IKEA Finally Yanks Free Water Taxi Service

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When Red Hook residents were fighting to stop IKEA from opening up in their neighborhood, one of the deal-sweeteners offered by the Swedish retailer was a promise that locals (and all New Yorkers) would be able to take advantage of free Water Taxi service back and forth to Manhattan, even if they never spent a dime in the store. Well, it's been just over a year since the grand opening, and already the bait has been switched. The Brooklyn Paper reports that on weekdays the Water Taxi will start charging riders $5 each way, unless they spend $10 in IKEA. Manager Mike Baker says, "We have implemented this policy because our customers are using the Water Taxi service, but the cost is such that we cannot continue subsidizing it during the week as a commuter service for those who are not IKEA customers." Compare that with last summer, when an IKEA rep said, "We support mass transit, and if people are using our services and not going to IKEA, that's fine with us as well." Now they tell us the Water Taxi service will still be free on the weekends, but how can anyone ever trust Sweden again?

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By John Del Signore in News on July 22, 2009 4:27 PM

Comments [rss]

ihateregistering

#12- the ferry wasn't provided for red hook residents. it doesn't suck to be them, they were taking advantage of something that they shouldn't have been. also, the ferry will still be free on weekends so your point of whether or not foot traffic will keep ikea in business is moot.

the post wrote an article about it, and my favorite part is when a girl admits to using the ferry for her commute to work, but then says people are going to change their mind about going to ikea. guess what? no one is going to change their mind about going to ikea, you're just pissed because your loophole in the system has been closed and you're mad because you feel entitled to something you don't deserve.

the ferry will still be free for customers (pay $10, get $10 off your order) so i don't see the problem.

JanetG

At $5. that woman might not be taking the ferry every day, but even if it's not free the ferry still beats the alternative trip from Red Hook to lower Manhattan: bus and two trains.

John Del Signore

It wasn't a "loophole"; this service was something IKEA promised the Red Hook community as part of their p.r. campaign to overcome intense opposition to the store.

Tpooh2

For once I'm not too upset with a company going back on their word. People in that area really do take advantage of the free ride to the city for.

I once had to help a friend from out of state buy some cheapie stuff and lug it to her place in the LES. We had to wait 2 times before we could get on! We didn't have huge boxes, but alot of bags which were very cumbersome and let me tell you people would not let us on!

Let them charge, they are within their rights to protect themselves and their customers as well as use that money for the upkeep of the peir and ferry.

JanetG

Perhaps folks who haven't shopped at IKEA should only be permitted on the boat back to Manhattan on a "standby" basis, i.e., if there's room.

John Knee

Paying for the ride is fine with me. The part of the ride I hate the most is having to put your own chair together with the included tools.

WestVillageVintage

Hahaha, thanks for the chuckle.

ottoemezzo

Meanwhile...IKEA'S founder has been living in Switzerland for years and is one of the countries richest people.

http://www.swisster.ch/en/news/business/ikea-founder-leads-switzerland-s-rich-list_116-815751

savedbyzero

Sucks to be those Red Hook residents. It's like the developers who promise a public plaza/space in exchange for an extra 10 floors. And they provide the outdoor space to ground floor commerical/restaurant tenants. Good luck sitting there without purchasing something.

And agree with #10.

How sustainable is potential foot traffic into IKEA w/o the free service (at least on weekends)? It the only way they might have gotten me to go out there again.

JanetG

Without a boat, the trip from Port Authority to the Elizabeth NJ store is way easier.

whitecastlerock

yeah they have some fucking nerve trying to make a profit.. FUCK IKEA

woodendesigner

Typical corporate tactics. No surprise.

henry.hamilton

You can probably do this sort of thing in Sweden with no problems.

JanetG

Is "this sort of thing" providing services to customers without non-customers taking advantage, or opening a megastore in an isolated area without needing local approval (and therefore without providing said transportation services so as to minimize auto traffic).

JanetG

Are the shuttle buses next? It's reported that many more of the weekday riders are attendees at a Red Hook rehab program, not IKEA customers.

MacMuttonchops

So do you just get charged $10 on the return trip if you fail to produce a receipt, or do you get refunded the $5?

LICguy

Great point. If it is $10 on the return you could still get a free ride from Manhattan if you live in Red Hook.

CR

Could the $10 at Ikea include the cafeteria? "Date with Ikea" for all you indie-rock heads...

Trilby16

I wonder if meatball dinners for 4 would count as the $10 spent in IKEA. It could still be a ceap evening.

When I lived in Philly, my husband and I would drop our little kids off at IKEA's "ball room" and spend an hour strolling in the store, or eating Swedish mealballs in peace. That was nice. Occasionally we bought shit.

Politburo

They're on to you... I was there recently and the limit at the ball room is now 30 minutes. How they expect people to actually shop at Ikea in 30 minutes is beyond me.