Contextual Interiew with the Captain: Agneev

The joy ride driver

A: May we know your name please?

P: P******** (hidden to preserve identity).

A: And your age if you don’t mind.

P: 58.

A: How many trips a day do you drive the boat?

P: I don’t really know. Today I just started and this is my first trip. I start at 10 to 11 and continue till 20 past 11 at night. So ya, but we get 2 hours break between 5 and 7.

A: So does somebody else drive at that time?

P: Ya ya. So we have 4 persons running 3 boats. So the fourth person arrives at 1:15 and we change boats. So it’s like 1 trip every 15 minutes. And today, during weekends there are 3 boats running usually in the summer time, it runs 7 days a week. But in autumn and the spring there are 2 boats running in the weekdays and 3 boats running in the weekends. But from Monday, there is a winter schedule when there is only 2 boats every day and we stop running the boat at 7 o’clock in the evening. Last trip is at 7pm. After that Grona lund also closes so there are not many people in the night.

M: So do you record the number of people everytime?

P: Yes we have to. All the time I have to know how many persons are on board in case we have to evacuate the boat. In case there’s an accident. There hasn’t been any actually, but I have to know whether there are 10 or 50 or 200 people to evacuate. Also for the company to know how many people are travelling.

A: So people say that sometimes you take to Skeppsholmen directly.

P: So ya today all the trips to Djurgarden and then to Skeppsholmen and then back.

A: Is there a change of route also?

P: Yes, from Monday, every trip is to Skeppsholmen. Old town to Skeppholmen to Djurgarden and then to Old town.

A: So the change of route happens on weekly basis?

P: You can’t say this or that. It’s based on the schedule. Depends on a lot of people. If there are lots of people then we cannot go to Skeppsholmen because we might get delayed.

A: So most of the people go to Grona lund?

P: Yes and no. There are a lot of people going to Djurgarden for work. This is a short cut if you are coming from the southern part of the city and you want to go to Djurgarden, then it’s a short cut. Hop off the underground slussen and a lot of people come to skansen or for a stroll on the park. Then also they take the ferry. There are so much more people during spring who come for walk but we close down at 7pm in the winter as there are no people after 7.

A: In that case they take the tram?

P: Yes, they can take the tram.

A: Does the water freeze in the winter?

P: If it’s very cold, then yes. I’ve been running this boat in the ice.

S: Is it dangerous in the ice?

P: Dangerous? No, not in here. But it depends, there hasn’t been much of ice in here.

A: Do you interact with the people regarding any kind of complaints?

P: No. I have no contact with the people. In case they have any complaints, they need to go to the company.

A: Do you have any suggestions regarding improving their travel?

P: Passengers like to have a toilet but I say we don’t need as there are toilets at both sides at Slussen and grona lund and it takes additional maintenance to keep it clean.

A: Anything from your side?

P: Maps on the walls for Djurgarden, Skeppsholmen and everywhere to where the ferry is going and that would be amazing for the passengers and us.

A: Thank you so much and your help.

P: Thank you.