In gratitude to the SSA

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To the Editor:I want to say thank you to the Steamship Authority on behalf of everybody on this Island. Because it’s there every day, doing its job, I think we take the wonderful service, crew members, and employees for granted.

I’ve had a rotten year health-wise, and while having to travel back and forth frequently on the ferry, it made me very observant about what goes on. Whether it’s elderly people in wheelchairs or mothers struggling with young children and bags, the crew members help as many people as they can.

I’ve had several occasions this year when I’ve been really sick when I was on a boat, and Christmas was one of them. I went into an asthma attack while getting on the boat, and three crew members rushed to help. One held me, another got a chair, and a third one rushed off to get a wheelchair. One of them took me upstairs, and different people came and checked on me during the trip. They wheeled me down when the boat docked in Woods Hole, went out and found my daughter, and when she came and wheeled me off, two or three of them wished me well.

And when we came back, my daughter went over to the boat, a crew member brought a wheelchair, and everyone helped me again. When the boat docked in Vineyard Haven, they brought me to a cab and made sure the driver would take my bag right to my door. It’s been like that, ongoing, the whole year.

One time I was on a boat where there were five of us in wheelchairs. That must get frustrating for the young crew members, but they keep polite and nice about it.

Everyone has been so kind and considerate. I think they are such a caring group, and it just is such a wonderful service. I can’t say enough about it. I think the Steamship Authority employees should get a full-page spread in the paper, because they really don’t get enough credit for all the people they help. And it’s not just me. They do help us all, and on behalf of all of us, I thank them.

Joan David

Oak Bluffs