We finished loading the tour. I was at 2, in front of the Volendam, directing folks to 3. Merek was at Sockeye Sams with the flag, intercepting guests from 4 and 2 and sending them to 3. These are all numbers that didn’t mean anything back in May but now I am intimately familiar with what each number means. 1 means the windiest but the easiest tours to load. 2 means traffic jam, lots of yelling about not walking in front of buses. Not a lot of space for the tour reps so there’s no where to hide when the annoying people waiting for their tour hover around you. 3 is an easy tour to load if you are doing tickets but there is a steep ramp that you have to ensure people can get up and down so scooters can’t go on. You have to allow extra time for ships on 4 because it’s furthest from the office. Also, the Port Security on that berth are all old guys, in their 50s, who are set in their ways and grumpy. So- there’s a little tour of all 4 docks from my perspective!
Fronting for 3 is an important job but a little annoying because you have to balance the flag and multiple signs if the tour to Annette Island is running. Once Suzanne gets everyone, you have to seek out the Shorex and ask for the green light, juggling all the signs. It’s not a big deal, but it’s cumbersome, and you can’t lose visibility from the other passengers coming from 4 and 2 or they get their rain pants in a tangle.
I’ve sent all my people, radio’d Suzanne with the green light, and I’m waiting at 2 because we’re just about to load another tour.
I hear “Merek Merek Suzanne.”
“Go Ahead Suzanne.”
“Yeah tell the lady with the bird to take it to the KVB.”
What? There’s a lady with a bird? We’re allowed to take pets on board so I don’t know why she would drop her bird at the visitor’s bureau. But I don’t think that birds are allowed on cruise ships, so why does she have a bird?
I walk over to 3 to get my tickets and before you know it, here approaches this:
Merek has found a box to carry what appears to be a small black bird. I peer in but don’t need to linger. What if Birdie hauls out and pokes my eye or poops on my coiffure?
I say “Uh oh. Suzanne. I’m terrified of what’s in that box.”
She says “What?” I say “It’s the dang bird!”
And sure enough my suspicions are confirmed. Jaimie and I laugh as we walk up the ramp towards Bertha. We have another tour to dispatch in about 30 minutes so I think we sat in Bertha or found a friendly bench. I head back to 2 for the next tour. There was not enough time to go inside. Merek has disappeared with the box a while back.
Suz: “Merek Merek Suzanne.”
Silence.
Suz: “Merek Merek Suzanne”
Me: “Suzanne Suzanne Natalie”
“Go Ahead Natalie.”
Me: “You’re expecting 27 that’s 2-7.”
“Thank you.”
Suz: “Merek Merek Suzanne.”
Jaimie: “Suzanne Suzanne Jaimie”
“Go ahead.”
Jaimie: “You’re expecting 41 4-1 from the Jewel.”
“Thank you.”
Suz: “Merek Merek Suzanne.”
Suz: “Natalie Natalie Suzanne.”
“Go ahead Suzanne.”
“Yeah will you call Merek and figure out his location?”
“Sure.”
I already tried texting him because I know where this train is headed. He did not respond. I called. He did not answer.
I’m sending folks to two once I’ve checked their tickets, in the midst of this radio party.
Me: “Suzanne Suzanne Natalie.”
“Go ahead”
“He is not answering.”
“O–kay.”
I’ve already sent the picture of “Merek and the Bird” to Sarah. She asked what it was, I told her.
I’m still sending guests and here comes Eric, our Operations Manager.
Eric: “Natalie Natalie Office.”
“Go Ahead Office.”
“Hey do you know what type of bird it is?”
“Um no.”
Eric: “Sarah wants to know if it is a pigeon.”
“I have no idea.”
Eric: “Okay, she says there is a place where the bird can be cared for at Town Hall. There’s a pigeon guy there.”
A pigeon guy?
Me: “I don’t think it’s a pigeon.”
Eric: “Do you know if it has webbed feet?”
Me: “I do not.”
Eric: “Copy.”
15 minutes after we start loading, Sarah has since come outside to help us since we can’t locate Merek.
She’s got her green gear and she’s standing at Tongass with the flag.
“Suzanne Suzanne Office.”
“Go ahead Office.”
Merek: “Yeah I’m up here with Eric we’ve got the bird and everything is okay.”
“O–kay.”
Eventually we dispatch the tour and we’ve headed to the office to count tickets and settle. I’m texting Johnathan, who worked on the dock with us..
Merek meets us after the tour has left. He explains: “What was I supposed to do? Just leave the bird to be trampled, to suffer?!”
I roll my eyes, and laugh at the absurdity. The operations manager and supply coordinator hovering over the radio, asking if the bird has webbed feet.
Merek forgot he turned his radio off, didn’t have his phone with him and disappeared somewhere with an injured bird. Lichrally went AWOL. It livened up the morning.
For you animal lovers, Merek did take the bird to a store with experience in bird care. We are limited in our options for emergency resources here on the island. We don’t know if the bird survived, but Merek’s radio didn’t survive the summer either so ya win some and you lose some dock reps temporarily too.