I transported an 80-year-old patient to the mainland the other day for essential life-saving surgery. Surgery went fine, both legs were saved, and they'll walk again, and likely live productively for years more.
When I went to return the patient to the island by ferry, post-op, I had reservations on the state ferry system for the journey, and a medical priority loading certificate.
I arrived well-ahead of the scheduled sailing at around noon. The boat was scheduled to leave at about 12:45pm. Well, some of the fine employees of the Washington State Ferry system had decided to stage a sick-out, on 9/10 and 9/11, to protest the vaccination requirement that the State has issued for this class of transport workers.
So, my patient, and about a dozen others, did not arrive home until noon. The NEXT BLOODY DAY. They waited, stuck at the ferry terminal, while the chaos unfolded, as boat after boat got cancelled as crews failed to show up, or walked out. For some of these patients, mine included, this was life threatening.
At the ferry landing on my island on the other end, hundreds of people were stranded overnight, with no food, water, shelter. Our local fire/EMS agency and several social services agencies had to respond to the ferry landing to provide support.
My patience has run out.