicknamed the Breeze, began its twice-daily round trips across Lake Ontario in June. CATS said the service was scuttled by unexpected Canada Customs fees and by delays in construction of a terminal building in Toronto. The company was also unable to get the permits it needed to carry trucks across the lake. CATS said it may try to resume service in the spring. Written by CBC News Online staff

Ahhhh...FAME AT LAST!

Just think.  After reading the CBC's blurb, now when residents of the Okanagan Valley in BC hear of 'Rochester New York', they'll immediately think of 'Failed Fast Ferry'.  Sort of rolls off your tongue, no?  And what a glowing tribute that is, INDEED.

(Ever get the impression that unrepentant bashing of Corporate Screwups could be so much fun??)

'CATS said it may try to resume service in the spring'.  Huh?  What happened to the 'year round' service CATS had originally intended?  If that's the case, what difference does it make if the service restarts in October or May... HMMMM???

Could it be that CATS knows.. or should have known all along... that this highly specialized service is seasonal at best.... and in their case, novel at the worst?  After the novelty wears off, so does ridership.  And once the 'gales of November come early', ridership dwindles to a scant trickle which is totally incapable of supporting the business.

Like I've been saying for over three years now.

But it's a real honour to be mentioned in the CBC... the venerable national Canadian media giant which is resourced around the world.

Fame at last.  Civic pride in the Rochester area must be soaring to dizzying heights these days.

From the Adventures In Data-Based Assumptions Department:

Home > News > Local News	Rochester Time: 6:38 pm

Other facts to consider:

2003 estimate of Monroe County Population: 736,738 .  (link)

Above survey's polling total: 500 registered voters in Monroe County.

Survey respondents as a percent of total 2003 estimated Monroe County population : 0.07%

Percentage of Native American and Alaska Native residents in Monroe County in 2000 : 0.03%  (link)

OK students.  Let's examine THESE numbers.

Here you have less than 1% of the total population polled which supposedly reflects the general attitude of the community towards the Fast Ferry debacle... enough so that the community and business leaders are quick to jump and declare "Rochester is ________".  The results from this less-than-1% segment are held in the highest regard to the point where a multimillion dollar business is allowed to stumble forward.  Or not.

Yet the opinions and concerns of the less-than-1% of the general population which is Native American or Alaska Native is all but ignored... even though such superfluous issues as a fast redundant method of transportation to Toronto is hardly the focus of the First Nations concerns.  Things like adequate affordable housing, health care and jobs are somehow seen as more pressing to THESE people.

Why is that?  I'll resist the growing lump in my throat which is struggling to scream 'racism' because we all know that racism is nowhere to be found in Monroe County.

But back to the survey.  It's a cotton-candy confection which ostensibly reflects the true community sentiment.  Gross assumptions based on a tiny fraction of the general population.  This is the stuff that got the Ferry developers in deep dung and... by extension... the Rochester area as well.

DI's.  Data Idiots.  But it's presented here as yet another example of the myopic navel-gazing obsession of the Rochester community.

From the Hey Dude It's No Big Deal Department:

Wednesday   September 29, 2004

Ferry Impounded, Mayor Reacts by Leah George Published Sep 29, 2004 Mayor Bill Johnson calls the lawsuit filed against CATS and the lockdown that followed “premature, precipitous and absolutely not necessary.” Mayor Johnson says ordering U.S. Marshals to guard the fast ferry is a waste of taxpayer money. (ed.  Uh Bill, perhaps you ought to think before engaging the mouth.  Isn't this a case of the pot calling the kettle black?) He says the "Spirit of Ontario" wasn't going anywhere because it's operators didn't have money to put fuel in it. Johnson says the ferry operation has $33 million in outstanding debt.  (ed.  Now Bill, let's double-check our figures here.) He said impounding the ferry for $370,000 thousand as Amerada Hess did Tuesday, is overkill.  (ed.  Evidently Amerada Hess disagrees.  And since they're owed in excess of $370,000 for fuel alone, telling them they're 'overreacting' is either the height of callousness or the height of flippancy.) "The lenders are not worried about it. I spoke to them about it last night, they had not been served papers, they weren't bothered by it. They were surprised that it was done though. They understand that Amerada Hess was at no risk what so ever. In fact they were deeply protected by whatever proceedings were going forward. Anyone who operates that vessel would have to pay them off, that's the only place you can get fuel," Johnson said. Mayor Johnson says people are working around the clock and around the world to get the ferry running again. He says the bottom line is money, and what the ferry needs are investors. (ed.  Bill, Bill, Bill.  Haven't we learned anything after all this insanity?  What the Ferry 'needs' is a year-round, steady manifest of repeat passengers.  Your insistence that all problems can be solved by money is American ignorance at its zenith.)

