PT's Parking Blog

Joe Lumer

Word has been received that Joe Lumer, CEO of L and R group of companies has died. He passed away while on vacation in Argentina. He was 62.

From his bio at L and R:

Joe Lumer served as Chief Executive Officer of the L&R Group of Companies, a privately held, well-capitalized organization that operates two distinct parking divisions: WallyPark and Joe's Auto Parks.

As the CEO of the L&R Group of Companies, Mr. Lumer is responsible for running all facets of the company's divisions with a presence in 6 states. With more than 30-years of hands-on executive experience, Mr. Lumer brings extensive insight and leadership to the parking industry.

Mr. Lumer has facilitated hundreds of strategic deals and partnerships throughout his career and is a well known personality in the industry.

He began his career in the downtown parking lots of Los Angeles, CA. and has been instrumental in growing the family owned company into one of the country's largest privately held parking companies

L and R controlled System Parking, Five Star, and Network Parking but sold those assets to Ampco in September.

 

Michael Vick – My Thoughts

For those of you living on the top of Mount Everest without your blackberry for the past four years, let me bring you up to speed. Michael Vick is a professional football player, in fact a pretty good one, it seems. He has been paid millions of dollars for his craft. He was playing for the Atlanta Falcons when it was discovered he was running a dog fighting ring. It was pretty bad, with Vick admitting to killing dogs and all the rest. He was tried, convicted of the felony and spent a year and a half in jail. He has done community service and "found Jesus." He was hired this year as a quarterback by the Philadelphia Eagles and has done an outstanding job as such. So what, you say. Well the President called the owner of the Eagles and congratulated him on giving Vick a "second chance." Why do I care? I'll tell you why.

As for the President's comments, I could care less. I am much more concerned about the fact that basically a convicted felon has gotten away Scott free. Wait, you say, he went to jail, he paid his debt to society. Yeah Right.

If he was a doctor, lawyer, teacher, truck driver (on a drug offense), commodities trader, judge, insurance salesman, or just about anyone else regulated by the state, he would have lost his license and have had to find other gainful employment. If he is an engineer and looking for a job working for any company who had defense contracts, no matter how good an engineer, he would be forced to change careers. But because he happens to be a professional football player, he gets a pass. And I think it stinks.

Sports Professionals are among the elite of our society. Kids particularly, look up to them as role models. Central city kids dream of following in Vick's or Kobe's footsteps. What they have been taught by this incident is that they can do whatever they want, and if they are caught, they will be able to pay a fine, or perhaps spend a bit of time in jail, and then be able to pick up where they left off. No harm, no foul.

Is that what our society has become? There is no shame anymore. You can do basically anything and it's simply shrugged off. He's a good player and can help a team win, so he gets to continue to play. Why? Why shouldn't a doctor or lawyer convicted of a felony be able to continue to practice? Why shouldn't a teacher who has proven he isn't on drugs be allowed to teach? Why? Because they have earned a responsible position and they have besmirched that profession.

If there is nothing we can teach our children, it's that actions have consequences. Some are greater than others, but they all must have consequences. However if you take the consequences away, then society begins to lose its soul.

When I was a kid in high school, and acted up. I went to the principal's office, my parents were called, and I learned immediately that actions have consequences. When Pete Rose was caught gambling, his ability to get into the hall of fame vanished. Actions have consequences. But when we teach our young that actions don't have consequences, the fabric that binds society together begins to loosen. Vick shouldn't be playing football. There has to be more to a profession, be it law, medicine, or football than just being good at it.

JVH

Lower Crime – Close all Parking Lots

I have been reviewing the Yahoo news feed I get with all things parking, and I find that virtually every other article has to do with crime in parking facilities. Rapes, Murders, robberies, suicides, they are all there. Police appear to chase bad guys into parking lots and garages and arrest them, so perhaps they all shouldn't be closed, leave one open every few blocks to help the police catch the baddies.

I'm being cynical, of course. Mary Smith of Walker Parking tells me that the statistics of crime in parking garages is no higher than that on the street, or in private homes. She should know, she has looked it up.

However, I do know that movies use garages for criminal activity. Think of Fargo, or virtually all the 007 films, or the infamous P2 – referring to parking level 2 where the evil lurks. Movies would have to be completely rethought. Maybe crime could be moved to grocery stores, or freeways, or movie theaters. It would help give the industry a boost in the PR department.

JVH

No matter what the government does, the marketplace wins…

The projections are in for auto sales for 2011. Leading the pack will be trucks and SUV's with substantial increases in each category. Down nearly 10% will be hybrid sales. Some say that people buying a hybrid Prius or Honda will buy a high tech Leaf or Volt instead.

I'm not so sure. I was talking to a woman down the street the other day and commented on her new Lexus hybrid sedan (Nice looking car). She said it was "all right," but she preferred the SUV she had traded in on it. She has two kids and strapping them in the back of the sedan, even though it's a 4 door, is a lot more difficult than in her SUV. And when she has to include the dog, wow.

