Page Thirty-Two  

04 NOVEMBER 2005

Toronto's onto us...

Rochester in red The return of the Rochester-Toronto ferry, halted 80 days into its existence last year before a June 30 resurrection, has been plagued by further red ink, despite an increase in passenger numbers. The average summer ride had 400 aboard, although higher gas prices and low ridership led to cancelled voyages in September. Public watchpoodles say not releasing data beyond August means the taxpayer-supported Rochester Ferry Co. – which salvaged the car-friendly catamaran after its original private ownership bailed – has something to hide, even as the $4.2 million loss is pegged on startup costs and a lean marketing budget. The only notable local mention of revived ferry rides to Rochester came from Joe Warmington in The Toronto Sun, reporting on tabloid journalist John Kennedy getting his jaw broken in an unprovoked attack outside a hotel. A blog called Rottenchester didn't mind the vessel ride: "The boat is gorgeous, it seems to glide effortlessly across Lake Ontario at 50 MPH, and the staff is friendly and capable. As an experience, the ferry is first-rate, and I was glad that I tried it." But the cost of the journey, exchange rate and  awkward departure hours give a car trip his upper hand. Rottenchester also cites the contrast in port styles: Rochester's terminal is a palatial building with its own art exhibition; Toronto's departure point remains a rinky-dink waiting room with a couple vending machines. Some still support ferry; others shake heads [Rochester Democrat and Chronicle] October 27, 2005 in fouronesix | Permalink | Comments (0) http://www.paved.ca/paved/fouronesix/

Casual indifference?  Well, maybe.

The reference to a journalist getting sucker-punched on Main Street aside, what's with the terminal envy?  Any burg can build a gussied-up ticket booth with a gangplank... it's not that big of a deal.  Hell, even some of the Big Box supermarkets around here go all out to make sure the quoining sticks out for that Just Right effect.

No, it takes more than the architectural equivalent of Lee Press-On Nails to make a business successful and a community look like it knows what it's doing.  The folks at Nathan Phillips Square knew the score and slapped up exactly what was needed and not an adornment more than was necessary. It makes ripping the thing down when the ferry goes belly up for the final time so much more economical.  That's smart planning.

Rochester, on the other hand, convinced that their great-grandchildren deserved a bonafide Olde Tyme Ferry Terminal, went all out and plunked down some $16 million for posterity.  Why, of COURSE the ferry service will be successful.  Of COURSE the plucky Canadians would be swarming and jostling into the Grand Hall where stately carriages would await their arrival to whisk them off to their glory destination known as Downtown Rochester.  Of COURSE a stunning architectural confection would amaze and impress the first-time visitor to the famed Flower City and World's Image Center.  That was The Plan and as we all know, untested and unproven Plans NEVER go awry.

Do they?

Well, yes... yes they do.  In the case of the 'fast ferry', the plan began to unravel as soon as CATS President Dominick 'Watch Me Pull a Rabbit Out of My Hat' Delucia unrolled the blueprints to the gawking city fathers.  It was all downhill from there.  The starter's pistol went off and CATS responded by promptly falling on its face.  That should have raised some eyebrows right there but the locals were too busy recording history for their posterity with their digital cameras to care.  The Red, White and Blue was waving madly and people were swept up in breathless excitement.

Lissen up, Toronto.  You folks may have the Toyota Tercel of ferry terminals, but at least you'll be left with a scintilla of self-respect.  Rochester can't say the same.  After all is said and hauled away, Rochester will be left with one very nice, but overpriced ice cream stand plopped in the middle of the nether reaches of a city which is destined to become a punch-line on Letterman.

When a city is more preoccupied with the maritime version of cupholders and DVD players than it is with realistic business expectations, you can bet your prized sports venue the service is doomed.  Not once, but TWICE within an 18-month period the ferry service is bleeding like a stuck pig.  Not only did the City of Rochester buy a proven dud of a business, now it's showing its true American colours by resorting to that time-honoured practice of problem-solving:  Throw money at it. 

