Tesla driver altercation on BC Ferries latest in ‘negative interactions,' union says

Global News

12 hours ago

BC Ferries workers are calling for more safety measures for staff when on board vessels, after recent incidents have resulted in altercations and injuries.
On Canada Day, North Saanich RCMP officers were called on board a vessel after a man was seen yelling and being abusive toward staff.
The Queen of Cumberland was travelling to Swartz Bay from the Southern Gulf Islands around 11:30 p.m. when the incident happened.
The man appeared to be driving erratically and trying to drive onto the ferry deck before it had docked, police said.
Eric McNeely, provincial president of the BC Ferry Marine Workers Union, said he has heard from workers and union members that the man got out of the vehicle during the crossing and then picked up a sledgehammer from the anchor compartment and then used that to break the lock off the gate at the front of the ferry.
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He said the man then got back into the vehicle, a Tesla, and was trying to drive it around.
'At that point, the crew responded,' McNelly said.
Passenger Pratham Khowala caught what happened next on video.
'As I went towards the window of the upper deck, I saw that the person was trying to run over a BC Ferries crew (member) with his car,' he told Global News.
Khowala said the man in the Tesla was confrontational and abusive.
The man gets back in the Tesla and that's when RCMP officers can be seen removing him and putting him in handcuffs.
The man appears to only be wearing a shirt, socks and either underwear or short shorts.
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RCMP officers told Global News the man was dealing with a mental health crisis.
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BC Ferries said it does have security on board its bigger vessels but not on the smaller routes that this passenger was on.
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This comes after a violent incident happened on board the BC Ferries Spirit of British Columbia last Saturday morning.
The union says that on the 7 a.m. sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, a deckhand was punched and kicked by a shirtless man on the vehicle deck.
The ship's second officer and security tried to intervene, the union said, but the man ended up racing through the galley and biting the second officer, drawing blood.
An off-duty police officer then got involved and, along with several crew members, managed to subdue the man.
The man was taken into custody by police at Swartz Bay.
The ship's second officer went to the hospital for treatment as a precaution, the union said.
McNeely said there has been an increase in negative interactions on board BC Ferries, involving verbal and physical abuse of staff.
'I think there's often events that occur on ferries that most people don't see,' he said.
'Now that there's more awareness, especially coming off the weekend with the passenger punching a crew member and then biting and kicking another crew member, there's a little bit of more awareness.'
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McNeely said interactions often involve the misuse of substances and those dealing with mental health challenges.
'Ferry workers and people who work for BC Ferries aren't corrections officers, they aren't police officers and it looks like at some points we're going to need more tools than we have currently,' he added.
In a statement to Global News, BC Ferries said the kind of behaviour seen over the weekend and Canada Day was not acceptable.
'Our crews keep the ferry system moving — through storms, long weekends, and high-pressure days,' the organization said.
'They deserve to do that work without fear of aggression or abuse.'
BC Ferries said it is supporting the employees involved and it is looking at additional training to reflect the 'real-world' situations that crew members are dealing with.
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Khowala said that staff on his ferry acted in a professional and calm manner.
'They are the best people in these kind of matters,' he said.
'BC Ferry staff was like, 'Everybody just go back to the upper deck for safety issues. Or if you have a car, just sit back in your car.''