My next door neighbor (I have told this story before) totaled her Prius but replaced it with a Rav4. Her husband told me that the accident that crushed the Prius was relatively minor, but scared her to death and he couldn't get her back into one.

And I live where there is no snow, icy roads, or rain and slippery streets in the summertime. For folks living in the rest of the country, I cannot imagine that someone having a choice of spending upwards of 30K for a Hybrid or electric (after rebate) or the same amount or less (I found over 55 models of SUV under 30K and half of them were US made). Sure you might save 20% on your fuel, but that is about $350 a year. I would take almost 15 years to make up the difference. In that time the kids would be grown and you could buy your Mini or whatever.

The two women I mentioned above have young families. They are interested in safety, security, and ease of loading/unloading. If they are anything like Andy, they take kids to school, pick them up, go to soccer practice, play dates, trips to grandmother's house, and that's all in a single week and doesn't include shopping, and the like.

Most folks make decisions based on their personal needs and desires. I understand jumping on the "Green" bandwagon, but when folks read in the paper about record freezing and record increases in the polar ice caps, and then look at their kids and all the issues dealing with them they fail to hearth and home, first. As it should be.

Automobile companies build hybrids because the government forced them to do so. They continued to have SUV's in the pipeline because they knew the consumers would buy them. The marketplace will out.

JVH

Predictions for 2011

As Editor, and know it all, one of my tasks this time of year is to predict what is going to happen in the industry in the upcoming 12 months. The LA Times predicted all sorts of wonders for California and the US, and if they can do it so can I. There is only one rule, you can't look back to last year and see how I did. That's cheating.

1. The Brouhaha over software licensing will prove to be a tempest in a teapot and will go the way of the dodo before year's end.
2. Many consumers of parking equipment and services have been "holding off" but tell me that they will be loosening the purse strings in 2011. That means good stuff for suppliers
3. We think that all garages are Pay on Foot but in fact, many, even the majority are pay on exit. Owners will be looking for ways to improve their bottom line by eliminating employees. More and more smaller locations will be converted to pay on foot.
4. Garage owners will begin to take closer looks at their facilities and pricing. Prices in many off street locations will go down, but the total revenue will increase.
5. More and more cities will consider leasing and selling the parking operations, vis a vis Chicago. Some will, but most will take hybrid style approaches where the municipality retains control over parking policy.
6. One of the major parking organizations (those in the US, Oceana, Canada, and Europe) will change their CEO (Paid full time manager).
7. Three major parking equipment suppliers, one from Europe and two from Asia, who currently don't sell equipment in America, will begin actively selling in the US. This will have a downward effect on pricing.
8. At least two of the 10 largest parking operators in the US will begin merger talks in 2011.
9. "Central control" of parking operations, that is having central systems that run multiple locations, will be the mantra at the IPI in Pittsburgh, which will have its smallest attendance in years.
10. The NPA in Las Vegas will be one of its most successful events.
11. On street payment by credit/debit cards will grow exponentially in 2011. This is not only single space meters, but P and D, P by S, Cell Phone, and the like.
12. "Green" will overwhelm the industry, with suppliers falling all over themselves to provide "sustainable" equipment.
13. By the end of 2011, many garages will realize that the installation of free vehicle charging stations is not appropriate and most will be either unused or will be pay as you go.
14. Lighting will continue to be replaced in garages as LED lighting technology matures and owners realize the money that can be saved with it.
15. Parking Guidance systems will continue to be installed, particularly in shopping centers and airports. This includes floor counter displays as well as directional signage.
16. More and more facilities will go to credit card only, if you don't use a credit card, you can't park here. This will save money and cut down on revenue losses.
17. Don Shoup will start talking about enforcement rather than free market pricing. He will continue to stress his ideas of creating a warmer parking environment by lowering or removing the cost of the first violation, and raising the cost on scofflaws.
18. By year's end over 1000 people will be "friends" on PT's Facebook Page – (there are 249 today. We started our page ).
19. 50% of the above predictions will be wrong, but we will never know because no one will look back next year to check.

Maybe the Euros have the right idea

I mean, except for the stores, restaurants, and movies, business is simply not happening. It's the time between Christmas and New Years and everyone is putting off everything until after the New Year's Holiday. Why do we come in to work anyway?

I walked down the hall and people are sitting in offices drinking coffee and chatting, about everything but work. Phones aren't ringing. Faxes are quiet (well who sends faxes anyway). I can't even find news about parking to bring forth some hot ideas for the blog. Andy is the smart one; he took the next couple of days off and is out seeing friends and checking out schools for daughter, Shing. She will be entering Kindergarten next fall and e wants to be sure it's the best. Boy, when I went to school you just went down the street and started classes. Now parents shop for schools and ensure their kids are in the best.