Even though the Build-It-And-They-Will-Come Theory was proven wrong twice... TWICE, mind you... the city of Rochester is convinced that Canadians (especially the hip and wealthy Torontonians) are actually interested in the burg on the south shore of the Lake.  Hell, we don't care if you guys ever leave the Charlotte area... just take the damn boat ride and spend money.  We're in a world of hurt down here since our former Number One company is sinking as fast as our ferry business.

Meanwhile, the Rochester tourist is greeted in Toronto by a phalanx of building cranes and luxury highrise condominiums turning the Gardiner into an urban canyon.  The frenetic pace of the GTA keeps 416-ers preoccupied with development and watching money ooze from gold-tinted buildings as the Buck Rogers-version of an airport is disgorging travelers from around the world.

Somehow, lusting after some nattily attired brick box at the Port of Rochester pales in comparison to gargantuan ball field with a movable roof the size of a city block.  True enough, Toronto and Rochester are in very different leagues, but The Flower City knew that before it launched its ersatz party barge.  Expecting that Torontonians would want to bypass the Blue Jays at SkyDome (oh, excuse me...Rogers Centre) in favour of the Red Wings at Frontier Field is not only unrealistic, it's laughable.

And evidently the GTA agreed by not delivering as CATS or the City of Rochester anticipated.  That's not a mean-spirited observation; it's a simple fact.  The passenger numbers do not lie.

So anytime Toronto wants to make an offer for a possible floating Honest Ed's at Cherry Street, have we got a deal for you!  The engine's a bit of a worry but with a fresh coat of paint, I think she'd be a real looker.  The HMS Haida berth is empty, so the Ontario Place summer residents could rent her out for that special 'do'.

Easy payments, too.  Whaddaya say?

November 4, 2005 10:11 AM

Ferry Needs Ad Money, Aggressive Management Jane Flasch (Rochester, NY) 11/04/05 - To help ease a multi-million dollar loss, Mayor Bill Johnson says the fast ferry needs money for advertising. The ferry lost $4.2 million in its first three months of operation under Bay Ferries Ltd., dissolving half of the reserve fund that was supposed to last for up to four years.  The Flagging Issue Because it was registered in the Bahamas, the ferry gets a bill for $1,100 in piloting fees each time it makes a journey across Lake Ontario. If the ferry sailed flying a US flag, those fees would be eliminated. However, before the Cat can change its flag, the entire crew must be made up of US citizens. That crew has been hired, but the vessel remains under the control of Captain Hans Heinrich, a Danish sea captain and consultant, who is training the crew. A member of the ferry corporation said the crew meets all other requirements for getting a US flag. However, more training was called for after one of the US crew members piloted the Cat into the side of the dock in Toronto. The contract with Heinrich has been extended. More Passengers Needed Even with this cost, Ferry Board President Ben Douglas said expenses are in line with projections. He said the problem is on the revenue side--there aren't enough passengers. (Huh??  What's that again, Ben??  Are we admitting the Mohawk guy was right all along??) One possible source of cash could come from on-board advertising. Rochester’s original plan also called for the ferry to generate a million dollars a year. Given the number of riders so far, that could be a problem. Risk management expert and RIT professor Robert Barbato said, "That [plan] was based on a thousand crossings a year and a certain number of riders on each crossing. Now that both have gone down, it’s going to be harder to sell advertising--especially a million dollars worth. I don't think they're going to come anywhere near a million dollars in advertising revenue a year." Barbato said the ferry can't run without a subsidy. To get an influx of cash, the city of Rochester could share ownership with the county, state, or even Canada. Some think there should be on-board gambling. However, those options are not on the table at the present time. Johnson said the ferry can pay for itself eventually, but for now he's seeking money from New York state and from the Canadian government to help promote the service. Tour and bus companies typically plan 12 to 18 months ahead, so the time to advertise for next year's peak season is almost gone. A new marketing plan is expected to be released later in November.

WHAM-TV13 comes clean.  Let me reiterate Ferry Board President Ben Douglas' confession:

Now wait a minute; I want to be perfectly clear on this.  What was it that Ben Douglas said?

