My car eats tickets a.k.a. The KLCC parking story

parking klcc

This happened close to midnight. I had just finished watching a movie at KLCC and paid the RM 12 parking ticket. I casually tossed it on the dashboard of my car, which is the usual holding place until I exit the carpark.

Unfortunately, this was just after my car has been fixed in ways that I never imagined possible.

car eats tickets

There was a hole inside the dashboard.

I don’t know where it leads to and spent a good 10 minutes futilely trying to retrieve the ticket by shoving my hand into the 20 cm crack before giving up and heading to the manned parking payment center.

klcc parking

It was still open – thankfully. I expected to pay the RM 50 lost ticket charge but the guy behind the counter just gave me another ticket instead after I explained what had happened.

I used that mysterious ticket and it turned out to be just RM 6!

emergency exit ticket

It also showed that I had just stayed for slightly over an hour, which is wildly inaccurate – I was there for 4 hours.

I don’t know where the guy got it from, but I was so grateful at his kind actions that I stopped before going out and passed him RM 10 as a tip.

He was as surprised as I was – tipping is not customary over here.

…so now I know – Don’t put the parking ticket on the dashboard!

dashboard

My car seems to have a positively voracious appetite after being fixed. I should start calling it Christine. 😡

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

38 thoughts on “My car eats tickets a.k.a. The KLCC parking story”

  1. hahahaha damn funny lor your caption. how come got a hole there one? really nice of the guy to give you ticket instead of lost parking fee. :))

    Reply
    • Heh! I don’t know, it’s not a hole per se, more like a large crack along the dashboard. 😡

      Yeah, I’m not even sure how he got the ticket. The time means that it couldn’t have been generated there and then.

      I guess it’s a ticket that has been somehow dispensed and not used. I don’t know how it works with the manual parking payment center.

      Nice of him to do that though.

      Cheers bro! 🙂

      Reply
    • Heh! Indeed it is, the trick is to go in after 5 pm or 6 pm (depending on the shopping mall policy).

      It’ll be cheaper than the usual peak hour rates then.

      Christine is a book written by Stephen King – it’s about a car which has sentience and started killing people and absorbing them (sometimes) into it’s own car construct.

      There’s a movie too, as someone pointed out but the novel is awesome, been a fan since I was a kid.

      Cheers mate! 😀

      Reply
  2. The amount that I have paid for Pavilion’s parking all the times that I’ve went could easily buy me a plate of Hawaiian pizza at Freddy’s place. Anyway. You’re real lucky that the guy was willing to help you out. When I lost the IPC parking ticket and explained the whole story to the parking attendant, I think the fellow couldn’t care a crap and insisted that I pay the RM10 penalty fee.

    I’m not sure how your dashboard could be having a hole there. But Christine? Is your car painted in light blue or in any girlish color? Cause I can’t make the reference to it. Have you tried keeping the ticket in your wallet? It’s safer there, you know….

    Reply
    • Sorry to hear about your experience. 😡

      I know right! It’s quite expensive, I’ve had RM 30 and above before when I parked at KLCC or Pavilion during peak hours. 😡

      I think they have got a cap somewhere though or else people would just claim a lost ticket if it goes over RM 50.

      Now come to think of it, maybe some people have an “arrangement” with the manual parking payment counter guys, which will explain the mysterious ticket.

      I think that’s probably where it came from but still nice of the guy to pass it to me when I explained.

      It’s a *GAP* of sorts – the dashboard is not flush with the piece anymore after I fixed my car.

      I don’t put it in my wallet coz it’s just a short trip from the autopay machine to my car and then to the exit.

      Thanks Ciana! 🙂

      Reply
      • No problem! =D I’d usually keep mine in the pocket of the jeans after paying it because it’s more convenient and cars won’t be trailing us, looking for our parking bay. If keeping it in the wallet is an inconvenience, you could probably give it a try.

        The IPC incident wasn’t the only time. I had almost lost another parking ticket at MV. Thank goodness I managed to rush back in time for it. Nowadays, it’s kept in my wallet…

        Reply
        • Heh! Good idea Ciana! 🙂

          Yeah, I have a tendency to do that as well, if the carpark is really full and I’ve been searching for a long time…I’ll start to tail people who’re coming out and hope I get their parking spot before the other circling cars do. Haha!

          It worked well for me once, the person actually graciously told me where her car was and waited until I was in place before she reversed out.

          Good to hear that! Yeah, at least you got it back at MV.

          I just held it in my hand just now coz it was a short walk from the autopay to my car, I was at BVII with my cousin.

          Cheers and have a great weekend! 😀

          Reply
  3. Naming it Christine is quite apt! Fab movie.. Glad there are people that remembers 🙂 . Stumbled upon your blog. Interesting stuff and I like the way you write. Cheers!

