# Rented 4WD rolls off ferry. Whose fault was this? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 1, 2017, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rented-4wd-rolls-off-ferry-whose-fault-was-this/776110 "2017-01-01T23:26:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rented-4wd-rolls-off-ferry-whose-fault-was-this/776110/41 "2017-01-03T18:30:30Z")
Lost their phones, passports, bank cards? Who leaves that stuff in the car? I mean, phones at the very least. People are always talking or texting, even while having dinner or watching the scenery roll by. Very odd. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rented-4wd-rolls-off-ferry-whose-fault-was-this/776110/42 "2017-01-03T18:48:02Z")
The only ferry I use habitually is the Washington Island Ferry at the tip of the Door Peninsula in Wisconsin. The ride is about 30-45 minutes depending on wind & waves. You can stay in the car, or exit the car and go up to the upper observation deck which is partly enclosed, partly open. Nobody chocks any wheels, but wouldn’t it be prudent for a driver to put it in park or use a handbrake (or both)? One ferry is double-ended, so you drive on one end and drive off the other and the boat doesn’t have to turn around just to dock. Both ramps are not only raised, but secured to serve as 3-ft high, heavy steel gates. I can’t imagine doing it any other way. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rented-4wd-rolls-off-ferry-whose-fault-was-this/776110/43 "2017-01-03T19:00:31Z")
If I remember correctly, on the Ketchikan Airport ferry they chocked the wheels of the first and last cars. They also had a cargo net with two steel cables in it they locked in place. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rented-4wd-rolls-off-ferry-whose-fault-was-this/776110/44 "2017-01-03T19:37:18Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Lost their phones, passports, bank cards? Who leaves that stuff in the car? I mean, phones at the very least. People are always talking or texting, even while having dinner or watching the scenery roll by. Very odd. It’s only ten minutes and there is nowhere for passengers to be other than the car deck. Not much reason to remove anything from your vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rented-4wd-rolls-off-ferry-whose-fault-was-this/776110/45 "2017-01-03T21:56:11Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > You want short, try the [Island airport ferry](https://www.portstoronto.com/airport/passenger-information/to-from/ferry-schedule.aspx) in Toronto. 121 meters, 90 seconds, free for pedestrians and $11 if bring your car. Less than a third of the Harsens Island Ferry distance. [That must be one of the most secure open-air public parking lots in Toronto.](https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.6317797,-79.3962532,494m/data=!3m1!1e3) I can’t see many hoodlums paying to take a ferry to break into a car under close video surveillance, and then waiting to make their escape on the ferry. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2017, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rented-4wd-rolls-off-ferry-whose-fault-was-this/776110/46 "2017-01-04T00:19:32Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > the Harsens Island Ferry tells you to stay in your vehicle during the ride, but it’s a really short ride… That probably has something to do with it…the shortest one I’ve been on is the Fogo ferry, which is about an hour and a half between Fogo and the main island. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2017, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rented-4wd-rolls-off-ferry-whose-fault-was-this/776110/47 "2017-01-04T01:20:44Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > It’s a ute in Australia. I wouldn’t assume that it’s an automatic transmission. It’s not a ute. A ute has a tray at the back. It’s a rented 4WD. Odds are it has automatic transmission. These are mostly rented to tourists who generally prefer (and in some cases require) automatic transmission. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2017, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rented-4wd-rolls-off-ferry-whose-fault-was-this/776110/48 "2017-01-04T01:46:43Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > It’s a rented 4WD. Odds are it has automatic transmission. These are mostly rented to tourists who generally prefer (and in some cases require) automatic transmission. A quick scan of the first three search results for tour companies found [one](http://www.fraserisland4wd.com.au/vehicle-types.html) with manual vehicles, [one](http://www.fraserdingo4wdhire.com.au/faq/) with automatic, and [one](http://www.rainbowbeach4x4hire.com.au/our-vehicles/) that doesn’t specify online. Given the way it rolled, I’d say odds are higher this was a manual. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2017, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rented-4wd-rolls-off-ferry-whose-fault-was-this/776110/49 "2017-01-04T09:30:04Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > It’s not a ute. A ute has a tray at the back. > > It’s a rented 4WD. Odds are it has automatic transmission. These are mostly rented to tourists who generally prefer (and in some cases require) automatic transmission. Australian company renting mostly to European backpackers. Chances of it being manual are very high. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2017, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rented-4wd-rolls-off-ferry-whose-fault-was-this/776110/50 "2017-01-04T10:00:43Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > You want short, try the [Island airport ferry](https://www.portstoronto.com/airport/passenger-information/to-from/ferry-schedule.aspx) in Toronto. 121 meters, 90 seconds, free for pedestrians and $11 if bring your car. Less than a third of the Harsens Island Ferry distance. Looks like that beats the Edgartown-Chappaquiddick ferry, but not by much. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rented-4wd-rolls-off-ferry-whose-fault-was-this/776110.md?page=2)