Shortly before he voted with two other Steamship Authority governors to give himself free ferry travel for life, New Bedford governor David Oliveira on Tuesday defended the perk by noting the world was an unfair place.

So employees of the boat line could not travel free after they retired, but governors could? That’s just the way it is.

At least, that was the message Mr. Oliveira, who is the chairman, conveyed, although what he actually said was:

“God I wish the world was more egalitarian. But [in] the world I live in, social workers and teachers don’t make as much as real estate agents either, so . . . .”

The remark was his defense against criticism by Tisbury selectman Tristan Israel of the governors’ only privilege of office.

Mr. Israel, who had driven to New Bedford (in a Tisbury town car, which he will not be able to use when he retires), spoke at much greater length. He said governors were “setting themselves up as something special,” and should be more egalitarian, with no more travel perks than the workers.

Mr. Israel saw it as just a small part of a broader problem.

“I don’t know if that’s the way our country works, our society works . . . I hear complaints from people on the Island, anyway, about that,” he said.

He suggested a lifetime pass could be awarded to someone after 20 or 30 years of service. He was concerned that someone could serve just one year on the board, and get a pass for the rest of their life.

The governors at least acknowledged that one. The rules will ensure a governor serves at least one full term before he or she can claim the privilege.

And then the vote was taken and Mr. Oliveira, along with Vineyard governor Marc Hanover and Nantucket governor Flint Ranney voted to approve it.

But how much of a privilege is it anyway, to have lifetime access to the Island ferries? It’s not exactly free pass on the QE 2.

In reality, if former governors or their spouses want to take their cars off-Island for free, they must go last in the standby line. If they wish to be ensured a place on the boat they must book, and pay half fare.

In other business at the monthly boat line meeting, held in New Bedford on Tuesday, SSA governors agreed to adopt on a trial basis an operating schedule for the lift decks on the ferry Island Home.

The schedule may require extra study for the unititiated.

From Nov. 11 until Dec. 28, one lift deck will be available Monday through Friday on the Vineyard to Woods Hole runs at 9:30 a.m., noon, 2: 30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Two lift decks will be available at 7:15 and 9:30 p.m. No lift decks will operate at 6 a.m. or 8:15 a.m.

On Saturday it will be different. On Sunday it will be different again. And the pattern of lift deck availability is entirely different if you are coming the other way, from Woods Hole to the Vineyard.

The patterns will change again from Dec. 9 until April 2. And the whole thing will change again from April 3 to May 11.

After examining the three pages of color-coded charts showing the new patterns of lift deck operation, Barnstable governor Robert O’Brien observed: “This looks like a scheduling nightmare.”

Apart from perks and lift decks, boat line governors also approved new guidelines for advertising on SSA ferries and in terminals. The guidelines list 16 separate kinds of ads that will not be allowed, among them: no tobacco, profanity, weapons (if they are in the foreground or occupy more than 15 per cent of the ad space), violence, unlawful goods or services, obscenity or nudity or adult-oriented goods. Nothing political, false or misleading or libelous statements will be allowed either.

But alcohol ads will now be allowed, as long as at least three per cent of the space is devoted to warnings and as long as any people shown in the ads appear to be at least 21.

What looked like the most serious issue on the agenda — the request by New England Fast Ferry to sharply reduce its winter service between New Bedford and the Vineyard — was postponed until the next meeting.

Ferry operators have written a letter to the boat line saying that winter service is no longer economical due to low ridership.

Mr. Oliveira asked to postpone the matter so the city of New Bedford could have some time to consider the issue.

In contrast with New England Fast Ferry’s failing service, the most recent numbers for the SSA continued an upward trend for this year.

Passenger traffic on the Vineyard route in September was up 4.1 per cent compared with last year.

Car traffic was also up. Full fare auto traffic increased 3.4 per cent, offset by a decline of 3.1 per cent for excursion trips. Overall car traffic was up 1.2 per cent.

Truck numbers continued to be down, as they have been for most of the year, a fact generally attributed to a slowdown in real estate and construction. Trucks less than 20 feet long were down 10.4 per cent in September, compared with last year. For larger trucks, the numbers were off 6.1 per cent.

Net operating income for the month was just over $3 million, some $658,000 more than budget projections. Year to date revenue is $13 million, $4.5 million ahead of budget.