Ben.  Are you trying to tell us, there aren't enough passengers to make this business sustainable over the long term?  Could you repeat that just once more?

Are you CERTAIN that's the problem?  Maybe I misunderstood as I'm a bit slow; for a minute I thought you said the same damn thing I've been writing, screaming, harping, yelling and preaching for over four years.  Just for me Ben.  Just one more time and I promise I'll pay very close attention.

This must not be placebo day and the meds are working well.  I got it that time.

These people are hopeless.  Truly, truly hopeless.  Fours years, almost $100 million (if not more before all is said and done), major embarrassments, broken promises, trashed contracts, soon-to-be useless buildings, layoffs, stiffed customers and a whole lot of verbal diarrhea later, the guy in charge comes to the same conclusion I offered in August of 2001.  That's sheer brilliance in government hard at work.

One would think that the next most obvious question would be, " W H Y  aren't there enough passengers?" and the most obvious answer would be "Because they're not interested in taking a ferry to Rochester".  Seems pretty straightforward, no?

But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.  That would be admitting Rochester is no player in the world of tourism.  So the only acceptable answer becomes, "Because we didn't ADVERTISE enough"... somehow suggesting the braindead prospective passengers are in need of being whacked over the head by ads and jingles to learn that which they already know.

Help me.  Help us all.

First, the dismay:

November 4, 2005 7:53 PM :

Toronto Star: No Money For Ferry (Toronto, ON) 11/04/05 -- If a Toronto newspaper has any say, Canada will not give tourism money to help the fast ferry. An editorial in Friday's edition of the Toronto Star says that Rochester Mayor Bill Johnson's request for money should be "politely denied." The editorial went on to say, "Johnson should look elsewhere. Canadians are under no obligation to bail out this sinking ferry service." It also says chances of the service surviving are "slim."

Next, vindication, verification and a voice of reason:

November 4, 2005 Updated at 07:04 AM

Nov. 4, 2005. 01:00 AM Editorial: No money for ferry The high-speed ferry plying the waters between Rochester and Toronto is leaking money at a rate far greater than expected. In response, Rochester Mayor William Johnson plans on seeking Canadian tourism funding to help keep the service afloat. That request should be politely denied. (The Canadian Way.) After its failed first season, the giant car and passenger ferry was purchased using City of Rochester money. Johnson issued an overly optimistic assurance the service would never need a subsidy. Sadly, despite hope for the ferry's success, it does not appear to have much of a future. Over just six months this year it has lost $4.2 million (U.S.) in start-up and operating costs. That is more than five times the initial estimate. The deficit accumulated in those few months has erased more than half the $8 million (U.S.) cushion set aside to cover losses over the ferry's first three years. To survive, this vessel needs a lot more passengers. (Hmm.  There seems to be a recurring theme here.) Johnson wants to attract them through a huge jump in money spent on marketing. To help cover that, he is hoping to obtain funds from tourism officials north of the border. Johnson should look elsewhere. Canadians are under no obligation to bail out this sinking ferry service, especially since its odds of survival are slim, no matter what we do.

Let's read The Star declaration again:

"Canadians are under no obligation to bail out this sinking ferry service, especially since its odds of survival are slim, no matter what we do."

And my entry of yesterday:

"To get an influx of cash, the city of Rochester should share ownership with the county, state - -or even Canada. ('Even' Canada?  How kind.  Just what makes you desperate Americans think Canada wants anything to do with some money-hemorrhaging white elephant in the first place?)"

Well, Bill.  So much for raiding Canadian coffers.  It might work for your form of government, but in a country where the Good of the Many comes before the Good of the Few, it just doesn't play.

Not getting Canadian funding is no big surprise, although I'm sure Johnson is feeling somewhat rebuked right now.  Tough.  He was the one who pushed for buying the ferry business and the old 'Caveat Emptor' sign is blinking furiously in blazing red neon.  Once again, this may be a case of American expectations not be kowtowed by the Canadian public or government.  Tough.

