Ride That Duck

The verdict is in and the trial is over. It was a horrible accident that killed five international students and wounded several others. Ride the Ducks of Seattle received 30% of the liability while Ride the Ducks International, who supplied the amphibious vehicles, received 70%. 

I worked for two years as a Duck Captain, back when the driver also gave the tour. Then I left for a couple years and drove for Metro, MTR Western, who charters luxury coaches and ran the Emerald City Trolley, and a senior living facility in Ballard. After the Accident, I went back to the Ducks where I now just drive. .

Without question, Ride the Ducks of Seattle has the highest commitment to Safety that I have ever seen. We have to. We are under the oversight of both the State and the Coast Guard and get regular COIs (certificate of inspection) where we break down each duck and go over every inch of it.  

Before a duck leaves the Nest in the morning, it has had three inspections. A Post-Trip inspection done at the end of the day by the driver, a Pre-Trip inspection done by a mechanic, and a Pre-Trip inspection done by the next driver. All inspections include getting under the duck on a creeper to inspect tires, wheels, brakes, steering, suspension, hull plugs, etc. We check all alarms and systems, even if you're the one who ran it the day before. 

Drivers are also Captains, which is a built-in weeding out process. Every Duck Captain has not only gotten a Commercial Drivers License, but also at least a 25 ton Coast Guard Masters license. A man or woman behind the wheel of a duck is probably the most trained and safest driver on the road. Our safety record is actually pretty amazing. We have a full-time Safety Manager whose job is to ensure the safety of our tours. We get briefings every morning about the weather and traffic. We have cameras and GPS and if you do anything wrong Moti will know about it. 

Our policy is to stay under 30 mph at all times, even if the speed limit is 35. If you do 32 on Westlake, Moti gets an alert and you will hear about it. We go through additional Coast Guard training every 90 days. We review video of close calls constantly. We are, by far, the most safety conscious company I have ever worked for. We have to be. 

I love driving a duck. I love showing off this beautiful city and sending people home with a wonderful impression of this city. And I'm always sure to tell them how much it rains here. Seattle's a great place to visit but you wouldn't want to live here, for sure.