Semi-sighting that's hilarious

[fireheart]

I'm not gonna post the entire article here, but this is just funny. Basically, a Westfield in Adelaide is going to start charging shoppers for parking if they spend more than 3 hours in the store. Because there's a bus interchange there, it's designed to stop people from using it as free parking to get a bus to the city. Slight cash cow, but anyway....that's not the point.

On the website for the newspaper, certain articles have reader comments (ones involving legal situations are not allowed except in some cases-the only case that springs to mind is the flamingo bashing incident at Adelaide Zoo.). I think I've already posted two of them for the Herald Sun. This comment about the Westfield though had me ing:

These shopping centres are mostly owned by the descendants and followers of Al Capone, and since they now have control of all shopping centres in most parts of the world, they can charge a parking fee. I detests the idea personally, but I cannot as yet, find an elternative way to go shopping.

This one redeems themselves...slightly:

Wakey wakey shoppers. There's no such thing as a free lunch or free parking. Westfield and other shopping centre operators invest in parking on your behalf and that is paid for via tenant's rent and ultimately you the consumer. To the extent that more and more motorists use those parking facilities to park all day and catch public transport to work they are ultimately freeriding on Westfield customers. Westfield are sensibly responding with reasonable time limits to protect your interests as shoppers.

This is the main reason why they've introduced the paid parking.

And finally...one that sums it up quite nicely:

None of our business how they run the place, they own it and they can charge if they think it will free the congestion for honest users. Cannot work this town out, we scream when we are called a backwater and then complain when we adopt world best practice.

The "backwater" of course being our town. While we are a backwater somewhat, it's nice in a way because some of the areas have a very small-town feeling about them.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

These shopping centres are mostly owned by the descendants and followers of Al Capone, and since they now have control of all shopping centres in most parts of the world, they can charge a parking fee. I detests the idea personally, but I cannot as yet, find an elternative way to go shopping.

I see somebody's a regular at the tinfoil haberdashery.

[fireheart]

knew that'd tickle your fancy Irv

[Nashida]

I'd like to now...what's an elternative? Because it's gonna be a long time before that guy finds one...there's plenty of ALternatives, but...

And I actually like that idea. It stops people from taking up all the spaces in the lot as free parking for the bus which prevents customers from shopping in the store.

[wagegoth]

The first alternative I thought of was having an electronic gate at each entrance. Driver gets a ticket, then has to take it into the shopping center to get it validated electronically to use when leaving. The gate reads the ticket and opens if it's validated. If not, it calls security and/or snaps a picture of the car and license plate. It won't stop those determined enough to park and buy a coffee every day before catching public transit, but it will stop those who are parking for convenience.

[Kogarashi]

The first alternative I thought of was having an electronic gate at each entrance. Driver gets a ticket, then has to take it into the shopping center to get it validated electronically to use when leaving. The gate reads the ticket and opens if it's validated. If not, it calls security and/or snaps a picture of the car and license plate. It won't stop those determined enough to park and buy a coffee every day before catching public transit, but it will stop those who are parking for convenience.

Perhaps, then, it should be more like the parking at airports. Get a ticket when you enter the lot, and if you leave within the three hour window, you're not charged a parking fee. Leave after, pay parking rates.

[fireheart]

Perhaps, then, it should be more like the parking at airports. Get a ticket when you enter the lot, and if you leave within the three hour window, you're not charged a parking fee. Leave after, pay parking rates.

That's roughly how it's gonna work. If they can get in and out within 3 hours, they aren't charged, but after that, they gotta pay. Also the first quote is from a female, not a male.