Basically leaving the Canadian component out of the equation was a very serious oversight and is definitely coming to the forefront... which is where is should have been all along.  The entire success or failure of the whole ferry business rested completely in the hands of the intended customers: Canadians.  Pompous blustering?  Not really.  Considering a primary objective of the ferry was to lure Canadians dollars to the American side of the lake to prop up a devastated Rochester economy, it only makes sense that everything hinged on the acceptance  A N D  patronage of the ferry by Canadians.

That didn't happen and advertising - or the lack thereof - had very little to do with it.  The service made no sense as it was no faster than driving, no cheaper and had a U.S destination that few Canadians were interested in for any number of reasons.  Now, whether or not that chafes the shorts of Rochester area residents, it's the blunt, honest truth and a successful business is based in fact not fantasy.

"Sadly, despite hope for the ferry's success, it does not appear to have much of a future."

Are you listening, Rochester?  Do you understand what your customer is telling you?  Or will you forge ahead anyway only to find out the hard way what's being told to you?  It's really no skin off the back of the GTA if you guys want to piss away yet more millions on a doomed project; the Cherry Street terminal is already built and the project has all the Canadian dollars it's going to get.  It should be noted that the foolishness of the Rochester community in allowing this thing to struggle along is being duly noted by the Canadian side, but it's really not a concern to us.  It's your money, not ours and that's all we care about.

The ferry organizers and the Rochester community in general didn't do their homework and blithely ignored the political climate north of the border and in particular, the very metropolitan area they were targeting.  Let's review and briefly cover some of the highlights they missed:

The ruling party in Canada is the Liberal Party headed by Prime Minister Paul Martin.  Although probably more middle-of-the-road by Canadians standards, it's definitely left-of-centre by U.S. standards; it ain't called the Liberal Party for nothin'.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is also of the Liberal Party.

Toronto City Mayor David Miller is a member of the left-of-centre New Democratic Party (NDP) which tends to be standing to the left of Liberals.  Some Americans, primarily in Blue states, would start mumbling something about 'socialist' at this point but they're known reactionaries anyway and not worth paying much attention.  Toronto is also a Liberal Party stronghold with twenty-one of 22 Toronto MPs being Liberals. In the Greater Toronto area, there are 15 Liberals, six Conservatives and one Independent.

The Toronto Star tends to be a left-of-centre news outlet (any disagreements there?) and more often than not reflects the opinion, if not the collective will, of the community it covers.

There appears to be a trend here, no?  'Liberal' and 'left-of-centre' keep popping up... suppose that means something?

While Mayor Bill Johnson is a Democratic, his city and the county (headed by conservative Republican Maggie Brooks) is socially Conservative.  Family-values, traditional values, status quo seeking and provincial conventionality play well here.   Small town values with big city dreams.  If you're into that scene, Rochester is your kind of place.

If not... well.....

While the Greater Toronto Area's economy is roaring, Rochester's is sliding into chaos.  Massive layoffs in the thousands have been ongoing since the mid-1980's and job creation hasn't kept pace.... and the once-abundance of good paying jobs have dwindled into a cherished few.  The community is really getting economically lean and hungry.

Eye on Toronto.  To the Rochester community, it's hard not to see the growth and development going on all around the western end of Lake Ontario with Toronto being the focal point for cash.  Tapping into that cash cow makes sense to a smaller community... riding along it its coattails might be an apt description... and Rochester would love to see a closer physical and economic tie into that bonanza.  If a bridge across the lake to Toronto could be built, Rochester would figure out a way to raise the cash but it's physically and financially unfeasible.  The next best thing is a direct link via a boat; "We gotta hook up somehow, so a ferry it is".

The tricky part is figuring out how to get the flow of money heading in this direction... for years, the money has been flowing more in the other direction and probably will be for the foreseeable future.  Toronto is a great place to visit and a pretty 'in' scene.  Rochester tries, in vain, to extol its many features to entice Torontonians to start hopping on board in order to prime the financial pump, as it were.  Much to the dismay of CATS.. and now the city of Rochester... "They didn't take the bait".

