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Finals at the university where I work as a Visitor Parking attendant began this Wednesday. There was very limited parking Wednesday & Thursday & at one point the garage had to be reserved those 2 days, & the garage was reserved this Friday. The software that is used to change the open sign to full still is not working. It is very cold outside, & it rained Wednesday & Thursday.
Wednesday:
A couple of upset students once the garage was reserved, but they all knew they could not park. Some pleaded with me to let them in the garage, but realized they would not be able to park & left. A contractor driving a truck arrived to park after the garage was reserved asking me if "Julie Smith" from Facilities had called me about his doing some work in stairwell 13. I had no idea where stairwell 13 was. I called "Kim" on her cell phone since it was around 7:45 a.m., & she usually does not arrive until 8 a.m. She told me that is was next to the Visitor Parking garage. I told her there was a contractor needing to unload supplies, & was wondering where he could park. She told me he could only unload supplies & that he had to exit the garage & park at Shipping & Receiving. I told the guy what "Kim" told me. So I raise the gate for him to enter the garage. Then a blue car drives up to the window. I open the window & motion the driver to roll down the window. The phone rings, & it is "Kim's" assistant, "Melinda", calling me on from her cell phone asking me why is there a truck blocking traffic. I look up & notice that he is near the entrance to Visitor Parking blocking traffic. I explain to "Melinda" why I told "Kim" & what she told me. "Melinda" tells me that he has to enter the garage & to let him know that. I go tell the contractor that he can enter the garage, but he can only unload the supplies. He has to exit after unloading the supplies & park at Shipping/Receiving. He tells me the guy in the blue car is here to help him. I tell they guy in the blue car what "Kim" told me. About 5 minutes later "Kim" calls me from her work extension asking me why the blue car is parked in the garage. I told her that the guy in the blue car is here to help the guy in the truck unload the supplies & that I told him he could only unload the supplies & that he had to exit the garage & park at Shipping/Receiving. "Kim" asks me to remind the guy. So I go into the garage & tell the guy what "Kim" told me. He tells me they are waiting on a key. I call "Kim", & "Melinda" answers the phone. I tell her what the guy told me. She tells me she will call Facilities. "Kim" calls me again asking me if both guys have left. I told her no. She tells me she will call Facilities again. The contractors finally left, & I called "Kim" to let her know.
Thursday:
Due to the cold weather, there was ice on top of the Faculty/Staff garage, which is adjacent to Visitor Parking. People who park in the garage on the top floor pay $80.00 per semester to park there. Many students arrived to park for their finals & staff members who parked on the roof of the Faculty/Staff garage wanted to park in Visitor Parking. The garage had to be reserved at 9:15 a.m. because at that point there were only enough spaces for everyone on the event list. There are 2 faculty/staff lots where staff members can also park. One staff member who could not park could not believe she paid $80.00 for her parking pass & that she could not park in Visitor Parking. Another member said he would complain to "Pat" in the Parking office about the open sign being on even though the garage is reserved. The Parking office is over the open sign as well as the 2 gates in front of Visitor Parking. I wonder if he called, & I wonder what "Pat" told him.
Friday:
Visitor Parking was reserved today for 2 events, but since the software that is used to change to open sign to full is not working, there were 11 cars in the garage when I got to work. "Kim" was notified, & she is pissed. Then many people begin arriving for an event that is not on the event list. It was the Drug Task force conference. At one point, there was a line of traffic backed up to the stop sign. I turned away many people here for that event since it was not on the event list, & the garage was reserved. I asked everyone arriving for that event which dept. is having that event, & no one knew. Then a guy arrived for that event, & he wanted me to make an exception. He was polite, & at that point I knew that "Kim" had to be notified since the guests on the event list had not arrived & I had already turned away many people for that event.
mc: male customer
me: me
me: "Hi, how can I help you?
mc: "I'm here for the Drug task force conference being held in some meeting room here."
me: "Which dept. is having that event?"
mc: "I do not know. All I know is that it's being held in some meeting room. It's the drug task force conference."
I look at the event list, & there is no listing for a drug task force conference.
me: "I'm so sorry, but even though the open sign is on, the garage is reserved. Every open parking spot is already reserved & already paid for. Unfortunately, I do not see a reservation for that event on the event list. I'm so sorry, but I cannot allow anyone to enter the garage."
mc: "So where do I park?"
me: "Other parking is available at the meter parking lot behind your car right across the street, at the lot on North Main Street, or at the lot at Main & Commerce."
mc: "Well... I am from Syracuse & I drove 2 & a half hours to get here. I am knew here & I have no idea where I am going. Is there any way you can make an exception?"
me: "I understand that, & we do try to accommodate anyone not on the event list as much as we can. Unfortunately, since the garage is still reserved, I do have to follow the rules."
mc: "Yea, I understand that. Is there someone you can call? I promise I won't tell anyone if I'm allowed to park."
At that point there is a car behind him. I call "Kim" on her cell phone since it was before 8 a.m., explain the situation, what he told me, & what I told him. She asks me to ask him which room number it is being held in. I ask him that, & he tells me the information is in his car. I tell "Kim" that as well as that there is a car behind him. She tells me to hand the phone to him. She tells him he has to park at metered parking. He is upset, but he leaves. The guy behind him drives up & is here for the same event. I told him what "Kim" told me. He tells me we will have a lot of unhappy campers. "Kim" found out which room number that event was being held in, & told someone in charage that the guests here for that event had to park at the metered lot. Two people in charge of that event came down & directed everyone attending that event to park at the metered lot. Many more people arrived for that event.
