Beware of "SECURE PARKING" in Ortigas Center

this is an email from Ana Gan, our friends at Fudge Magazine and i just learned that she was victimized by car thieves inside the SECURE PARKING in Ortigas Center. Which should be well guarded, but it seems that parking in that area even you pay for it is no longer safe to park your vehicle. Click read more below for the entire story.





--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Anna Gan <gamboagan@gmail.com>
Date: Feb 6, 2008 12:56 AM
Subject: beware of "SECURE PARKING" in Ortigas Center
To: Fudge Magazine <fudgemagazine@gmail.com>


Hi,

If you drive a car or know of anyone who works in the Ortigas area,
please be warned against using lots operated by "SECURE PARKING."
Not only do they charge an arm and a leg (compared to their el cheapo
counterparts) but apparently they lull customers into a false sense of
security with their name and the so-called roving guard that only
sticks around till a certain time. When that roving guy goes home,
your car is fair game for thieves.

I had the unfortunate experience of parking my vehicle on February 5,
2008 in a lot operated by (the ironically named) SECURE PARKING.
Specifically the one right beside the little park on F. Ortigas Jr
(the former Emerald Avenue) next to the Jollibee building, and across
the Ortigas Post Office. I had parked there around 4-5pm for a meeting
at The Coffee Bean, then when I had to get an item from the car at
7-8pm, it was still fine. I even checked the doors to make sure that
everything was locked.

When I returned from an interview at the Podium at 9.30pm, I was
shocked to find that the right rear passenger door window was smashed.
My canvas bag containing my belongings (among which was my driver's
license) was gone. I was most likely mistaken for a laptop bag. After
complaining as loudly as possible regarding the incident, other
motorists in the area came forward to say that incidents like this
often happened in that particular parking lot, even the parking
cashier himself admitted to this. But he claimed that when the roving
'guard' went for his last round at 9pm, he was in quite a hurry to go
home and reported that there was nothing unusual going on. So the the
thieves easily had 30 minutes to break my window, steal whatever they
pleased, and make a run for it. Apparently, the parking cashier let
out some 'customers' who had no license plate and seemed to be in a
rush to leave. One would think that with the incidence of thefts, they
would qualify as suspicious characters, but no, they were let through.

On the other hand, I had to ask several times for this parking cashier
to help me, as he stared dumbfounded at my broken window. He even was
going to charge me for the dubious honor of parking in that hellhole!
The police only came around after 20-30 minutes, and didn't have much
to offer by way of help, save for the comment that this was quite a
popular area for burgled cars, file my report at their station in San
Antonio Village, Pasig, tape up my window, and send me off.

Of course the parking lot's little ticket has a clause that says that
the operators are not liable for losses or damages to your vehicle.
But considering that they make people pay dearly for parking in their
area, shouldn't they have done something about security? Shouldn't
there have been another roving guard who should've relieved the first
one who was in quite a rush to go home? They may as well have put up a
sign that says: "after 9pm, you're on your own guys!" If I had known
of this arrangement, I would have moved my vehicle elsewhere. My car
has been parked out in the street in Quezon City, right across a
squatter community for almost a year, and nothing untoward of this
sort had ever happened to it. And in the middle of the ORTIGAS
BUSINESS DISTRICT, within a parking lot supposedly guarded by people
paid with the money one must give for the privilege and convenience of
being guarded until 9pm, my car gets broken into because the thieves
thought I had a laptop. AND I DON'T EVEN OWN A LAPTOP. I may be
careless enough to leave a canvas bag with my license, planner,
newspaper, a couple of magazines, maybe even an umbrella in it. But
not a laptop.

Maybe this parking lot should have a sign that says "XXX (number) of
cars broken into so far," like those construction sites that proudly
display that they've had "xxx (number) of accident-free days." Maybe
the parking attendant should tell you that the roving guy will only be
on duty till a certain time, after that, you're on your own. Maybe you
shouldn't park in this area, or better yet, any of the lots operated
by 'SECURE PARKING' until they really make it worth your hard-earned
peso. For crying out loud, for people who demand you pay Php40 or
more, they sure have bad security for just that tiny lot. Mall of Asia
has better guards for Php40 all-day parking in their buildings.

Please pass this on to consumer rights columnists, motoring
columnists/journalists, anyone you think who may benefit from this
information. Don't make these thieves richer, and you certainly
shouldn't patronize parking operators who want you to pay astronomical
sums for a false sense of security but are ill-equipped to prevent
thefts from happening.



Anna Gan
Managing Editor
Fudge Magazine/
Raev Magalog