19 November 2010

Airport Pickups = Cash for Snow

| deezagood
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So, the new airport terminal has opened. An interesting feature about the new terminal is the clever way that Mr Snow has managed to completely remove any option for a curbside pick up after passengers have landed (okay, the signs said that you weren’t supposed to do this before, but everyone did). So – to pick up a passenger, close to the terminal, you now have no choice but to enter the multi-story car-park and pay the associated fees. Apparently the first ten minutes of parking are free, but I certainly had to cough up $1.80 on Monday when I tried to quickly pick up my passengers…. it takes a good ten minutes just to enter the car-park and drive around to find a place to wait.

Okay, $1.80 is small change, but it is extremely inconvenient for passengers, especially disabled, elderly or those with multiple bags to have to make their way onto the elevators and into the car park – when once they could have just walked out of the terminal and been picked up from the curb.

The crap about curbside pickups being a ‘security concern’ doesn’t gel, as most Australian airports actively accommodate the ability to pick up passengers quickly, efficiently and for free, and have designated pick-up zones for this purpose. Surely drop offs are actually more of a security concern – but these are apparently still permitted. I’m sorry Mr Snow – but this is bullshit … profitable bullshit for you I’m sure, but bullshit all the same.

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Rawhide Kid Part311:32 am 13 Aug 11

Skyring said :

JC said :

Doc Dogg said :

security issues? Have I missed something here, what threat does a car stopping to pick someone up pose

It has been a security issue for years. Why is anyones guess, because it is ok to stop and drop people off, but not to pick-up, so half the argument automaticly goes out the window.

Well, no. Drop-offs are fine. The car pulls up, the intrepid flyers get out, unload their luggage, maybe kiss the lonely driver goodbye and both parties separate. A few seconds.

But when the driver turns up at the scheduled time and can’t find his passengers, he’s likely to leave his vehicle to see if he can find them or the cause of the delay. Result, an unattended car beside the terminal and that’s what gets the coppers itchy.

Apart from that, you get enough people parking on the pickup or drop-off area, whether they stay with their car or not they are still clogging up the limited kerbside space and other vehicles have to load or unload in the roadway, which is a safety concern.

What I’d like to see here is the cellphone area system they have in America. You arrive to pick up your arriving passenger and park in a free lot a minute or so away. Sometimes there are indicator boards showing the times of arriving flights. When your passenger arrives, gets their bags off the conveyor and is ready to roll, they call you, and you come in to pick them up in a designated area. Any cars waiting empty are moved on – or towed away.

The current arrangements at the airport are crap. All people want to do is whip in and pick up their arriving friends and rellies, but instead they have to hunt for a paid carpark, have grandma and the toddlers walk a long distance, park unsafely in the roadway or pull some stupid stunt about oil lights or whatever. The attendants aren’t fooled, BTW, they have heard it all before and while they generally just move you on, they can and will book dickheads who want to argue their foolish excuse.

There are genuine security and safety concerns, but there’s also a desire on the part of airport management to have people use the paid parking. It could be handled better.

Don’t worry. When the VFT comes through then the parking at the airport wont be an issue.

JC said :

Doc Dogg said :

security issues? Have I missed something here, what threat does a car stopping to pick someone up pose

It has been a security issue for years. Why is anyones guess, because it is ok to stop and drop people off, but not to pick-up, so half the argument automaticly goes out the window.

Well, no. Drop-offs are fine. The car pulls up, the intrepid flyers get out, unload their luggage, maybe kiss the lonely driver goodbye and both parties separate. A few seconds.

But when the driver turns up at the scheduled time and can’t find his passengers, he’s likely to leave his vehicle to see if he can find them or the cause of the delay. Result, an unattended car beside the terminal and that’s what gets the coppers itchy.

Apart from that, you get enough people parking on the pickup or drop-off area, whether they stay with their car or not they are still clogging up the limited kerbside space and other vehicles have to load or unload in the roadway, which is a safety concern.

What I’d like to see here is the cellphone area system they have in America. You arrive to pick up your arriving passenger and park in a free lot a minute or so away. Sometimes there are indicator boards showing the times of arriving flights. When your passenger arrives, gets their bags off the conveyor and is ready to roll, they call you, and you come in to pick them up in a designated area. Any cars waiting empty are moved on – or towed away.

The current arrangements at the airport are crap. All people want to do is whip in and pick up their arriving friends and rellies, but instead they have to hunt for a paid carpark, have grandma and the toddlers walk a long distance, park unsafely in the roadway or pull some stupid stunt about oil lights or whatever. The attendants aren’t fooled, BTW, they have heard it all before and while they generally just move you on, they can and will book dickheads who want to argue their foolish excuse.

There are genuine security and safety concerns, but there’s also a desire on the part of airport management to have people use the paid parking. It could be handled better.

georgesgenitals9:25 pm 21 Nov 10

If a buck eighty is the difference between feeding your kids or not, get the paerson you’re picking up to walk over to the servo and pick them up from there.