Whew.  Clutching at straws is one thing; tossing hypocrisy into the equation only reeks of REAL desperation.  "A waste of taxpayer money"?   If anybody knows about wasting taxpayer money, it's Mayor Johnson.  Somehow a $16 million ex-ferry terminal which is presently being used as a hamburg and sandwich joint doesn't sound like a real shrewd financial move.

Perspective time:

Wednesday   September 29, 2004

Unloading at the Port of Muskegon Tale of Two Ferries by Seth Voorhees Photo by Todd Krupa Published Sep 29, 2004 It's a tale of two high-speed Great Lakes ferries, which both started service last spring. One appears to be running strong. The other sits in Rochester’s port, on the brink of going under. The boats have taken different paths. About 150 people took a recent Monday afternoon cruise on the Lake Express, a ferry that makes daily trips between Milwaukee and Muskegon, on Lake Michigan. “I love the ferry,” said Rhonda Harroun of Michigan. “The ferry was great.” “It’s very nice,” said passenger Jessica Swanson. “It works out well.” Those are the kind of reviews they hoped for, when the idea of the Milwaukee to Muskegon ferry was first floated 10 years ago. It took a decade to turn the concept into reality. “There was a tremendous amount of research that went on,” said Ken Szallai, the former Milwaukee Port director who took over the reins at Lake Express LLC earlier this month. “The ship is really designed not only for this market but many other U.S. type applications.” The Lake Express cost private investors $18 million dollars to build. It zips across Lake Michigan at top speeds of about 40 miles per hour. In the beginning there were some problems -- for one, the reservation system couldn't handle the crush of customers. Those difficulties were nothing, compared to the Breeze – Rochester’s now-suspended ferry which ran for just 80 days. There are major differences between the two boats. At 250 passengers and 46 cars, the Lake Express is a third the size of the Spirit of Ontario. An accident that caused a seven week start-up delay put Rochester's ferry in a financial hole before it even got running. The lake Michigan ferry doesn't travel internationally, so there are no any customs issues. It carries vehicles, but no commercial cargo. The ability to do that has been a major hurdle for Rochester's ferry. Lake Express officials say they’ve followed the Rochester ferry situation, but have no interest in purchasing the troubled ferry operation. “We're always sad when we see a high speed operation go into difficulty,” said Szallai. “Sometimes that will send the wrong message to other markets.”  (ed.  That's the polite way of saying, "You screwups are botching the whole Fast Ferry business".) The boats have some similarities. The same company, Austal, built both boats. Both ferries started routes between smaller cities and much larger ones. Muskegon, Michigan Steve Warmington says travelers who pass through his city of 40,000...might not have come without the ferry. They do, and they bring their wallets. “This has been wonderful for us,” said Warmington. The same can be said for the other side of the lake, where Milwaukee has invested $1.5 billion dollars in arts and entertainment complexes in the past five years. The city of 600,000 has undergone a transformation beyond it's blue collar beer and brats reputation. In Milwaukee, the ferry is seen as a good way to bring them in. “Any time you have an opportunity to bring a boatload of a couple hundred people into Milwaukee, it means more economic dollars put into our restaurants, our cultural and arts attractions and even hotels,” said David Fantle, spokesman for the Greater Milwaukee Convention and Visitors Bureau. Lake Express officials are talking about adding a second boat. They believe the market's there. “You have a marriage of the attractions with the utility of the ship,” said Szallai. “That's a wonderful, wonderful package to be selling.”

Yup.  When a new service overreaches by jumping immediately into an international arena with a poorly developed business plan, the results may be understandably erratic.

The Lake Express started on a smaller scale... and minus the transborder factor where international red tape turns into red ink faster than changing national priorities.

Oh well.  It's just money. 

And civic pride and credibility.  It's all down the drain now.

03 OCTOBER 2004

I really hate to have to post this one.