The small Hometown Pride says, "Well, it CERTAINLY can't be because we're not interesting or have a great little community... so it MUST be because they didn't know about the ferry".  Part delusional and part desperate, Mayor Bill Johnson and by extension, the City Ferry Board, embark on the famed Hail Mary pass and start fishing for dollars and billboard space to let the Toronto and Canadian folks know about the ferry.

Toronto and Canadians say, "We KNOW about the ferry, we're NOT interested in taking it and we're NOT going to dump tonnes of money into something that's on its way out anyway".  In a polite way, of course.  A more blunt way of putting it might be: "Get lost. Why would we want to go to Rochester anyway?"

By comparison, it's like some homely, flat-chested wallflower in the denim jumper expecting the Chippendale's dancer to ask her to be his steady girl.  It ain't gonna happen -- no matter how many good qualities she seems to think she has.  That's not being mean; that's being truthful.  Life isn't always fair.

Robach pushing for gambling on the ferry 11/4/05 It's a gamble but at least one local lawmaker is going to push again to get video lottery terminals on board the fast ferry. Based on the first quarter reports from the city, the ferry lost more than $4 million. So State Senator Joseph Robach says the project needs something to cut into that deficit. He's betting the answer is VLT's.   Since it restarted on June 30th the fast ferry carried more than 70,000 passengers. A lot of people but not enough to break even so Senator Joe Robach is again going to submit legislation to get video lottery terminals, or VLT's, on board. “My goal is a very simple one. I think it's very important that we do everything we can to avoid a sub from city taxpayers.”   The plan is not new. Robach submitted similar legislation before.  It passed the senate but never got out of the assembly and there is no support in Ontario.   Last year a Canadian government official was quoted as saying about VLT's "that is not something we are considering." (Read: "No.  And we DO mean No.")   Governor Pataki says there may be more roadblocks. “There's some real interstate not just interstate but international compact problems where it's not the state that could do that because it is international waters or at least its subject to a treaty between the US and Canada.”   Pataki says VLT's would require federal action. There is gaming on the high-speed ferry that Bay Ferries owns and runs between Maine and Nova Scotia. VLT's generally bring in about a million dollars in revenue a year. “It's still considerable short of what the deficit that's what's being projected right now is so this is not a solution, may be part of the solution but it's clearly not going to be entire solution,” said Assemblyman Joe Morelle   There are nine other VLT locations in New York State but not one in Monroe County. Robach thinks it's about time. “I think this should not be a hard lift for us. As a matter of fact I think we have a right to have exactly what's being utilized in many other parts of the state.  ("It works there, so it'll work here."  There's the local Imitation Syndrome at work again.)   Robach is going to re-introduce his bill in January. One of big differences will be who is in the mayor's office in Rochester.   For years Mayor Johnson has been against casinos and offered no support for VLT's. Sources say a change in administration will change the fate of the VLT's.

That's nice.  You guys might be accused of being overly optimistic that the ferry will even be a viable business by then, but it's good to see you're still missing the entire reason why the passenger numbers aren't there... and never will be.

Stuff the ship with free foot massages, hand out funny souvenir hats, have drawings for a free beer, show free cartoons, have on-board Bingo... it all doesn't mean a damn thing if there's no reason or desire to reach the destination at the end of the three-hour ordeal.  Just what's so hard about understanding that?

People don't take a plane to watch the in-flight video displays.  Why would people take a ferry to play video lottery terminals?    Despite the 'exciting alternative to driving experience' being touted by ferry advocates, it would be the same as Trailways expecting people to take the bus to Toronto for the on-board ambiance and entertainment.  The bus trip costs the same and at least deposits its passengers at a much more convenient location in Toronto.

VLT's are no incentive.  The 'exciting alternative to driving' is no incentive.  A spiffy ferry terminal is no incentive.  There are scant few real incentives as pointed out by the lack of sufficient passenger numbers on the order to at least break even.  THAT'S the crux of the matter and always has been.

