Parking downtown for an event? BE AWARE!
Posted on Aug 10, 2011 4:45pm PDT
When it comes to parking downtown or anywhere for an event, it is no secret that parking is a scarce commodity.
When you enter the parking lot, you know you have to pay for the spot you are parking in, but have you ever taken the time to think about who it is you are handing your money over to? If you answered no, you probably are not alone, but you should be more vigilant in determining who it is you are paying.
A local parking company owns several lots in the downtown area in which they provide parking spaces for Colorado Rockies games and other events. Recently, they have encountered a serious problem. As their lots require the customer to pay their fee through a machine , the lots are often unmonitored. So what is the problem? Recently, people have been "working" the lots by posturing as parking attendants for the company. The so-called attendant will approach a vehicle that is parking and will say to the driver that the machine is broken and therefore he/she is there to collect the money instead. This so-called employee then hands what appears to be a valid parking receipt to the driver and off the driver goes to park. Little does the driver know that they have just handed their money over to a thief. The thief then runs off never to be heard from again.
Unfortunately, the parking company does not have a record of your payment because payment is to be made through the machine and thus, the driver receives a ticket for non-payment.
So, what can you do to protect yourself? If you are approached in a parking lot, by someone that appears to be an employee of the parking company, then you must ask them for their credentials. Asking for proof of employment is key to protecting your money and furthermore, you should inspect the receipt you are given. Does the receipt have the name of the lot on it? Does the receipt have the name of parking company that owns the lot on it?