CalMac cacophony

Math Man and I took a trip to one of the Inner Hebrides a few weeks ago. We rode a CalMac ferry from the mainland to Islay. Our ferry was running on schedule both coming and going but weather and an aging fleet means that you can’t alway count on the CalMac, see this NYT piece.  It was, as promised by Crash’s Scottish partner, an experience. The interiors reminded me of late 1970s Las Vegas casinos. There are reserved rows for pets on board, play areas for kids, famous CalMac mac and cheese and comfy seats with big windows to catch the view. It’s a lovely way to travel. At least as long as you remember to turn off your car alarm.

There are signs — which we missed. Crash texted us — but we didn’t see it until we had set sail (at which point the car decks are off limits to passengers). And we had a rental. Neither of our cars have motion sensitive alarms, so I had never given much thought to how car alarms are temporarily disabled.

The cacophony began as soon as the ramps closed with a bang. HOOT-HOOT. WHEE-AH-WHEE-AH. Soon there were a half dozen alarms going. Keys were grabbed and alarms silenced. Until the next wave. It was like a bunch of toddlers suddenly noticing their parents had left them with a sitter and wailing in surprise. I could see our car from the back deck. Suddenly its lights were flashing and it was hooting, too. I grabbed the keys and clicked. Whew. Five minutes later, I was doing it again. And again.

Math Man came out on deck and I explained the issue. “Can you show me the car?” I did. “Can we reset it from here?” “Shhh, it’ll hear you and wake up.” It did. Its side mirrors unfolded like a 2 year old begging to be picked up. And by now, I could recognize the wail of our car with the same spidey sense that I used to distinguish my baby's cry from the rest. I’d spend the rest of the voyage squelching the alarm. I gave up counting after a dozen.

On the way back we knew how to keep the baby quiet!