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PT BLOG


moving so fast CNN can’t keep up. And I sympathize. There is a wonderful chart with the article that goes


through March 2008 that shows oil prices skyrocketing since 2004. However, they began their decline just after the chart ended and now are back to 2004 levels – in just six months. Who would have thunk it? We in this industry have to give it our best shot. The prob-


lem is that the target is moving so fast, even a straight shoot- er like Charlie and a shotgun blaster like me have difficulty keeping up. Is there any wonder why print media are struggling? We


have our place, and it is detail, philosophy and thoughtful pre- diction. But it is very easy to get caught in a fast-moving sta- tistical battle. Charlie did hedge his bets, however, by giving websites where current data are available and noting that fuel prices are down. We can ask nothing more.


We ignore safety issues at our peril Cutler Bay, FL, is considering requiring security cameras in


local garages. Once again, government is trying to solve a problem that


should be handled by the local businesses. This is a free-mar- ket issue. If people know that some garages are safer than oth- ers, they will park there and be more willing to shop in the businesses they support. They should be handling the problem themselves. Howev-


er, since they aren’t, city councils are stepping in, and as usu- al, will cause more harm than good. Since 9/11, Century City Towers in Los Angeles has had


guards on the entry ramps to its huge parking facility. They stop and check every car entering. My guess is that they have virtually no parking issues. This is done purely because the management felt that after 2001, it was a good idea because of the terrorist threat. And they have kept them. I am not for a minute saying that any garage with more than 25 spaces should have a security guard, but I am saying


that responsible garage owners should consider what kinds of security they can and should afford. This is not something in which the local government should be involved. They will require cameras but not require anyone to mon-


itor them. Therefore, the crime will be committed and the police will have information to use after the fact. In the end, the crime still happens. Then they will require monitoring and someone to respond to the problem, and after a while, busi- nesses will be providing their own police forces. This doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. What does make sense is for each business to take what


precautions it feels necessary. The local parking folks should band together and make some recommendations (white paint, new lights, cameras on entry/exit, patrols, emergency call boxes, etc.). What is important in some high-crime down- town areas may not be necessary in the ‘burbs. However, the heavy hand of government will mandate solutions, mainly because the parking folks are doing little of anything on their own.


The UK has a “safe parking scheme” (I love the word


“scheme,” which has a positive meaning in the UK but a neg- ative one in the U.S.); it is put forward by the British Parking Association. They have set up some guidelines for safety in garages and then have a local committee made up of garage folks and police go around and check out the garages. Those that pass receive “Safe Parking Scheme” decals, and folks know where the “OK” garages are. Those that elect not to participate or fail simply don’t get the decal. Doesn’t take long to figure out who cares and who doesn’t. It’s all entirely volun- tary, but peer pressure does seem to work. We could learn from our British cousins.


You could have read these entries when they were originally post- ed at Parking Today’s Blog – and commented, if you liked – by logging on to www.parkingtoday.com and clicking on “blog.” JVH updates the blog almost every day.


PT


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JANUARY 2009 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com


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