San Pedro News - May 26th 2009 Edition

Lottery fares create hysteria at Island ferry

Island ferry last week introduced new scratch-off fare cards for tourists amid great fanfare and rejoicing.

The cards carry five different prices to the same destination north of San Pedro town; pretty much the same as before, but now the passengers get the chance to scratch out their own rate.

Bob and Ethel Kowalski of Scranton, Pennsylvania, long time visitors to ‘La Isla Bonita’ were full of anticipation when they stepped up to get their card. “This is a dream” Ethel said “We were thinking about remortgaging just to ride the ferry. We are probably still getting screwed, but the chance of getting a local rate is mind-blowing”. With Bob hitting $26 and Ethel $12 the dock went wild, with high-fives and chants of “Lets go Ethel” heard on Pescador avenue.

A spokesman for Island Ferry spoke from his office at Fidos bar - “Thats amazing; I own a ferry? drinks for everyone"

During the first week, only one person hit the local rate. Unfortunately for 83yr old Ruby Saperstein from Brooklyn, New York; she was so overcome by the pandemonium, that she suffered a stroke and fell off the dock. Fifteen minutes later and three piers down, Mrs Saperstein was fished out of the ocean with her winning card still clenched in her fist. She later told the San Pedro Sun “I haven’t felt this good since the bombing of Palestine”.