Sunday   October 03, 2004

Quiznos enjoyed busy opening. Without Ferry, Business Still Brisk by Leah George photo by Jeff Hamson Published Oct 02, 2004 On their first day in business Saturday, workers at Quizno's Subs at the Port of Charlotte got a taste of what they hope will continue. "It's been excellent, actually,” said Kiran Patel, owner and manager of the franchise. “Probably, about 50 to 60 people have shown up in the last one hour." Patel says he chose this waterfront location for two reasons. "The beach and the ferry,” he said. “Both added up to success. That does not mean 'if you don't have the ferry, you won't have success.'" Some store managers say that, since the ferry has been docked, business has actually been better. Now, people come to see the boat all day long instead of twice a day when it was coming in at one o'clock and going out at four o'clock in the afternoon. Newlyweds Joan and Dick Schopinsky say that's why they stopped at the port. They say Quizno's grand opening was a bonus. "The sandwich was awesome," said Joan. (ed.  As a sandwich and sub lover -unquestionably... Quizno's makes a fantastic sandwich.) While business is going well without the ferry, the eight owners inside the terminal do want it back. They signed five-year leases and say that their long-term success depends on the ferry's. (ed.  Well... THAT ain't good.  Get back to me on a Tuesday night in January and tell me "business is going well" and I might be impressed.) "I'm hoping the ferry's up and running by next week," said Karen French, of the Chestnut Tree. "You just have to bear with it, the problems that the ferry has,” Patel said. “At this point, they (the issues facing the ferry) are resolvable. Most of them have been resolved. That's the feeling that we have at this point." Port visitors remain optimistic, too. Dick and Joan Schopinsky say that they'll be back even if the ferry isn't running. They hope it will be by their next visit. "Cross our fingers and hope that really happens," Joan said. CATS Fast Ferry Quizno's

OK...so why do I hate having to post this?  Because it's a timestamp of sorts for when the business shuts down due to a lack of sales... and I like Quizno's.

I hate seeing these private spinoffs getting the shaft because some porky Suit thinks some maritime monorail-equivalent is going to fly.  People are blind.

The goal of a business... ANY business... is to attain LONG TERM and CONSISTENT income.  A store which sells buttons can be seen as successful in the first few weeks due to its novelty which draws the curious.  After the novelty has worn off, people don't give a rat's patooty about a damn button store.... certainly not enough to ensure the LONG TERM viability of the operation.

And a franchise operator who signs a five-year lease has every intention of being in business at least five years... preferably longer.  I don't want to rain on anybody's parade, but I'll be pointing back to this post in a few months when the sub shop goes belly up due to lack of business.   The port, beach and lake areas in both Toronto and Rochester are very much seasonal experiences which see the most visitors in the summer. 

Like, duh.  This ain't no South Beach, guys.  Even the hardiest of strollers isn't going to be spending much time next to Lake Ontario in the middle of December or January... the lake winds are raw, unrelenting and bone-chilling even with the proper attire.  Toss in snow and the idea of hanging out by the lake in the winter begins to sound more like a test of endurance than a great way to wile away the hours.

This whole resurrection scheme to get the Ferry up and running is so ludicrous, it's a wonder anybody takes the Rochester business community seriously.  The Rump Group, headed by a gentleman who needs to be sat down and told to get a life and retire already, is tentatively offering to throw some cash to get the thing started again.  "If we make money... fine.  If not, it's done in the interest of the community".  Gag me.  Spare me.

Nope.  Not going to get into it here and now.  These pasty-faced sixtysomethings need to cash out their chips and retire.  Just what the hell are they still working for?  If their entire identity is based on what they DO instead of who they ARE... or if they need the ego-stroking which comes from being some sort of 'leader', then they have far more issues they need to deal with than simply running a business.  Pathetic creatures, really.

04 OCTOBER 2004

Hope springs eternal.