    Reply
    • Thanks for the kind comments V! 🙂

      Heh! Yeah, I’m a huge fan of Stephen King, read that novel when I was just a kid, didn’t quite understand it the first time round though coz I was only 11-12 years old.

      I re-read it again when I was in my 20’s and it’s a rather good book, not his best work, but great none the less.

      I’ve watched the movie too, but I can’t remember most of it, most of SK’s movie adaptations tend to be a bit hit and miss (more misses than hits).

      Cheers! 😀

      Reply
    • Haha! I know right, it didn’t happen before, it has always been safe.

      It’s my designated spot for parking tickets before I exit since it’s easily accessible (no need to dig around in my wallet or pocket). However, since I fixed the car there’s a gap in there.

      Oh well, now I know.

      Cheers Laura! 🙂

      Reply
    • Hey, that’s a good way to do things buddy! 🙂

      I used to pass it to my ex girlfriends after I pay for the ticket too for safekeeping. I agree, women tend to be more careful about these things.

      Don’t mean to be sexist or anything, but it’s somewhat true. Haha. Some guys are careful too I suppose but most just chuck it somewhere.

      I keep mine in my shirt pocket or wallet while I’m out in the mall or pass it to my girlfriend (my previous previous ex was particularly careful about these things).

      Cheers bro! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Its good of the guy to help you out, but tipping might change the situation don’t you think? I know you meant well but it might lead to other things…just my thought.

    Reply
    • Yeah, I was surprised by the guy being so nice to help out too.

      I didn’t tip him then. I just told him what happened and he shrugged and passed a ticket to me.

      I only tipped him *AFTER* I paid for that mysterious ticket and was about to exit the carpark.

      You have a point though, people who tip *during* the exchange would cause some problems. I didn’t do it then, I didn’t even hint that I was going to do so, I was quite irate at the whole situation and explained it to him and he just passed me a ticket. Nice of him to do so. I stopped the car before the manual ticket payment place and then ran out and passed him RM 10 as a tip.

      I don’t think it affected anything since it happened after he gave me the ticket. He was as surprised as I was.

      Cheers mate! 🙂

      Reply
      • Hi just my 2 cents,your action may have changed the ticket guy’s perception, on what the “market” is willing to do for him in similar issues in future. I just let good deeds be paid forward most of the time, that makes the world more sincere rather than encouraging people to have any expectations from those they had helped to be rewarded after helping. (especially those who are merely carrying out their work duties). You may have just set the precedence to expect gratitude in monetary form since he looked shocked by your gesture.

        I used to work for an MNC, one of the policy was, the staff were not allowed to accept any gifts from customers or suppliers for carrying out our duties (whether well or not) because it was our duty to do our job well. If we had accepted any gratitude in terms of gifts or money, it was viewed as a form of bribery. Another way of looking at it is, for example being let off by a policeman for speeding as one had a an obvious genuine emergency like a very ill passenger, & tipping the policeman RM 10 for not giving a RM 50ticket. It would be viewed as bribery.He is just merely carrying out his job & neither legal nor ethical to accept or expect a tip.

        As whole, this exchange seemed to be shady, you told him you stayed for 4 hours but he gave you a ticket for less than that. Ticket counter duties are normally black & white, it’s either he believes your story & you need not to pay for parking again(if there’s such policy) OR he doesn’t believe it or there is no such policy & impose the fine. Anyway, I am surprised a ticket counter person has such authority to decide on waiving the fine. In addition for not carrying his duties so well by giving a ticket of lower value etc, he get tipped for it, sounds like encouraging dishonesty. Hmmm….

        Reply
        • Hello Jean! 🙂

          Yeah, you have a point there. A very good one. An apt analogy (but totally wrong if taken literally) is Pavlov’s dog. 😡

          Interesting information about your previous work in an MNC – this happens in a lot of corporations in Malaysia, big or small – officially it says that gifts are not to be accepted by individuals but a lot of clients circumvent that by giving the company gifts which are obviously meant for staff during festive seasons…and that’s the more discreet and straight and narrow ones.

          I guess it’s all down to different cultures – casino croupiers in Malaysia are NOT allowed to accept any tips at all while in Europe, they are and it’s actively encouraged. I’ve seen that in the Netherlands, Germany and UK.

          It’s a lot like elections in the US right now and where the funding comes from – when you think about it, there’s not a lot of difference between donations and the resulting political favors (or plum jobs etc). Corporations or lobby groups can split up the maximum allowed limit by diverting it through various channels. It still sounds like money for potential political favors if the candidate wins to me.

