Sometimes we lost track of just where the money comes from. If you work for the parking department of a city or university, your salary comes from the people who park in the lots you administer. Even when parking is “free” the money comes from the folks who drive the cars through fees, fines, and the like.
If you are the parking administrator for a shopping center or large company or development, it is likewise. If you owner a parking operation company or work for one, it’s exactly the same. The folks who drive in leave their cars in your care pay you salary and for that Christmas turkey you get every year.
The folks who provide the garages, consulting, systems and equipment that enable all of the above to do their jobs are in the same boat. They receive payment from monies that are collected, in one way or another, from those who park their cars while going about other business.
And last of all, we here at Parking Today are paid by those who promote their products in our pages, and that money all comes from only one place, parking.
So thanks to all you who drive and park and pay for the privilege to put your cars in our care – without you, this 15 billion dollar industry that employees over half a million people would not exist. So when you eat that Christmas feast, or watch the bowl games or Rose Parade on that big screen TV, remember just where it came from.
Maybe when we fight the crowds on the day after Christmas to return and exchange those gifts, give a nod or a smile to all those parked around you. They will be confused, but you won’t. You know from wince your holiday came.
JVH
3 Responses
Re: Even when parking is “free” the money comes from the folks who drive the cars through fees, fines, and the like.
We Shoup-istas will tell you that this isn’t necessarily entirely true – when customer or employee parking is free of charge to the person parking, it’s often also subsidized by overhead paid equally by people who arrive by other modes (bike, walk, transit).
Your overall point is accurate, nonetheless… and thank you for providing useful parking lore throughout the year!
Of course you are correct — My point is that usually particularly in situations where there is no direct charge but fines and fees, the direct costs of parking enforcement, mainly salaries are related to the parkers.
JVH
In regards to “parking feeds my family”. I too am a parking lot related professional. I own a parking lot striping company on the west coast that is in the business of parking lot painting. A lot of the fees that structures charge go to the maintenance of the structures keeping my family in my home and fed. That being said whenever I park in a structure I have no problems paying the fee for using their facility because I know that it eventually ends up back in mine. I am part of the family of professionals and give thanks to an industry that has done good by me.
James Farley
PS: Keep up the blog work JVH I enjoy reading it.