Two Things I Learned Myself the Hard Way

I went to SM North EDSA for an important thing to do. I parked my car at the fourth level of the Carpark Bldg. I finished my business after more than an hour and when I get back to my car, I proceed directly to the parking exit. It was too late for me to realize that my loose change is not sufficient to pay for the fixed 40 pesos parking charges. The smaller bill that I had at that time is only 500 pesos.

The details of my parking as shown in this photograph.

I hurriedly handed over my 500 peso bill to the cashier behind the till. In return, she hurriedly handed me over my change and the parking receipt (shown above) while uttering some confirmations that she received 500 pesos, I was charged 40 pesos, my change is 460 pesos, and ended her line with the word "Thank you" (that's their standard operating procedure). I didn't bother to count the change as there was a long queue of vehicle behind me. I put the bills and receipt on top of the vacant seat beside me and hurriedly floored the gas.

When I was already in EDSA, the northbound traffic was very slow. It was already past seven in the evening and I was  already getting hungry. I remembered I didn't even had any formal lunch during the day. The nearest diner I could find along EDSA is the Jollibee-EDSA opposite NIA Office. I was already in Jollibee when I noticed the money I had only composed of two 100 peso bill and eight 20 peso bill, which means, it only totaled 360 pesos only. It should be 460 pesos since the parking charges I paid for by my 500 peso bill costed only 40 pesos. I tried to look for the missing 100 pesos from every corner inside the car but I couldn't find it. Finally, I concluded that I was indeed short-changed by the cashier, intentionally or not.

When I arrived home, I thought of filing a complaint about it to the SM administration just the way I did with KFC and Chowking (Chowking missed to deliver the halo-halo I ordered - I didn't blog about it). But I can't find any contact details  to the administration office from the SM Supermall website. Right now, I ended up blogging about it instead.

Lesson learned: I should always count my change before leaving the counter.

Remedies so the same incident cannot be repeated in the future: Since my route is pre-planned, I should always prepare an exact amount to pay for parking just the way I always do with payments in the freeways toll exits.

2. Never Park Your Car In A Tow-Away Zone Even If A Lot of People Are Parking Theirs

You know how hard it is to find a place to park your car around Makati. This morning, I went to Makati for an appointment. When I arrived to the venue, I found it hard to find a spot where I can park my car. I noticed there were a lot of cars parked parallel alongside the road though a "Tow-Away Zone" sign is very much visible. I was running short of time so I decided to join this group of vehicles parked illegaly. I find my own slot in the midst. And so I thought it won't take long and my business will be over. It was a calculated risk.

More than 30 minutes had passed and I was ready to go. Once outside, the slot where my car once stood is already empty. A chalk writing on the pavement notified me to claim my car at the Makati impounding area. What puzzled me is that my car was being singled-out by the tow trucker. The same cars once stood there more than an hour ago still remain the same.

I was left with no choice other than to get my car at the impounding area. I had to take a cab to get there. Once there, I was charged one thousand pesos for penalty and the towing service. At that time, I didn't know whether I have to feel upset or not. Realizing that indeed I violated the law, I preferred to keep my cool.

After I paid the penalty and towing charges, my next worry is the damage that possibly could have resulted if they didn't towed my car properly. Other than the parking brake having been activated, I also engaged the car into first gear (the car is manual). The front wheels were also turned towards the curb. It was possible that my car was towed from behind because the gears were engaged. And if it was towed that way, my front wheels are sure to have suffered damages since the steering wheels were locked and the wheels were turned to the right. Well, I didn't find somebody there to ask about it since only two clerks were present at that time. The tow truck and the truckers were not around.

When finally I was already driving my car back, I noticed right away a difference in handling. Disc brakes also emitted some metallic sounds. I head straight to the automotive shop near our office for check up. Upon check up, I was told by the mechanic that the tie rod ends were bent and loosened and needed to be replaced. Hub bearings were also ripped apart and needed to be replaced as well. My car also needed realignment (it was just being aligned last month). All of these in a hefty amount (that I can't mention here) and since I didn't bring that big amount of cash, I was left with no choice other than charging those parts and services to my credit card (Arggh!).

Lesson learned: I should not be carried away by false sense of security. It's better to play safe than sorry. One single mistake can cost you a lot of fortune.

Remedies so the same incident cannot be repeated in the future: If I really need to bring a car in my appointments, I should insist for a secured parking space. If there's none, I'd rather cancel the appointment.

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