Wednesday:
A couple of upset students once the garage was reserved, but they all knew they could not park. Some pleaded with me to let them in the garage, but realized they would not be able to park & left. A contractor driving a truck arrived to park after the garage was reserved asking me if "Julie Smith" from Facilities had called me about his doing some work in stairwell 13. I had no idea where stairwell 13 was. I called "Kim" on her cell phone since it was around 7:45 a.m., & she usually does not arrive until 8 a.m. She told me that is was next to the Visitor Parking garage. I told her there was a contractor needing to unload supplies, & was wondering where he could park. She told me he could only unload supplies & that he had to exit the garage & park at Shipping & Receiving. I told the guy what "Kim" told me. So I raise the gate for him to enter the garage. Then a blue car drives up to the window. I open the window & motion the driver to roll down the window. The phone rings, & it is "Kim's" assistant, "Melinda", calling me on from her cell phone asking me why is there a truck blocking traffic. I look up & notice that he is near the entrance to Visitor Parking blocking traffic. I explain to "Melinda" why I told "Kim" & what she told me. "Melinda" tells me that he has to enter the garage & to let him know that. I go tell the contractor that he can enter the garage, but he can only unload the supplies. He has to exit after unloading the supplies & park at Shipping/Receiving. He tells me the guy in the blue car is here to help him. I tell they guy in the blue car what "Kim" told me. About 5 minutes later "Kim" calls me from her work extension asking me why the blue car is parked in the garage. I told her that the guy in the blue car is here to help the guy in the truck unload the supplies & that I told him he could only unload the supplies & that he had to exit the garage & park at Shipping/Receiving. "Kim" asks me to remind the guy. So I go into the garage & tell the guy what "Kim" told me. He tells me they are waiting on a key. I call "Kim", & "Melinda" answers the phone. I tell her what the guy told me. She tells me she will call Facilities. "Kim" calls me again asking me if both guys have left. I told her no. She tells me she will call Facilities again. The contractors finally left, & I called "Kim" to let her know.
Thursday:
Due to the cold weather, there was ice on top of the Faculty/Staff garage, which is adjacent to Visitor Parking. People who park in the garage on the top floor pay $80.00 per semester to park there. Many students arrived to park for their finals & staff members who parked on the roof of the Faculty/Staff garage wanted to park in Visitor Parking. The garage had to be reserved at 9:15 a.m. because at that point there were only enough spaces for everyone on the event list. There are 2 faculty/staff lots where staff members can also park. One staff member who could not park could not believe she paid $80.00 for her parking pass & that she could not park in Visitor Parking. Another member said he would complain to "Pat" in the Parking office about the open sign being on even though the garage is reserved. The Parking office is over the open sign as well as the 2 gates in front of Visitor Parking. I wonder if he called, & I wonder what "Pat" told him.
Friday:
Visitor Parking was reserved today for 2 events, but since the software that is used to change to open sign to full is not working, there were 11 cars in the garage when I got to work. "Kim" was notified, & she is pissed. Then many people begin arriving for an event that is not on the event list. It was the Drug Task force conference. At one point, there was a line of traffic backed up to the stop sign. I turned away many people here for that event since it was not on the event list, & the garage was reserved. I asked everyone arriving for that event which dept. is having that event, & no one knew. Then a guy arrived for that event, & he wanted me to make an exception. He was polite, & at that point I knew that "Kim" had to be notified since the guests on the event list had not arrived & I had already turned away many people for that event.
mc: male customer
me: me
me: "Hi, how can I help you?
mc: "I'm here for the Drug task force conference being held in some meeting room here."
me: "Which dept. is having that event?"
mc: "I do not know. All I know is that it's being held in some meeting room. It's the drug task force conference."
I look at the event list, & there is no listing for a drug task force conference.
me: "I'm so sorry, but even though the open sign is on, the garage is reserved. Every open parking spot is already reserved & already paid for. Unfortunately, I do not see a reservation for that event on the event list. I'm so sorry, but I cannot allow anyone to enter the garage."
mc: "So where do I park?"
me: "Other parking is available at the meter parking lot behind your car right across the street, at the lot on North Main Street, or at the lot at Main & Commerce."
mc: "Well... I am from Syracuse & I drove 2 & a half hours to get here. I am knew here & I have no idea where I am going. Is there any way you can make an exception?"
me: "I understand that, & we do try to accommodate anyone not on the event list as much as we can. Unfortunately, since the garage is still reserved, I do have to follow the rules."
mc: "Yea, I understand that. Is there someone you can call? I promise I won't tell anyone if I'm allowed to park."
At that point there is a car behind him. I call "Kim" on her cell phone since it was before 8 a.m., explain the situation, what he told me, & what I told him. She asks me to ask him which room number it is being held in. I ask him that, & he tells me the information is in his car. I tell "Kim" that as well as that there is a car behind him. She tells me to hand the phone to him. She tells him he has to park at metered parking. He is upset, but he leaves. The guy behind him drives up & is here for the same event. I told him what "Kim" told me. He tells me we will have a lot of unhappy campers. "Kim" found out which room number that event was being held in, & told someone in charage that the guests here for that event had to park at the metered lot. Two people in charge of that event came down & directed everyone attending that event to park at the metered lot. Many more people arrived for that event.