As to the bagging John Howard comments, I don’t love the guy either, but some of the comments I’ve read on this thread are ridiculous, considering none of these commenters could do the job of PM.

Morgan said :

My my, Canberrans are so cheap. If you cant afford to pay for parking then you cant afford to fly.

Morgan – you’re missingthe point of my post. It isn’t the money, it’s the massive inconvenience. I would happily pay $10.00 if it meant I could grab my passengers from the curb and not *&*#$% around with entering and exiting car parks. Maybe Snow should implement this as a scheme??

D2 said :

John Hunt the Coward flogged off the airport – a monopoly which should never have been put into private hands. Nationalise it. Give Canberra airport back to Canberrans as an essential piece of monopoly public infrastructure, not a money tree for Liberal Party mates. If there’s compensation to be paid, make John Hunt the Coward pay it

All the major airports are now privately owned Einstein. You’d poop your pants if you met him in person

Get your friend to hobble to the disabled spot. They surely can’t require someone picking up a disabled person to have a sticker!

Morgan said :

My my, Canberrans are so cheap. If you cant afford to pay for parking then you cant afford to fly.

Hahahahahaah, will you shout me a beer on Wednesday night????

My my, Canberrans are so cheap. If you cant afford to pay for parking then you cant afford to fly.

Pork Hunt said :

I’d rather be related to Ivan Milat than John Howard…

Yeah, who wouldn’t? Can you imagine having John Howard around at family gatherings, like Christmas? He’d be trying to give people copies of his lame-arse attempt at rewriting history, and making a hash of playing backyard cricket. On the up-side though, you’d get to see in person the mouth that was used to kiss Bush’s backside on Australia’s behalf.

Just drop off and pick up at the front of the terminal. No one is going to do anything about it. If confronted pretend not knowing how to speak English, get in your car and drive off

Doc Dogg said :

security issues? Have I missed something here, what threat does a car stopping to pick someone up pose?

What I find most perplexing, is how is it more dangerous than dropping someone off?

Solution: Get your passenger to meet you at the exit gate of the carpark. Drive into the carpark and straight to the exit gate. (Shouldn’t take more than a minute).
They have to let you out for free, as you are signalling that you don’t accept the conditions of entry that are posted at the entrance.

This is what I have always done when picking up passengers who know the airport and know where to go to meet me. For out of town visitors, unfortunately we might have to suck it up and pay (or, better yet, make them pay, since we are picking THEM up….

As a regular interstate traveller for work I suspected as much. The old carpark used to let you get away with 5 minutes for free. I have a huge issue with having to pay to pick up passengers & I will have to devise a better method of not having to pay to pick up.

What makes Jim Snow think he is so special that he has to make people pay for everything when they enter the grounds of the airport? As stated before all the larger airports have free pick up lanes………

Doc Dogg said :

security issues? Have I missed something here, what threat does a car stopping to pick someone up pose? or is it a threat to the security of the income derived from paying to park?

I’ll be sure to be alert but not alarmed next time I drop my girlfriend off at the airport…

It has been a security issue for years. Why is anyones guess, because it is ok to stop and drop people off, but not to pick-up, so half the argument automaticly goes out the window.

As others have said blind freddy can see it is simply a way of forcing people into going to the carpark and paying Mr Snow some more hard earned money so as to increase his profits.

security issues? Have I missed something here, what threat does a car stopping to pick someone up pose? or is it a threat to the security of the income derived from paying to park?

I’ll be sure to be alert but not alarmed next time I drop my girlfriend off at the airport…

The security argument is rubbish. Clearly its not a security risk to have a multi-storey carpark 50m or less from a taxiway at BBP, likewise the car park at Brand Depot. The argument would have more cred if they said it was stop congestion

Hells_Bells747:12 pm 19 Nov 10

I went past the airport the other night and oh boy I know what you (#8) mean about feeling like it was a different City, quite out of place, yet strangely fitting.

“State of the Art” was my constant comment to my boyfriend who was driving.

But what a PITA all the same. It was bad enough before, picking up or being picked up.

But it looked great – futuristic and along the lines of what you want out of an international airport (if we’re ever so graced).

deezagood said :

I-filed said :

Easy. Park a minute away, and wait for a phone call from your passenger, waiting in a suitable spot. You can then drive to them and stop for a millisecond while they jump on board. Interestingly, as most Canberrans will know, Brisbane Airport has a great system – cars can circle until they can pull in and pick you up from a very long kerb dedicated to private car pickups only. Taxis have a separate lane.

This is my whole point i-filed- there is no longer any sort of ‘suitable spot’…. that is what I am whinging about! There is literally no nearby place to pick up passengers any more – they have blocked all access. You’ll see what I mean next time to go to the airport.

Those other airports may charge for parking – but they all have the option of picking up passengers surbside FOR FREE!!!!!

