The free cost of Valet Parking in Jordan

Valet parking is a new trend in Jordan and to some people it's a must do etiquette. To some companies it might be an added value to their service. The question is what does it mean to the city?

I asked GAM if they give anybody permits for businesses who claim the ownership of the street curb, but they don't, even some businesses claim that they pay for the valet spots.

The problem has many dimensions. I don't support the whole idea, but if we want to imitate other countries it needs to be regulated, any claimed Valet Parking should be done through a certified operators, this way we make sure that the car is safe and the driver is qualified to drive.

I don't wanna suggest accommodating valet parking but GAM and We need to find a better solutions for the increasing problem of Parking in Jordan.

It does frustrate me when I see an empty parking spot along the street side being reserved for the business customers or a VIP personnel, while I have to circulate the blocks trying to find an empty spot! Last weekend I saw a whole street in Abdoun, arround Crums and Limon, full of unoccupied reserved spots while everybody was looking for a spot!!!

The street side belongs to all people, we payed for the ownership when we payed our taxes.

This matter took my deep attention when I was living in NYC, I first created a blog called: SHAME ON YOU PARKING ... http://shameparking.blogspot.com/ ( That was my first blog: Shame Parking is a public awareness blog to promote better parking practices and better environment). What I did is taking a picture of a wrong parking cars and post it in the blog with the car number, and I send it my e-mail to NYPD!!! Crazy... but what was more crazy is taking a picture of a police officer car parking in a wrong spot and I post it under: Uncivil servants!!! but it's a free world there, I am not sure if I can do that here..hahha? After this blog I thought of finding a solution for car parking problems in NYC, so I created another blog: Spotforecast and tried to sell the idea : http://spotforecast.blogspot.com/ of finding parking spots from your cell phone.

Well, you wonder what happened? It needs investment in marketing the idea!!! anybody interested?

I didn't see valet parking on the street side in the US. The valet parking concept is based on taking the car to the parking lot and not to the street side.

It really frustrate me to see this in Jordan. We need to build a campaing against this practice.

Parallel Parking

The pictures shown were taken within 5min of circulating the boundary streets of one of the most important neighborhoods in Amman, Swefieh.

I am posting these pictures with comments trying to point out on the problems we have in the City. Hopefully, we understand our problems and try to give the right solutions.

I don't walk to work, like most of us, and i got so frustrated from what I experience when driving. I see drivers fighting, agressive, and mad at each other. Not a healthy way for people to interact with each other, not a healthy way of living.

Parallel parking is a major obstacle for driving in the city, it cause more traffic, and more accidents. People parallel drive either because there is no parking, or they are in a hurry and have no time searching for a spot, or loading and unloading.

This doesn't happen in the big cities but why we see it a problem here?

A solution for this is by re-structuring the transportation system in the city by providing the following solutions:

1) Focus on Green transportation alternatives and not cars: Pedestrian, and public transit.

2) More Garage parking

3) Metered parking

4) Alternative street side parking

And most important allowing drivers to curb their cars only for loading and loading or a small period of time, like 1/2 an hour. Many of the parking spots are lost due to the long term parking of the retail owners and employees.

This will improve our streets and will improve the quality of our public spaces.

Finally, I am not promoting for accomodating driving, we shall focus more on pedestrians and public transit and not imposing some driving rules.

Related Posts:
Promoting for transportation alternatives in Amman City
Parking
Amman Mini-Metro from the 1st circle to the 8th circle?
The new Traffic law