I've got a gut feeling about this whole thing.  It doesn't feel right.  I mean, it feels like we're on the verge of a big blowup about this whole project where not only are we going to get 'Breaking News' that the plug has been pulled, but the political verbal volleyball is going to take off.  Maybe it's going to be a more gentle "Operations have been 'temporarily' suspended" or "The ferry season has been cut short and will resume next year"... something like that.  Soon.

But events and circumstances are really building up to something and that's not a real Crystal Ball-type prediction as the needle on the ferry slush fund gauge is very close to 'E'... that's no secret.  But if it turns out The Star editorial is right and there's not going to be any/enough financial help from the Canadian side, the New York side might say "Hey, we're not about to prop this up if the even the customers aren't showing much desire to keep it going".

I don't see how there's going to be even a start to a 2006 season... but then... I could never believe this thing got off the ground in the first place.  As they say, stranger things have happened, yes?

05 NOVEMBER 2005

Garbage explained...

Yes, Gentle Reader, this is the culinary delight which has been a right of passage for untolled thousands of Rochester area high school prom-goers.  Finishing off a milestone night with a wee-hours-of-the-morning stop at Nick Tahou's for a Garbage Plate has topped off the Main Attraction for decades.  Not one of the more frequent patrons, I'm not sure if they're still open past 11 pm -- the hookers, drunks and sticky floors become more menacing after midnight.  Go figure.

By the way:  In days of yore, Genesee Cream Ale was also known as The Green Death for its unique day-after gastrointestinal aftermath.  Let's just leave it at that.

And no, the photo isn't bad.  That's what it actually looks like.  Now you know the rest of the story.

More webwandering:

Saturday, November  5, 2005
	Keeping The Boat Afloat  It’s a project that’s been bogged down by problems since it was introduced last year, and now the mayor of Rochester, New York admits he should’ve never promised his constituents that the high-speed ferry between his city and Toronto would make money. Mayor William Johnson admitted to a Rochester newspaper that it was wrong for him to say the boat would never require a government subsidy and could possibly make his town some cash. Near the end of its voyage from Australia to North America, the five-storey ship sideswiped a pier in New York City and the damage delayed its maiden run between Rochester and Toronto by six weeks. After spending about $1 million (US) to get the boat back in working order, the service was cancelled after only 80 days because Canadian American Transportation Systems shut down due to spiraling debt totaling about $1.7 million. In February, the city of Rochester shelled out $32 million for the ferry and it was projected to lose about $700,000 this year, but the costs have far exceeded that estimate. The start-up expenses set the city back $2 million and the service lost another $4.2 million in two months after service started up again in July. Rochester officials blame the poor profits on low ridership, but Johnson wants to keep the boat afloat and give it at least a year to prove itself. November 2, 2005

Seems to me the ferry has plenty of buzz going on in Toronto.  It may be a lousy buzz, but as we all know, a lousy buzz is better than no buzz at all.

I'm not so sure that, at this point, advertising the ferry service might come across as some sort of PR triage effort.  'Take the Ferry - No, We Mean It' may be construed as a plea to unload this albatross from our hands and 'Enjoy the Ride' is what must have been advertised for the maiden voyage of the Titanic... another doomed pond crosser.  'Take It While You Can' is veritable truth in advertising, though.

Sheesh.  You'd think Rochester's alternative weekly would break with local tradition, pull its head out of the dark nether regions and look outward instead of inward.  Most of the time, I take comfort in knowing there's at least one local media outlet which is fairly enlightened and progressive.  Most of the time City Newspaper is.

Not this time, though.  Mary Anna Towler is as guilty of navel-gazing as the rest of the congregation of the Church of Blessed Rochester Provinciality.  The sheer irresponsibility of public subsidizing of projects doomed to red ink before they're even completed is staggering, shocking and maddening.

Towler, get out of town.  I mean it; you really need to pack your bags and set off for unexplored vistas which expose your fogged mind to new ideas in order to see through this haze which clouds the perspective of the locals of this area.  Quit with the drone-like routine of sticking close to familiar digs so you'll get used to not feeling exposed and vulnerable around new people, places and ideas.

