Ikea and NY Water Taxi reacted quickly today to reports from Red Hook that its policy was changing regarding the free Water Taxi service from Manhattan to Red Hook. Via a Water Taxi spokesperson came this statement: “there is no charge for the IKEA Water Taxi – it is still FREE to EVERYONE. The demand for service has been so high, that IKEA has instituted an in store hand stamp for customers who traveled to the store via the free Water Taxi to insure that the customers they are providing the free Water Taxi shuttle for get first in line and get a seat on the Water Taxi to get back to Manhattan. As long as there is space on the Water Taxi after IKEA customers board it is open and FREE to everyone.” Another spokesperson confirmed that there is no plan to charge anyone to use the Water Taxi but that Ikea customers would have priority in boarding if boats are full. The $6 charge that some people reported being told about wasn’t planned and isn’t coming. As for the sign, Ikea says the handwritten notice didn’t come from its employees and Water Taxi says its people had nothing to do with it. The bottom line: As long as there is space on the boat not filled by Ikea customers, there are still free rides for whoever wants them.
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2 responses so far ↓
1 neighbor // Jul 16, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Top notch corporate communcations staff they’ve got.
(I have no idea who they are or what or where, I’m just an innocent interested BoCoCa based bystander in that field.)
2 TPlane // Jul 17, 2008 at 4:37 pm
The straw that apparently broke the Swedish camel’s back was the number of large families that were taking the boat multiple times and taking up large portions of the boats on Sundays, which are big shopping days. When told they would have to get off they would exit and cut the line in front of Ikea customers going back to Manhattan.
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