Monday   October 04, 2004

CATS: progress continues Still No Decision on Fast Ferry by Rocco Vertuccio photo by Todd Krupa Published Oct 04, 2004 Still no decision on the fate of Rochester's Fast Ferry. Almost a month after CATS, the company that owns and operates the ferry suspended service, lenders in Australia are still trying decide whether or not to give CATS more money to restart service. CATS President Cornel Martin says, the fact that EFIC has not put any more demands on CATS to restart service, is a good sign. He says, the lenders want CATS to continue working on resolving the issues that forced the company to suspend service September 7th. "Don't be swayed by all the rumors and all the innuendo that are out there. Just know that we are working everyday to make progress on those issues to try to push EFIC to that comfort level to where they are ready to crank this up again," says Martin. Martin says getting a U.S. flag on the ship is basically good to go, once operations resumes. He says there has been some progress on getting commercial trucks to use the ship, and some progress on Canadian customs fees. CATS needs anywhere from two to ten million dollars to get the "Breeze" sailing again. If the Australian lenders decide not to give CATS more money, some local investors may jump in to save the ship. CATS

Smiling.  Politely.

Does this article have a hint of anxious anticipation?  Could this be the prescribed sentiment which Rochester area residents are scarfing up like yesterday's pizza to dutifully regurgitate as 'fact'?  Frighteningly, there's a very high percentage of locals who believe in, "I read/saw it in the media, so it MUST be true".   Independent thinking is a dangerous pasttime in the Rochester area; one is told how one should feel.  And as long as locals chime along in harmony with popular sentiment, it's a tried-and-true, sure way to win friends and influence people.

If anyone should be optimistic in the face of impending disaster, it's Cornel Martin.  He slid into a seat which was fully heated prior to him being named president of CATS... and it's only gotten hotter since then.  Remember Howard Thomas?  The former CATS president who was canned on July 06, 2004?

From my prognostication of July 07, 2004:

The rantings of an Indian soothsayer?  I think not.  Even one who's as bright as a two-watt bulb could clearly see this was most definitely NOT business as usual.  It's not any miraculous revelation... anybody could come to the same conclusion based simply on the local media (which 'sometimes' has a bit of a slant to their reporting.  No, really, it does.)

Think Howard Thomas is still pining away over being fired from his position??  NO??  Gee, I wonder why not?

From the CATS statement of July 07, 2004:

Classic.  Corporate.  Crap.

This rhetoric knows no regional boundaries but is so prevalent in the local Good 'Ol Boy Network that it's become the de facto language of Rochester business.  Ever hear of the adage "If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with bulls__t"?  That's the course DeLucia took.

Monday, October 4, 2004
Home > News > Local News	Rochester Time:8:38 pm

Outta control.  Rational thinking, common sense... out the window.

Casino.  Casino.  Casino.  "Turn the ship over to the Indians and let 'em run a casino".  How magnanimous.  How kind.  'Allowing' the little 'redskins' the privilege of setting up a casino in a highly specialized barge which is completely inappropriate and unsuited to such an idea.  Playing Baccarat in the bowels of some maritime parking garage... what a thrilling marketing concept.

Lest one get the impression I'm in a very small minority in this locality, have a gander at the feedback in the Comments section of the Democrat & Chronicle:

From the You've-GOT-To-Be-Bagging-Me Department:

Well, jed.  First- there's a little matter of moving a 5-story, 285- by 78-foot pond skimmer some 40 miles over land and through a 15-foot high Thruway underpass.

Second - and pay attention to THIS one jed - just what makes anyone think 'The Native Americans' want anything to do with this cast-off bomb of an idea?

The local Native population doesn't need any fairweather friends who turn their backs on them when they don't need them... and rushes forward with open arms when they do.  Sort your own garbage out, Rochester, and leave the First Nations out of it.  You made the mess, now clean it up yourself.

You non-Rochester area readers see the mentality which abounds here?  Try being Native and living here... it's a Laugh-a-Minute.

A Toronto view:

Oooh, ouch.  Casual indifference from the Cool Kids On The Block.  THAT'S gotta smart... when Rochester gets dissed in its own media, that's not exactly a real ego-boosting move.  And these are just a few of the more temperate comments.

It's gonna be a very long, very cold, very snowy and very dreary winter in Rochester.  By spring, the Breeze will have lost a great deal of its lustre in more ways than one.... provided the Repo Guys haven't paid a visit before then.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Canadian American Transportation Systems has temporarily suspended operations. If you hold a reservation for The Breeze, we would be happy to re-book your trip when we resume service. We understand you may have questions or concerns and invite you to share these with us by clicking here: Click here to send us an email. We appreciate your patience and support throughout this period.

I'll bet.