          The manual ticketing counter here is staffed by low wage personnel, and that person has a surprisingly wide leeway in doing things:

          1. Charging the RM 50 penalty
          2. Giving me that mysterious ticket
          3. Letting me out straightaway

          Anyway, there are CCTV cameras at the autopay machines as well as some sort of computerized internal transaction history. I first explained what had happened at the intercom *at* the autopay machine after that happened.

          I went back to the very same one, and the voice behind the speaker told me to go to the manual ticket payment counter. That could probably have been the time the guy went and verified my story to know I was telling the truth and that the ticket was paid for and lost, if he was so inclined.

          However, it can be argued that a lost ticket is a lost ticket, but he gave me that mysterious ticket to let me out anyway, I had fully expected to pay the RM 50 penalty coz that’s what happened to me numerous times before.

          Thanks for your input.

          Cheers Jean! 🙂

          Reply
  5. WHOA. Luckily you’re a guy. If it’s me, I’ll be frantically calling my parents or friends.. huhuh.. TT AND I SWEAR I AM NOT GOING TO PAY FOR THE LOST OF TICKETS. NO WAY! RM50 is a lot weh! ><
    Lucky Huai Bin, but your time worth more than that right?;P Nehmind, at least you have some experience to share!;P

    Reply
    • Hello Eunice! 🙂

      Heh! Well, I’ve paid a couple of times for lost parking ticket penalties (usually RM 50). I’ve also gotten my car clamped a couple of times, that cost me RM 100 – last time that happened was at Giant, PBD. I didn’t know they actually would do that and I was rushing at time. 😡

      Yeah, it’s quite a lot but losing the ticket usually means you’ve got to pay the RM 50 penalty. I’ve lost a PLUS highway toll ticket before too and that’s even worse!

      They’ll charge you from the *FURTHEST* point – it’s their policy. Thus, I got hit with a toll price from Johor to Seremban when I was actually just going from KL to Seremban.

      I don’t even know how I could lose a toll ticket in my car.

      Yeah, at least it’s a good experience, and it’s heartening to see people like this who does it for nothing, which was why I tipped him after.

      Cheers! 😀

      Reply
    • Hello Constance! 😀

      Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s all major malls – the parking fee during peak hours is quite high, especially the major ones in KL city center.

      I’ve paid RM 30 and above before, I don’t know what’s the cut off point but there must be some.

      Going during non-peak hours (either 5 pm or 6 pm depending on the mall) will greatly reduce the price though.

      It’s an inducement for people to come after office hours. *shrugs

      Cheers Constance! 🙂

      Reply
  6. That was so sweet of you but hey! Comes as no surprise…you’re so nice I would expect you to do something like that – tip the guy. Ya, not customary here…but I do it all the time. What’s a few ringgit…if it makes others happy.

    I took the hotel’s complimentary shuttle to the airport in Kuching that day – the concierge was so good – helped us with the bags and everything and when I gave him RM10 as a tip, he actually looked shocked…like he had never been tipped before. Even if he had helped carry my bags from the lobby to the car outside the hotel entrance, I would have tipped him. They don’t earn much, these people…and such little gestures would help make their day.

    Btw, I never keep my parking ticket in the car at these places. Somehow, I feel that if they want to steal my car (not that anyone would want to do that, my old jalopy), they would not be able to get out of the car park without the ticket. Old man, funny ideas, eh? LOL!!!!

    Reply
    • Heh! Thanks buddy! 🙂

      I just though the guy deserved it coz usually they’ll ask you to pay for the RM 50 lost ticket penalty or will ask you for tips to get a mysterious ticket like this but this guy didn’t.

      He’s one of the minority for sure, I just told him what happened and he shrugged and gave me a ticket and asked me to pay for this one instead, he told me it’ll be cheaper. It turned out to be only RM 6 – I thought it’ll be something equivalent to RM 50 but I was surprised that he was so nice that I stopped the car before going out and tipped him RM 10.

      Just paying it forward.

      Yeah, it’s not common for people in this line of work to receive tips like this (without asking or a pre-arrangement, which is where I’m sure the ticket came from), which was why I did it – I only tip when I think the service is good enough to deserve it.

      I don’t keep the ticket in my car either, I always take it with me – this happened after I paid at the autopay machine and went into my car to exit the car park. The dashboard swallowed the ticket. 😡

      No funny ideas there, I think most people take the ticket out of the car, for practicality if nothing else – it’ll be troublesome to walk back to the car to retrieve the ticket and go to the autopay machine again.

      That’s very nice of you Arthur! Yeah, it’ll definately make their day! 🙂

      Cheers buddy! 😀

      Reply
    • Sorry to hear about your experience. 😡

      Yeah, I’ve paid my share of RM 50 lost ticket penalties and clamping release fees (RM 50 – 100 depending on the mall).

