William Miller
New Member
A warning to all (not just Tesla) EV owners planning to travel on the Alaska Marine Highway System.
We booked our trip at the reservations online site to Bellingham with a return to Ketchikan a week later. Upon arrival at the AMHS Terminal, I checked in got our boarding pass and tickets and went back to our Tesla MY to await boarding. This was my wife’s first trip on the M/V Kennicott and we were both looking forward to this trip.
Literally minutes before the vehicles were to board the ferry, I was approached by the Master of the vessel and informed we were being denied passage since we were driving an EV. He went further stating AMHS did not currently have a policy in effect but he was denying us passage expressing his concern of our vehicle spontaneously catching fire, then inflamming the rest of the vehicles and he would lose the ship and passengers…essentially sinking the ship right before my eyes at the dock and making it entirely my fault.
At that point I knew we were being discriminated against driven by fear of the what if scenario presented to me…of course, you can ”what if” a person to death in any given scenario. Still, we did nothing wrong, there was no current policy in affect addressing our boarding we simply booked passage to Bellingham.
I reached out to AMHS management and discussed the matter then went back to my vehicle where I was instructed to move out of the boarding lane (which I did). While this played out we were in the sight of everyone at the terminal and in the parking/loading area. We were embarrassed and at wits end not knowing what was happening or even whether we were going to be permitted to sail. A few minutes later, after the very last vehicle in the vehicle line was loaded on the vessel the Master then approached me a second time stating “I’ll make you a deal”…which translated means you do it my way or you don’t sail. His proposal was for my vehicle to board with the caveat I had to permit a fire blanket to be placed over my vehicle. If you are not familiar with a fire blanket they are akin to a large thick and very heavy tarp. Of course it was covered with dirt and debris from the car deck on the ship making me cringe each time I mustered enough to watch them. No doubt my paint was scratched and glass probably scratched as well.
It does not end here.
We also had to remove our pets (rescues) from the vehicle and place them on the cold steel deck where they remained for two nights under constant stress from the vibration of the vessel props and shafts directly below them. Our pets are still stressed and one shakes terribly each time I remove him from his carrier; which, did not occur prior to this incident.
Bottom line: If you have plans to travel on the Marine Highway System be prepared to either be denied passage or if you are permitted passage the knee jerk reaction of some may result in YOUR car being covered by a fire blanket (which is the most idiotic thing I’ve seen in many years).
We won’t be using the Marine Highway System any longer. We were publicly embarrassed and publicly humiliated due to a “what if” scenario for absolutely no reason other than ignorance and fear.
Our pets were mistreated and stressed to the point they suffered and still show signs of stress from being subjected to their forced stay on the car deck.
We canceled our return trip since we didn’t know and still don’t know what policy will be in affect for our return…nope, not doing that again.
While I appreciate the concern expressed by the vessel Master (responsiblity for the safety of his ship, crew and passengers). What I don’t get is the lack of an established policy for situations like this. When I booked my reservation there should have been a flag that told me we might be denied passage since we were driving and EV…there was none, rather we had to get the notice of denial minutes before the cars were to board the ferry.
Word of caution to future travelers…beware…I’m shipping my MY on AML and we are now flying back…actually cheaper to do it that way in my situation.
Note: Not so much as an apology nor empathy expressed by AMHS. Not a good business model.
We booked our trip at the reservations online site to Bellingham with a return to Ketchikan a week later. Upon arrival at the AMHS Terminal, I checked in got our boarding pass and tickets and went back to our Tesla MY to await boarding. This was my wife’s first trip on the M/V Kennicott and we were both looking forward to this trip.
Literally minutes before the vehicles were to board the ferry, I was approached by the Master of the vessel and informed we were being denied passage since we were driving an EV. He went further stating AMHS did not currently have a policy in effect but he was denying us passage expressing his concern of our vehicle spontaneously catching fire, then inflamming the rest of the vehicles and he would lose the ship and passengers…essentially sinking the ship right before my eyes at the dock and making it entirely my fault.
At that point I knew we were being discriminated against driven by fear of the what if scenario presented to me…of course, you can ”what if” a person to death in any given scenario. Still, we did nothing wrong, there was no current policy in affect addressing our boarding we simply booked passage to Bellingham.
I reached out to AMHS management and discussed the matter then went back to my vehicle where I was instructed to move out of the boarding lane (which I did). While this played out we were in the sight of everyone at the terminal and in the parking/loading area. We were embarrassed and at wits end not knowing what was happening or even whether we were going to be permitted to sail. A few minutes later, after the very last vehicle in the vehicle line was loaded on the vessel the Master then approached me a second time stating “I’ll make you a deal”…which translated means you do it my way or you don’t sail. His proposal was for my vehicle to board with the caveat I had to permit a fire blanket to be placed over my vehicle. If you are not familiar with a fire blanket they are akin to a large thick and very heavy tarp. Of course it was covered with dirt and debris from the car deck on the ship making me cringe each time I mustered enough to watch them. No doubt my paint was scratched and glass probably scratched as well.
It does not end here.
We also had to remove our pets (rescues) from the vehicle and place them on the cold steel deck where they remained for two nights under constant stress from the vibration of the vessel props and shafts directly below them. Our pets are still stressed and one shakes terribly each time I remove him from his carrier; which, did not occur prior to this incident.
Bottom line: If you have plans to travel on the Marine Highway System be prepared to either be denied passage or if you are permitted passage the knee jerk reaction of some may result in YOUR car being covered by a fire blanket (which is the most idiotic thing I’ve seen in many years).
We won’t be using the Marine Highway System any longer. We were publicly embarrassed and publicly humiliated due to a “what if” scenario for absolutely no reason other than ignorance and fear.
Our pets were mistreated and stressed to the point they suffered and still show signs of stress from being subjected to their forced stay on the car deck.
We canceled our return trip since we didn’t know and still don’t know what policy will be in affect for our return…nope, not doing that again.
While I appreciate the concern expressed by the vessel Master (responsiblity for the safety of his ship, crew and passengers). What I don’t get is the lack of an established policy for situations like this. When I booked my reservation there should have been a flag that told me we might be denied passage since we were driving and EV…there was none, rather we had to get the notice of denial minutes before the cars were to board the ferry.
Word of caution to future travelers…beware…I’m shipping my MY on AML and we are now flying back…actually cheaper to do it that way in my situation.
Note: Not so much as an apology nor empathy expressed by AMHS. Not a good business model.
