There is always a price to pay for luxury. You have to lose something to gain something. Good things come to those who wait.
These age old sayings have been constantly drilled in us from the time we were old enough to want things that are, for a lack of better word, way too expensive. And I stand by these sayings. You do have to lose something to gain something and good things do come to those who wait. But I would like to apply these wise words to life and its struggles and not in the least to the city centre parking lot!
It all began with my desire of watching a recently released movie with my family. Having trusted the comfort of being able to park our car in the lot so that we don’t have to face the mighty rains that evening and could comfortably walk a small distance to the entrance of the mall, I urged or rather irritated my father to park inside the building. Boy, did I regret that later.
After having our vehicle checked and being given a tiny piece of paper, while proceeding to park, we see that the parking was full and hence they (the attendants) put us in the newly opened topmost floor or if I may say so, an open playground all the way at the top. Then to enhance my worry of missing the beginning of the movie, we were told that we have to cross the field, wading through the rain water to get to the other entrance because the nearest one was closed for the general public.
At this point, I agreed with my father who was constantly repeating that this movie plan was turning more into a punishment. Oh, but the worst was yet to come. At the elevator embankment, after watching the movie, reaching the climax of my nightmare in the mall, all the lifts that could be taken to the lot were going in the opposite direction and were overcrowded. And so after waiting for about 10 minutes, we took the decision of walking four floors. At this point, my father, who is mildly asthmatic and a heart patient was in a great amount of distress and so I decided to walk the remaining two floors and get the car myself (Thanks to city centre for giving me a chance to practice!)
The timing couldn’t have been more perfect when that claustrophobic parking lot turned into a national highway with cars confused and stuck in a traffic jam ‘INSIDE A MALL PARKING LOT!’ We waited behind a long line of cars because the parking attendants suddenly disappeared from the scene when a driver lost his way and got into the wrong lane.
After the mess was cleared by the people (who were very late and very hungry) it took us an additional five minutes to get out because of another farce called the ‘paid parking system’. I am not cringing about the system per se. But addressing the only mall in Mangalore that charges the price of a decent meal to park our middle class cars, I would like to say that it not only takes up too much time, but the central parking system has damaged cars as well (when the automated gate was dropped a little too early and created quite a significant crater on a friend’s car).
To all those people who are going to point at me and call me a hypocrite, when they see me in the city centre mall, post this article – No! I am not going to stop going to the mall, because I do not have any issues with the mall and the shops in it. I have a problem with the parking system in the mall.
This is a serious issue that needs to be fixed. The very reason that people choose to flog the upper level parking system is because the basement parking system is eternally flooded with water from God knows where (because there is water there even when there is shortage of water in the rest of the city).
These are issues that can be fixed. There is an irrational number of vehicles parked on the street and blocking vehicles so that they don’t have to waste time coming out of the dungeon. This can be avoided if the parking fee is removed. We don’t have a problem paying, but we don’t see the point in waiting either.
I have always enjoyed spending my time in the city centre mall and have recommended my friends to go there as well. But these little things do matter to people who are a little old to run up and down the parking lot and let’s say, aren’t 18 anymore.
With a hope that I won’t be banned from entering the mall for speaking my mind (under article 19 of the constitution) I request you to take my suggestions, and ensure that another daughter doesn’t go through a nightmare taking her parents to the mall.
About the Author:
With a background in English Literature and a Masters Degree in Mass Communication and Journalism, Disha is currently working as an associate editor at News Karnataka.
