Yesterday, I took the Elliott Bay Water Taxi (aka “the foot ferry”) to visit my parents. Considering the crappy bus service to their new place, it was reasonably convenient. But convenient, shmonvenient. It was also a lot of fun!

The ride takes about 15 minutes–long enough to settle in and enjoy the view (and what a view–I am jealous of all those West Seattle commuters), but not so long that it becomes tedious. The main part of the boat is enclosed (with lots of windows, of course), but there is also an open deck upstairs.

The good:
• The price. The Water Taxi costs $3.00, but it is totally free if you have a bus pass of any denomination.
• The convenience. Drop-off and pick-up locations (Seacrest Park and Pier 55) are easy to get to, and there is a free shuttle van (DART route 773) that takes riders from Seacrest Park to other destinations in West Seattle, including Alki Beach and Alaska Junction.

The bad:
• The timing. Schedules are, apparently, approximations. The ferry on the way over there was a bit late, but there’s only one boat, so it’s easy to see how that could happen. The ferry on the way back (the last one of the evening, mind) left a full four minutes early. We (me, my parents, my aunt, and some friends of my parents) were eating fish and chips at the restaurant right next to the boarding dock as my ride home pulled away.
• The limited availability. Of course I would like to see the hours expanded, but I have no idea whether that makes sense, given ridership, costs, etc. My mother told me that the boat does run late on Mariner nights, so for now, I’ll try to time my visits to coincide with home games.