You can tell the Vashon Islanders from others by the reaction to missing the ferry by three cars. Off-islanders curse their bad luck and pound their steering wheels.
Islanders switch off the ignition, pick up a book and read.
A lot of reading gets done in these ferry lines. An estimated 11,000 Vashon and Maury Islanders stare down the odds to live here, taking pride in their resilience when life doesn't go as planned. This heritage is evident when inevitable winter storms knock out power . One newcomer just lost her cool in the laundromat during the storm because she couldn't cope without heat. Locals figure the real weenies will go back to the city.