To the Editor:
As someone who has dedicated much of my professional life to the ferry industry, I feel compelled to speak up after reading the recent letter titled “Woods Hole terminal a safety hazard” (May 14). I deeply appreciate the attention being drawn to the unsafe conditions that currently exist. These warnings are not just hypothetical, they’re real. I know those risks all too well.
On August 10, 2022, I was struck and nearly run over by a tractor-trailer while working at a ferry terminal out of state. I survived because of sheer instinct and a split-second decision to drop into a split to avoid being crushed. That accident forever changed my life in all aspects: Physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Not to mention it was chaotic at the time of my accident, it was insanely busy at the terminal, because it had occurred in the month of August.
While this accident resulted in a major non-life-threatening injury and lawsuit, what’s most important to me, more than any legal outcome, is preventing this from happening to someone else. The scenario described in the recent letter mirrors the possibilities of what I happened to experience firsthand. For those who guide massive tractor-trailers on and off vessels, who walk among moving vehicles every day, the risks are often unseen, unspoken, and, in some cases, life-threatening. Crowded terminals, insufficient traffic direction, and poorly designed spaces create a recipe for disaster. To say “the dangerous situation at the Steamship Authority” is an understatement.
I was raised on the Vineyard. Ferry travel has been a constant in my life. I am originally from Harwich, and I grew up taking both the Steamship Authority (SSA) and Hy-Line Cruises between the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard. I have a deep connection to the industry that led to a career spent working on and around ferries. Since high school, nearly every job I’ve had has been tied to maritime transportation.
The Steamship Authority has a responsibility not only to its vessels and schedules, but to the people who travel to and on their boats every day. Ignoring clear safety concerns, especially those raised repeatedly by transportation committees, local residents, and now advocacy groups is not just negligent, it is dangerous. The SSA’s inability to address the well-documented problems brought forth by Falmouth committees is baffling. The inability to further reduce the possibility of any major injury or lawsuit could result in serious consequences.
I wholeheartedly agree with the steering committees of the Steamship Authority Citizens’ Action Group and the Southeast Massachusetts Regional Transportation (SMART) Citizens Task Force that it is inherently irresponsible to expose passengers and employees to these levels of risk.
I want to continue to raise awareness about the dangers of working around large vehicles and push for better protections for those who keep the ferries running. I urge the SSA to take these warnings seriously, and act now before another accident like mine occurs. No one should have to relive the trauma I carry with me. Growing up, my mother always said, “Pay attention to your surroundings.” I’m glad I listened to her.
Megan Piche
Vineyard Haven
Piche was formerly a yard attendant with Cross Sound Ferry. –Ed.
Well said, Megan!! So proud of you.
I watch the Woods Hole slips and staging everyday on MV Go Webcam. Every time freight is being loaded at one slip, a bus of passengers will arrive. Large moving trucks with limited visibility and passengers, kids, and pets, also with limited visibility, all meet at the same crosswalk at the same time.
Alot of money was spent to have a parking lot designed for the flow of traffic. Pretty sure that they missed the boat in the design. Successful lots separate people from vehicles to prevent what you have actually caused.
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