Mustank Hypersonic January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/...109-320796.html Confessions of a parking warden Enforcement officer says she is being 'watched' to make sure she does her job. -TNP Joyce Lim Tue, Jan 10, 2012 The New Paper Madam Tan starts her work with a bang every day. There is not one car park in Singapore that is not checked by enforcement officers, says Madam Tan. When drivers spot her, they literally bang the tables and tumble over their chairs as they make a dash to their cars, hoping to get there before Madam Tan does. These are drivers who try to cheat the system by not displaying valid parking coupons or illegally parking their cars. Madam Tan, an enforcement officer in her 50s, declines to give her full name for her confessions to The New Paper on Sunday. A retired civil servant, Madam Tan has been working as an enforcement officer - better known as a parking warden - for more than five years. She usually starts her day at one of Singapore's busiest coffee shops. Hawkers will yell when they spot Madam Tan in the vicinity. Some drivers will hurl expletives as they run to their cars. Madam Tan confesses: "I feel so bad to show up before these people can finish their food. The minute I arrive, they panic, abandon their lunches and run to their cars. "Some would call out to me, 'Tolong aunty, give chance! Give me five minutes to eat.'" To which, Madam Tan would reply: "You spend at least five minutes waiting to have your food order taken, 10 minutes for your food to be served, another 10 minutes to eat and five minutes to go to the toilet. Why don't you display a 50-cent coupon?" "I am just doing my job," Madam Tan would tell the drivers. Parking warden myths debunked! Click on thumbnail to view. Story continues after photos. (Photos: ST, TNP) She is familiar with all the excuses that these drivers come up with. But she can only tell them that she has a job to do, and she is being "watched" to make sure she does it. "All enforcement officers have GPRS in our mobile phones. Our bosses will know if we are at our designated locations at the specified times," explains Madam Tan. "There are also auditors dressed in civilian clothing roaming the car parks to make sure that we are working." Madam Tan reveals that hotspots targeted by enforcement officers are usually those at neighbourhood centres and car park lots near popular coffee shops and Singapore Pools outlets. For instance, she has caught many offenders at the car parks of Block 632, 633 and 634 at Bukit Batok Central. There is not one car park in Singapore that is not checked by enforcement officers, says Madam Tan. Next >> MYTHS DEBUNKED Not even "ulu" (deserted and far-flung) residential estates, where there are only four car park lots and industrial areas. But because those lots are so out of the way, enforcement officers would go there at only a specific time of the day. Madam Tan says: "Many people think that we are out to issue as many summons as we can in a day. That is not true. "My job is to educate the public. This is Singapore. People should know that everywhere you go, you need to pay, even for parking your car." Madam Tan also debunks the belief that enforcement officers have quotas to meet and get a commission for every ticket they issue. She reveals: "We get a basic salary of less than $800 a month. But we get incentives like transport allowance and performance bonus. "Good performance does not mean issuing more tickets. It is about reporting to work on time, getting no complaints or appeals for the tickets issued." That is why Madam Tan is always careful when issuing tickets to offenders. She confesses: "I would rather cancel the ticket than to have the driver file an appeal or file a complaint against me later, which reflects badly on my work performance. "But once a ticket has been issued, there is no way for me to cancel it on the spot." Madam Tan reveals that she issues an average of 30 tickets a day. While she feels sorry for offenders, Madam Tan feels that she is inefficient when she issues just 10 summonses a day. Managing angry and unreasonable drivers is the biggest challenge in her job. She is numb to the verbal abuse hurled at her by these drivers every day. "I will try to explain to them why a summons has been issued. Some drivers actually say 'thank you' before driving off. That is the greatest satisfaction I get from my job," says Madam Tan. But there are also those who threaten her, and some have even knocked her down with their vehicles - all over a $30 fine, says Madam Tan, showing this reporter the scars on her arms and legs. All they have to do, says Madam Tan, is to explain to her why they did not display a valid parking coupon. Madam Tan then keys in their comments into her electronic system. When these drivers send in their appeals later, chances of their fines being waived are much higher as there are already records of their explanations with the authorities, she explains. SECRETS OF THE TRADE RELATED STORIES ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jman888 Moderator January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 "I will try to explain to them why a summons has been issued. Some drivers actually say 'thank you' before driving off. That is the greatest satisfaction I get from my job" says Madam Tan. this part is the BEST [laugh] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamstart 1st Gear January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 I still think that they get commission for every ticket issued. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darthrevan Supercharged January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 good that someone finally came out to clarify..i never had issues with parking wardens..i knew the rules and i played by them Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carra Neutral Newbie January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 I think the ambiguous part is the performance bonus. How is it calculated? No. of summons issued per day or month? At what rate? Surely there must be something to incentivise them to issue more summons right? If not if they only get a basic pay regardless of how many summons they issue, who would want to issue more bearing in mind that they have to be shouted at by those who kenna summoned. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curahee 1st Gear January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 Dunno why drivers need to get angry and hate all these parking wardens... Dare to cheat the system, den muz dare to face the consequences when get caught... These warden nv do anything wrong but seems like fault always lay with them when drivers kena summon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainbowbiatch 6th Gear January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 (edited) I think the ambiguous part is the performance bonus. How is it calculated? No. of summons issued per day or month? At what rate? Surely there must be something to incentivise them to issue more summons right? If not if they only get a basic pay regardless of how many summons they issue, who would want to issue more bearing in mind that they have to be shouted at by those who kenna summoned. halo? She reveals: "We get a basic salary of less than $800 a month. But we get incentives like transport allowance and performance bonus. "Good performance does not mean issuing more tickets. It is about reporting to work on time, getting no complaints or appeals for the tickets issued." That is why Madam Tan is always careful when issuing tickets to offenders. She confesses: "I would rather cancel the ticket than to have the driver file an appeal or file a complaint against me later, which reflects badly on my work performance. Edited January 11, 2012 by Rainbowbiatch Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KARTer 2nd Gear January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 Kena ticket, what to do? pay lor.... but still can tear it in front of auntie before paying the next day at payment counter.... (keep a small piece which contain the date, reference etc... the rest just slowly tear/shred ... very slowly.... can also do it at the payment counter hope there's now law against it..... i know lots of MY drivers just throw the tickets on the ground in their country Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berncsp76 6th Gear January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 Dunno why drivers need to get angry and hate all these parking wardens... Dare to cheat the system, den muz dare to face the consequences when get caught... These warden nv do anything wrong but seems like fault always lay with them when drivers kena summon. If play by the rules I think its fine. But some of them are yaya papaya in nature...thinking they are police officers or what, and summon anyhow without accepting any reasoning. :angry: And always use the quote" I am doing my job".....lame Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph22 Turbocharged January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 If play by the rules I think its fine. But some of them are yaya papaya in nature...thinking they are police officers or what, and summon anyhow without accepting any reasoning. :angry: And always use the quote" I am doing my job".....lame frankly speaking, if you break the law. they dont have to accept any reason. Park without coupon, what reason is reasonable??? non actually. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calvin79 2nd Gear January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 Makes me wonder even more... my CP is always full after 8 pm and all Season tkt holders will illegal park(but not obstructing anyone) then they will still summon...(but its almost definately waived off) i got it total like 8 times... Neighbors too... Since if we appeal affects their performance bonus, i wonder y the warden still bothers to do it... haiz... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainbowbiatch 6th Gear January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 Makes me wonder even more... my CP is always full after 8 pm and all Season tkt holders will illegal park(but not obstructing anyone) then they will still summon...(but its almost definately waived off) i got it total like 8 times... Neighbors too... Since if we appeal affects their performance bonus, i wonder y the warden still bothers to do it... haiz... SOP lor.. no enuf parking lot is towncouncil/hdb prob liao ma. so play tai chi lor... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph22 Turbocharged January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 SOP lor.. no enuf parking lot is towncouncil/hdb prob liao ma. so play tai chi lor... not tai chi lah... how she know ppl not abusing this and anyhow park leh like my carpark, i see inside got lots of carpark, but those ppl just like to anyhow park because nearer to their house. kenna liao then appeal.. when there are lots of lots further inside. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabbie Clutched January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 Kena ticket, what to do? pay lor.... but still can tear it in front of auntie before paying the next day at payment counter.... (keep a small piece which contain the date, reference etc... the rest just slowly tear/shred ... very slowly.... can also do it at the payment counter hope there's now law against it..... i know lots of MY drivers just throw the tickets on the ground in their country Tear carefully, got pieces drop on the ground will kena more fine for littering Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonTan 2nd Gear January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 Did she say all their working hours are from 8:30am till 5:30pm. Or got shift hours? Did she say anything about the early hours ambush? Regular team or special task force just for the night? Did she say she got offered in kind for waiving off summons? I was hoping for more deeper revelation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vhtfhwlego Supercharged January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 I cannot even remember when is my last ticket.... I wonder y so many want to cheat the system... I believe that one cheat = demerit point = better driving for everyone which can afford cars... I also believe that driver should be fine if that one breakdown in highway due to no maintenance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karu 6th Gear January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 Aunties will be out of job soon. More & more 'ERP' carparks nowadays. Cannot cheat anymore!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jman888 Moderator January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 Aunties will be out of job soon. More & more 'ERP' carparks nowadays. Cannot cheat anymore!! so must help them..... don't tear coupon [laugh] ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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