In that case I would recommend having “engine trouble” or a “flat tyre” or “oil light went on”, stopping wherever you need to, putting on your hazard lights, hopping out, and checking out the oil or your tyres while your pickup hops in … or you could “have been signalled by a fellow driver” that there’s something caught in your door and flapping. Now that you can actually prepare for beforehand … you’re not responsible if a friend hops in your car while you’ve had to stop!

I-filed said :

Easy. Park a minute away, and wait for a phone call from your passenger, waiting in a suitable spot. You can then drive to them and stop for a millisecond while they jump on board. Interestingly, as most Canberrans will know, Brisbane Airport has a great system – cars can circle until they can pull in and pick you up from a very long kerb dedicated to private car pickups only. Taxis have a separate lane.

This is my whole point i-filed- there is no longer any sort of ‘suitable spot’…. that is what I am whinging about! There is literally no nearby place to pick up passengers any more – they have blocked all access. You’ll see what I mean next time to go to the airport.

Those other airports may charge for parking – but they all have the option of picking up passengers surbside FOR FREE!!!!!

astrojax said :

D2 said :

John Hunt the Coward flogged off the airport – a monopoly which should never have been put into private hands. Nationalise it. Give Canberra airport back to Canberrans as an essential piece of monopoly public infrastructure, not a money tree for Liberal Party mates. If there’s compensation to be paid, make John Hunt the Coward pay it

who’s this john hunt – a relation of pork’s?

I’d rather be related to Ivan Milat than John Howard…

Easy. Park a minute away, and wait for a phone call from your passenger, waiting in a suitable spot. You can then drive to them and stop for a millisecond while they jump on board. Interestingly, as most Canberrans will know, Brisbane Airport has a great system – cars can circle until they can pull in and pick you up from a very long kerb dedicated to private car pickups only. Taxis have a separate lane.

D2 said :

John Hunt the Coward flogged off the airport – a monopoly which should never have been put into private hands. Nationalise it. Give Canberra airport back to Canberrans as an essential piece of monopoly public infrastructure, not a money tree for Liberal Party mates. If there’s compensation to be paid, make John Hunt the Coward pay it

who’s this john hunt – a relation of pork’s?

Gungahlin Al3:10 pm 19 Nov 10

Just thought – could it be because there is no construction bordering those ‘arms’ of the ramp yet, leaving just the top bit ‘connected’, and hence the security issue remains valid?

Amanda Hugankis said :

I went into the new terminal yesterday – I can see where the dollars are going, that terminal is quite flash. I felt like I was in another city. I should go out there and spend my christmas break in Chateau L’Snow, and I might feel like I’ve been whisked away to some exotic locale for my holidays!

…so when do we get cheap flights to exotique bogue locations like Bali, Phuket and da Pacific with Jetstar?

Amanda Hugankis1:23 pm 19 Nov 10

I went into the new terminal yesterday – I can see where the dollars are going, that terminal is quite flash. I felt like I was in another city. I should go out there and spend my christmas break in Chateau L’Snow, and I might feel like I’ve been whisked away to some exotic locale for my holidays!

screaming banshee1:17 pm 19 Nov 10

Genie said :

10 minutes free ?? Lies all lies !!!!

I immediately went to the paystation

There’s your problem, any ’10 minutes free’ is the 10 minutes you have after driving in to decide you don’t agree to their terms and conditions or just plain dont actually want to be in the carpark and to drive straight back out again.

John Hunt the Coward flogged off the airport – a monopoly which should never have been put into private hands. Nationalise it. Give Canberra airport back to Canberrans as an essential piece of monopoly public infrastructure, not a money tree for Liberal Party mates. If there’s compensation to be paid, make John Hunt the Coward pay it

10 minutes free ?? Lies all lies !!!!

When I picked my partner up the other week I was running late, his flight was running early. Just as I pulled into the underground carpark he rang to find out where I was, as he had started heading to where he knew I would park. I immediately went to the paystation to validate my ticket and had to pay the $1.80 for a whole 2 minutes that was on my ticket.

Now I’m not fussed about paying the whole $1.80 but hey if we are meant to get 10mins free…. ??

I quite enjoy the fact that with the new works, the open air carpark is now no longer available quite close to the terminal. Instead, it’s now a good 4 minute hike, each way, to the terminal and back to your car. Given that the parking prices are based on 15 minute brackets, this is a nice little bunsen burner for the airport. I don’t mind the walk, I do mind having to pay to pick people up.

Gungahlin Al9:44 am 19 Nov 10

During one of my meetings with the airport management, Noel McCann assured me that drop-offs and pick-ups would be allowed on the two “arms” of the big new elevated U ramp, but just not at the top of the ramp adjacent to the terminal itself. This measure would address the security concerns.

He said there would be no forcing people into the pay parking.

It will be in the minutes of the Airport Community Consultative Forum from a few months ago.

Mike Bessenger9:39 am 19 Nov 10

Park at the servo and walk over to the teriminal.
It will do both you and your passengers no harm, and save you a couple of bucks.

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