Are Downtown Parking Lots Really THAT Complicated?

knowledge

knowledge

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One of my part time jobs is for the toronto parking authority and it honestly has me questioning how intelligent the general population is.

I can't see myself making these same mistakes, asking these questions, etc. But that also might be unfair for me to say because I know what to look for (from working there). So I figured I'd ask you guys: are parking lots honestly that confusing (using machines/finding exits/etc.)

I'm extra patient with older folks because not everyone grows up using technology. But when you're my age, or even a little bit older, it seems like there's no excuse to be that lost when it comes to using technology (or even common sense). I can even get when you're not from the city and stuff like this is new to you...But sometimes I see whole families struggling to pay for parking and I wonder whether they're all idiots (but in their defense, I could see how some signs may not be too clear or can be read as ambiguous).

So are they idiots, or am I just being too harsh? What's your experience like any time you park at green p/use the machines? (This includes both automated lots & non-automated lots)

Fwiw, I'm not the rude, lazy ******* in the booth. I help when I need to, but I'm legitimately wondering whether I'd be that lost when I try to put myself in their shoes. But it can't really be THAT hard, can it? Are there any things, in your opinion that need to be changed? It's not a perfect system, but I also don't think it's THAT bad, either.
 
I can say that, when they implemented pay parking where I work, I had a tough time finding the card reader. Turns out, the add-on keypad on the very top of the machine is also the card reader. Go figure. No signage.. Now I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer.. but..that's a pretty key piece of info... And I can imagine some people being mystified by Green-P machines the first time they use them. I think city people just assume everyone has used them before. People are amazed when I tell them they can just use their credit card for parking gates downtown..so much faster...
 
invictus43 said:
I can say that, when they implemented pay parking where I work, I had a tough time finding the card reader. Turns out, the add-on keypad on the very top of the machine is also the card reader. Go figure. No signage.. Now I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer.. but..that's a pretty key piece of info... And I can imagine some people being mystified by Green-P machines the first time they use them. I think city people just assume everyone has used them before. People are amazed when I tell them they can just use their credit card for parking gates downtown..so much faster...
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Yeah I can't even lie - the pay pass thing was terribly implemented. And half of the time, it doesn't even work. lol

But one of the things that gets me is that when people swipe their credit card coming in, they expect the gate to magically open when they leave. And they go "I paid already". I know technology's gone a long way, but I'd never expect it to guess when I'm leaving the lot, and magically sense my car to know that I've paid :S

But yeah, any time lots become automated, we're over-staffed because of the cluster**** that usually ensues for the next month and a half. If you've been parking there for years and all of a sudden, the system changes, I'd probably be confused, myself...
 
knowledge said:
Yeah I can't even lie - the pay pass thing was terribly implemented. And half of the time, it doesn't even work. lol

But one of the things that gets me is that when people swipe their credit card coming in, they expect the gate to magically open when they leave. And they go "I paid already". I know technology's gone a long way, but I'd never expect it to guess when I'm leaving the lot, and magically sense my car to know that I've paid :S

But yeah, any time lots become automated, we're over-staffed because of the cluster**** that usually ensues for the next month and a half. If you've been parking there for years and all of a sudden, the system changes, I'd probably be confused, myself...
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If its a flat rate. that seems reasonable don't you think?
 
OpenGambit said:
If its a flat rate. that seems reasonable don't you think?
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I'm not so sure. Any lot with flat rates and one exit has the gates up at the end of the night. Sometimes there are multipled exits and I don't get how you can see 5 cars drive to the machine & swipe their credit card, then just skip the machine & go to the gate, expecting it to open because you "paid on the way in"
 
knowledge said:
I'm not so sure. Any lot with flat rates and one exit has the gates up at the end of the night. Sometimes there are multipled exits and I don't get how you can see 5 cars drive to the machine & swipe their credit card, then just skip the machine & go to the gate, expecting it to open because you "paid on the way in"
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That's because in many secure lots, that sort of gate is only meant to keep vehicles from freely ENTERING, not freely exiting. It becomes habit to just drive up to the gate, expecting it to open for you.

<== Worked his way through college, in the Toronto Airport parking lots.
 
Rob MacLennan said:
That's because in many secure lots, that sort of gate is only meant to keep vehicles from freely ENTERING, not freely exiting. It becomes habit to just drive up to the gate, expecting it to open for you.

<== Worked his way through college, in the Toronto Airport parking lots.
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Some are flat-rate but only after certain times..so they have to figure out when you entered to figure out how much you have to pay. And all lots are different. That's sort of the problem. If you go downtown a lot or live there, it's all second nature..I imagine a lot of people from the burbs rarely go down there or they do street parking or the event has parking attendants etc.

Having said all that..if you've used the Green P machine once..for the love of god, you should be able to use it again in less than 10 mins!!!
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