"A sensible business plan for this ferry would include hefty promotion --- and the money to pay for it."

Spoken like a true American advertising addict. 

"Even though the public knows about it, if I inundate them with a mass advertising campaign for a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren  (M.S.R.P. $450,000) that means everybody who sees the ad will want one and will buy one." 

"Even though everybody's heard of the glories of an Aspen lifestyle, if I heavily publicize Aspen condominiums, people who read the ads will buy one."

"Even though people know about it, if I stuff the email inboxes with male enhancement ads, everyone who sees it will want to buy the product." 

---

"Even though everybody's heard of the Toronto-Rochester ferry, if I plaster the region with ferry ads, everyone will want to use it."

---

The American marketing mentality knows no boundaries of illogic or assumptions.

Mary Anna, everybody from here to Nova Scotia KNOWS about the ferry; advertising isn't going to tell them anything new.  They simply don't give a rat's ass about hopping a boat to Rochester and that's not going to change because of slick advertising and promotion. 

Face it; you're trying to sell a broken down, crime-ridden, fairly bland sale of goods and the public is walking away.  Tacking a few shiny buttons on a ratty old cardigan isn't going to sweeten the pot no matter how much promoting you do.

"Throw money at the problem.  That's all anything needs to make it better."  The Great American Fix is alive and well in Rochesterland and even though the passenger numbers scream "We don't care", ferry supporters turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the message and insist that all it takes is advertising.  "If they know about it, they'll want to use it" has been proven wrong by CATS -- and now by the city of Rochester -- yet the supporters just CAN'T accept it.  To them, it's inconceivable that visitors have no interest in visiting Rochester... much less take a pricy and redundant method of getting here.

Canadians aren't Americans, Mary Anna, and the sooner you and the rest of your fellow Americans understand that, the more successful you'll be at getting through to US.  Canadians don't buy into Pop Culture to the same degree as you do.  Trends and the 'latest thing' aren't snapped up as quickly as in the Land of Mass Consumerism and the Almighty Dollar; we prefer to think for ourselves as opposed to letting others do it for us.  I know that flies in the face of conventionality, but it's true, and since you're trying to raid OUR wallets with YOUR 'fast ferry' to Nowheresville, you're going to have to deal with how WE do business as Canadian consumers.

Don't like it?  Maybe it works where you live, but it doesn't fly in the Great White North.  If you knew more about Canada and Canadians, you wouldn't left be scratching your heads trying to figure out what went wrong.

Get.  Out.  Of.  Town.  To hell with the local weekend football games and check out the Bruce Peninsula.  Forget about the weekend Garden Show at the Blue Cross Arena and check out the Toronto Home and Garden Show.  Cancel the plans to clean the barbeque and tidy up the yard and explore the Laurentians.  Grab a map, take the back roads of Ontario and meet some new people from outside your area.  Throw caution to the wind and dive into the wonders of Québec.

How else are Rochesterians supposed to learn about their Canadian customers, unless they venture to Canada?  I know that may mean getting bug splatters on your regularly scheduled SuperKiss wash, but what's the point of owning a vehicle if you're not going to use it?

Mary Anna, what excuse do you have for not attending the Canadian Aboriginal Festival on November 26-27?  Dinner party on Saturday night?  Hanging out at the Little Theater on Sunday?  Well, here's a cordial invitation to check out something outside of your familiar comfort zone:

You bet I'll be there, as I have been for the past six years.  I suppose I could hang out in the Rochester area that weekend doing the same thing around the same familiar surroundings amid the same familiar community... nice and predictable, no risks, no surprises, no new ideas or new ways of seeing or doing things.

But then, I wouldn't know about things such as why Canadians aren't interested in taking a ferry to Rochester.  You think I gained that knowledge by parking my can in the Rochester area month after month?

I warn you, though.  Straying outside your comfort zone means laying yourself bare and being seen for who you are as a person -- not what you do for a living, what you drive or where you live.  That rattles a lot of people and they can't wait to get back to the warm familiarity of the home court advantage.

It's a big world out there.  See it.  Experience it.  Learn from it.