By the time market vendor Wendy Beatty finally got to Centennial Park at 12:30 p.m. last Saturday, she’d suffered a more than 12-hour travel detour, lost an estimated $1,000, was issued a six-month ban from riding aboard BC Ferries and faced a possible assault charge.

And although all that happened after Beatty was refused entry onto the Crofton-Vesuvius ferry last Friday would test the patience of anyone in her situation, she’s chalking the whole experience up as a testament to the good character of her fellow island residents.

“It’s not great that I can no longer ride on a ferry until Jan. 14, 2010 but, you know, I learned a lot,” she said. “It did cost me some money, but the story is well worth it.”

Beatty, who describes herself as calm, cool and collected, experienced a momentary flash of frustration on Friday evening when employees at the Crofton ferry terminal told her she would not be making her sailing despite the fact that the Howe Sound Queen was at dock and below capacity.

It’s the kind of direct action, so many islanders have pondered but few have attempted: she just stepped on the gas and drove right past the tollbooth.

“I have no stress in my life, but I just went for it,” she said. “I said. ‘I’m going to get on this ferry.’”

Beatty then came up against another ferry employee who was blocking access to the loading ramp.

That’s when, Beatty said, her car “nudged” the employee on the lower leg and she finally conceded she would have to wait until the next sailing.

Alerted by the ferry employee, a Duncan-North Cowichan RCMP officer arrived on the scene and talk of a possible assault charge ensued. At press time, the incident remained under police investigation.

But back at the Crofton ferry terminal, BC Ferries personnel informed Beatty that neither she nor her vehicle containing nearly 40 litres of fresh milk for her Saturday market cappuccino business would be getting on any ferry until the following morning.

Fortunately, she said, friends waiting in the ferry lineup took notice and had the milk transported to Beatty’s Salt Spring Island home.

Beatty had no other option but to check into a local motel and await the morning sailing.

It wasn’t until 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning that Beatty learned she was prohibited from traveling on any vessel operated by BC Ferries for the next six months.

According to BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall, the ban was implemented after the company found out that she entered the loading area without paying and struck the ship’s first officer on two separate occasions.

Marshall said six-month bans are quite rare given that 99.9 per cent of passengers comply with the company’s rules.

Questioned as to whether she thought the ban is appropriate for someone living on Salt Spring Island, Marshall said Beatty should have considered the possible consequences of her actions.

Flabbergasted and left with no other option, Beatty did what many an island resident would do in her shoes.

She phoned local comedian and realtor Arvid Chalmers.

“I needed a little levity,” she said, adding that Chalmers knew exactly what to do.

Within fewer than 90 minutes, Beatty and her car were boarding a barge operated by Salt Spring’s Greg Bellavance in downtown Sidney. An hour and and a half after that, Beatty disembarked at a boat ramp in Ganges Harbour.

“She told me the whole story and I said ‘oh my lord,” Chalmers said. “Eventually she arrived to great cheers from everyone.”

Once she finally arrived at the market, Beatty was surprised to find that friends and fellow market vendors had taken it upon themselves to get up at 6:30 a.m. in order to setup her Cafe Olé business and prepare everything for the day.

By 1 p.m., it was business as usual. Even the milk was in place and ready to go.

Despite the ordeal, Beatty bears no resentment to any of the BC Ferries personnel who, she feels, are good people trying to contend with strict timelines and tight regulations.

“Once they press that red button, there’s no pressing the green button [and letting more people on the boat],” she said.

When asked how she intends to overcome the puzzle of living through a ferry ban on Salt Spring Island, she remained optimistic.

“I guess I’ll shop locally,” she said.