If I still worked from home, I would take the dog for a long walk, pick up my latest copy of Nero Wolfe, and call it a done day.

In the UK, the world shuts down from about December 15 to January 6. People are off. Nothing is happening. They formalize the holiday. Here we just punt.

Its 9:30 – Is it time to go home yet? Did I bring Nero with me?

JVH

Merry Christmas

Each year we here at PT think about the season and realize what makes it special. To us it's the magical glow you see in little children's eyes, the wonderful smiles on everyone's faces, the little bit of extra kindness we see in shops and yes, even parking lots. This is not only a religious holiday, it's a secular one, too. When one hears "Merry Christmas" it can mean one thing to the most religious of us, that this is the birthday of our savior, but it can also mean "What a wonderful time of the year" to everyone.

There are a number of emails going around that talk about the best of all gifts, the gift of time. When we spend time with someone, we give truly of ourselves. It's not a new tie, or a bottle of the best wine, but it's something that means we care. When we really share the magic of this time of year by offering out time, we give the best gift of all. Ties, Iphones and booze are forgotten quickly, the gift of time lives on. We are talking a few days to spend time with our friends and families.

Have the most wonderful Holiday – Merry Christmas, Happy New Year.

From the entire PT Team

John, Andy, Marcy, Shelly, Rad, Sue, Joyce, Melissa

Problem with Birds, and their Mess – Rent a Hawk

San Antonio has a problem. Grackles, sort of souped blackbirds, have taken over trees in a downtown area and their droppings are causing quite a problem. Enter Ace and Joker, hawks that are indigenous to Texas, who fly directly at the roosting birds and drop a not to subtle hint: Move along or else. Check out the video here.

Joker, or is it Ace, and his handler. After about three goes, the infesting birds get the hint, and move along to a safer tree, outside the city.

If you have a bird problem in your parking lot you might consider Blackjack Bird Abatement in Houston.

JVH

 

Garth, Charity, and Parking

Wow this is a hard one. I think the country's largest parking company needs to spend a little money on a public relations firm. This kind of story can go viral, and with a picture of the country's number one recording star adorned with that company's logo – oh brother. Watch the video here.

Seems Garth Brooks held a concert in Nashville this week to raise money for people who had been displaced by flood waters. He sold a ton of tickets and raised a ton of money. So far so good. Well the local parking company, whose headquarters are in Nashville, has a sizable lot near the concert location and normally charges $6 to park there. However during events, they raise the fee to $15. Parking companies do this every day, nationwide.

However in this case, the concert was for charity, and the local city council asked Central to donate the difference between their normal parking fee, and the$15 concert fee to the charity. The Money Quote:

But Central Parking said it already has its charities -- children's hospitals that it gives generously to -- and that the Bridgestone Arena is charging full rate for its parking spaces. It also said it's following its competitors' lead. "It's a business, you know, it is a business. And we're not trying to, we're certainly not overcharging what we normally would do, but we are charging the rates that we normally would for such a huge (event)," a local TV station quoted a spokesperson for Central Parking.

However, as some concertgoers pointed out, the downtown Nashville Library's parking lot remains at $4, the regular price.

There is no possible way for a company to come out of this looking good. Particularly when our industry is generally denigrated for charging for parking in the first place.

I know Central is a good company. I have heard stories about when Katrina left New Orleans devastated, and other parking companies fired their employees because there was no work, Central kept their employees on the payroll through the crisis and helped their customers recover from the disaster. That showed the corporate soul of a great company.

The problem is that one Aw S**t erases a lot of Attaboys.

JVH

Storms a coming

I’m told by folks from all over the country that the biggest storm yet is about to hit LA.  Tonight and tomorrow are supposed to be real gullywashers. Official report is that we have had six inches of rain since Friday – but my neighbor’s weather station belies that…He reports over seven. The new storm is supposed to be a combo of a warm and cold front – that means thunderstorms and possibliy 65 mile an hour winds.  I know I know, we are weather wimps in California. But this is neat stuff. My assistant Joyce and her boyfriend Lindy chase thunderstorms in the Midwest for vacation fun.  Now they can sit in the living room and let it come to them. Here's a blackberry video of a storm drain known as Ballona Creek. I took yesterday about 4 PM. It is usually empty.  

It’s the holidays, Joyce and I are having a devil of a time finding any parking news to put up that doesn’t talk about snow and free parking for Christmas. So if I babble a bit, forgive me.

There is a fight going on over at the PT Facebook page -- over 26 comments on the Gordian Knot story, rewritten by Wanda Kroll. Check it out here.

I have been fiddling with my blackberry and found my twitter wasn’t working so I turned it on and then tweeted from the BB. Egad – it also told the world where I was when I tweeted. Got that turned off. Whew.

Later

JVH