By Corey Robinson
They are not all troublemakers 鈥 at least, that鈥檚 what they are quick to clarify. Most of them are older men from nearby communities, disheartened by life鈥檚 hardships, who feel their only choice is to manage public parking spaces and wash cars in Kingston to make a living.
It鈥檚 straightforward work, especially with the capital city bursting with cars and too few parking spots. They describe it as a symbiotic arrangement 鈥 it鈥檚 good money for them, while providing vehicle cleaning services and peace of mind to the drivers they help.
However, not all of them follow the same rules. Some go as far as using buckets to block public parking spots, particularly the prime ones along King Street and surrounding areas. These men can sometimes be aggressive, hurling insults at motorists or denying access if the drivers refuse to pay.
鈥淵ou can survive on it. As a matter of fact, you better make it work for you, 鈥榗ause the Government not providing any work for us. All me; I am very skilled, you know. But they are not giving me anything,鈥 charged 鈥榃orl鈥, 53, who spends his days directing drivers into parking spots on Ocean Boulevard outside the Jamaica Conference Centre.
Worl鈥 claimed payment for parking assistance is left to the discretion of drivers. He said he never hassles or threatens anybody, though he welcomes the usual $100 or $200 鈥榯ips鈥. The real money, he disclosed, comes from washing the motor vehicles which starts from $500 upwards. The money far less than his former jobs as a forklift and truck operator years ago. But it pays the bills.
鈥淭hem talking about work is in Jamaica, but you have to have links. If you are not involved in iniquity or nobody don鈥檛 know you, you not getting any work around here,鈥 Worl鈥 fumed, whipping out cellular phone photos of what he said were forklift and truck driving licenses.
He was working as a truck driver up until a year ago, he said, noting that a wage dispute caused him to leave the job, forcing him back onto the stretch where he used to hustle as a teenager. Countless resumes and applications later, and still he is yet to find employment. He feels it is harder for older individuals like himself to find work.
鈥淏ut what am I going to do? Sit down and dead? The system has nothing for the elderly people. I look work until me tired. It seems like the only work in Jamaica right now is crime, and I can鈥檛 take prison,鈥 charged Worl鈥, adding that he served a 鈥渟mall time鈥 in the past for wounding another man during a dispute many years ago. This, he admitted, may have also stymied his chances, though he pleaded guilty, arguing that it was an act of self-defence.
Sixty-three-year-old Emanuel Duncan said money from parking and washing motor vehicles on the streets of downtown Kingston sent his six children to school over the years, and also provided food on their table at home. It also financed a stall he now operates.
鈥淪o while a man will get $200 for the parking spot, the money is really in washing the cars. A man can get even $1,500 to wash a car inside and out, and you know is a better food that. Parking now is like a back-up, but you know that if you park a man鈥檚 car, and you get to wash him, too, is a bigger money that,鈥 he said, admitting that there are some extremes.
鈥淪ome of the man dem really aggressive, still. I won鈥檛 tell you any lies, and some are really young to the system. You can see that they are strangers. But the majority of them are good people. Most of us are originals. We don鈥檛 curse the people who are carrying the food. We take care of them, and they take care of us,鈥 he said, adding that hustlers also provide a watching eye over vehicles, which is welcomed by some owners.
The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) has made it clear that such informal parking arrangements are unacceptable, even as they work on increasing parking availability in one of Jamaica鈥檚 busiest districts.
The KSAMC says it enforces strict parking regulations downtown and said it will continue to do so while it employs the services of the police to deal with illegal parking managers who harass motorists who decline their demands for payment for public spots.
These are part of the overall efforts to redevelop and revitalise the downtown Kingston area, and so too is the provision of additional parking spaces, noted Town Clerk Robert Hill last week, adding that the KSAMC is exploring several options to increase parking in the capital.
鈥淎s downtown Kingston continues to redevelop through new investment in properties, refurbishing of previously derelict structures and the ever-increasing attraction of the downtown art district, there is obviously greater demand for parking,鈥 said Hill. 鈥淭he KSAMC continues the dialogue with other entities such as the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), the Transport Authority, and the private sector technology providers with a view to increasing available parking to meet the demand within the downtown Kingston business district.鈥
Hill explained that the KSAMC has recently established a new parking area within the Coronation Market along Darling Street which can accommodate 75 vehicles.
鈥淲e are fully cognisant that this, like other areas across downtown, is inadequate and we have begun to actively explore the means by which we can now move to the provision of multi-level parking,鈥 he said, adding that the municipality has been seeking consultation on the matter, which would most likely be a public-private partnership arrangement.
In addition to changes to the various bus parks to accommodate taxi operators, Hill said the municipality will also be exploring the revitalisation of paid parking meters.
Until then, however, Chestnut Lane resident Conrad Carpenter, 60, who said he has been on the street for two years now, said he will continue enjoying being his own boss as there seems to be no other work for him.
鈥淚t is my aunty and I live, and she is not doing anything. So this helps to put food on the table. From me born until now is pure hustling I know about. I am the roadrunner, the breadwinner.鈥
corey.robinson@gleaner.com