      I think the worst one was when I lost my toll ticket on PLUS highway (think it flew out of the car coz I had my window open). I was going from KL to Seremban.

      They had to charge me the price for the furthest route – *JOHOR* to Seremban coz of that. Oh well.

      Cheers and have an awesome day! 😀

      Reply
  7. I always keep the ticket in my pocket. So never loses it. But why did the second ticket cost only RM6? So can I use your method next time I lose my ticket? LOL!

    Reply
    • I’ll do that if I’m wearing a shirt that has a front pocket too. 🙂

      I can’t stuff it into my pants pocket though, it’ll just get all crumpled. I figured it’s just a short trip from the autopay machine to the car and then to the exit so I just put it at the dashboard so it’s easily accessible when I exit.

      No need to dig around, I can just grab the ticket and slot it into the exit barrier when I reach

      I don’t know – that’s the mysterious bit. I think the ticket was there either coz it has been dispensed but not used e.g. a lost ticket or the manual carpark ticket payment center has a sort of agreement with certain people e.g. people who works there and wants cheap parking. It’s Malaysia after all. *shrugs

      I don’t know for sure though, I’m just guessing.

      Haha! I wouldn’t do that, this was an exceptional case, I have had to pay the RM 50 lost ticket penalty before too, it was just my luck that I came across a guy that was nice enough to give me that mysterious parking ticket.

      Cheers mate! 😀

      Reply
  8. i trust this kind of incidents only happen to you! haha… now that I learn something here – instead of reporting a loss of ticket and pay RM50, I’ll tell them next time that my car dashboard ate my parking ticket too!

    Reply
    • Haha! Apparently not, it seems that the car does have a gap there and I never actually noticed!

      The ticket slid up the screen and then down, which made it fall into the gap.

      Heh! I doubt that can happen, I kena a lot of times for the RM 50 penalty before – a lost ticket is a lost ticket, at least that’s the policy of most shopping malls – unless the autopay machine somehow malfunctions.

      Besides, they have CCTV cameras and records so they can check if you’re telling the truth.

      I told the guy I lost my ticket coz the car ate it but he could have easily said that it still counts as a lost ticket. I’ve paid the RM 50 penalty a lot of times before. 😡

      You can certainly try though.

      Good luck and have a great weekend Eiling! Cheers! 🙂

      Reply
  9. HB, glad you didn’t have anything taken in car. I left my backpack in car and someone broke into it and took it, Forgot to put in trunk of car instead, Lucky backpack had lotion, hairspray but it was name brand backpack.

    Reply
    • Hmm…why would someone take anything from my car? 🙂

      This has nothing to do with that, I didn’t leave it unlocked, this happened coz I didn’t realize there’s a gap between the dashboard and it just so happened that the ticket slid into it this time out of hundreds of times it didn’t.

      Sorry to hear about your experience though.

      Cheers! 😀

      Reply
    • Heh! Apparently not according to Ken, it seem that is a design issue with the car – there is a gap in the dashboard.

      During the hundreds and hundreds of times I’ve put my ticket there, nothing happened, it just so happened that this time it slid up the dash and back down, thus going into the gap, forever lost. 😡

      A rather improbable situation that’s similar happened to me a couple of months back – I used my condo access card to exit the car park and somehow it hit the sensor and *flipped* and landed two floors down into Basement 2.

      I don’t even know how the physics behind that works. 😡

      I had to get the maintenance guy to go and get it.

      I’ve also dropped my *house keys* a couple of years back into a longkang – a rather dirty drain, covered by a *grate* to boot. I think I’ve blogged about both, that or put it on Twitter on Facebook with a photo, especially the house keys coz it was so tragic.

      I only had that single set and one of the stores beside was kind enough to help me pull the grate up using a lever.

      A series of unfortunate events. Now I keep my condo access card *inside* my wallet – it can scan anyway though all that, it couldn’t previously coz I had another card which somehow messed up the sensors.

      Thanks Charmaine and have an awesome Friday! 😀

      Reply
    • Ah! So the gap was there all the time?

      I didn’t know, I’ve put my ticket there hundreds of times before and it never happened until this time – the ticket slide up the glass dash and then back down, which 100% ensures that it’ll drop into the gap, being so thin and all – it’s just a piece of paper after all.

      My condo access card is plastic, it also slid up before but never disappeared through the gap, maybe the gap is smaller than that card.

      Sorry to hear about your experience bro!

      Yeah, it happens to all of us, I’ve paid my share of RM 50 penalties for losing the tickets too.

      Cheers bro! 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Comment