A MORNINGSIDE man is fuming after the treatment he received when his car was stolen from the parking lot at Musgrave Centre last month.
Recalling the event, Laurence Tuck, told Berea Mail he had still not received any support from the Centre in obtaining video evidence, nearly three weeks after the theft of his white VW Golf on 22 March. “I went to the Centre to upgrade my cellphone. It took nearly two hours and we only got done around 6pm so we decided to take the kids to the Spur. I paid for my parking ticket shortly after 7.50pm only to discover after I got to where I had parked my car, that it wasn’t there. We were in such shock. I wasn’t sure if the criminals were still there or if my family was in danger. I immediately went to a security guard who was close by but he didn’t seem to have any urgency,” the frustrated victim explained.
After persuading security to act, Tuck realised the guard’s radio battery was flat so he couldn’t get hold of other guards. “He seemed unable to deal with the situation, actually had no idea! I said my car isn’t here and he told me to walk around looking for it on every floor. I had to leave my wife and two children in the parking lot while we went floor to floor. The guard eventually went to the control room where I was refused entry. I had to explain the situation and told the other security officer where it was parked and that it had been stolen, but they just slowed down the process,” he said.
Tuck said, based on his parking ticket, he gave them the time he arrived for them to check the CCTV footage. “When I asked to call the police, they said they couldn’t call the police until they had looked for the car on every level. They eventually called the police around 8.30pm. The way they handled the situation was shocking. The police could have had more of a chance in finding the car or catching the car thieves if it had been reported immediately,” he said.
The Tuck’s have been gravely inconvenienced by what Laurence calls, the “inadequacy” of the Centre. “We believe they have a tail-gating problem, so I don’t understand why they don’t address this by stationing security guards at exits. On the night I saw footage of my car coming in, but when I’ve asked for footage from a camera directed at my car, I was refused,” he said.
The Tuck’s said nobody from Centre Management was able to check on them during the ordeal and they had to ask the police for a ride home. “I feel we have been violated, our car was stolen and there is no crisis control or care from the Centre.
“I understand they can’t be liable for replacing your vehicle, however there should be a policy or protocol in place to ensure safety of your person and your vehicle and support in case of a crime or crisis,” he said.
Tuck said the experience had been a real “eye opener.” “I’ve realised, when you buy a parking ticket you have a false sense of security, but in reality all you are paying for is a parking bay off the road and no real security and liability. It offers convenience for a shopper but also is convenient for criminals who have a parking lot full of cars,” he said.
Musgrave Centre management were unable to comment at the time of going to press.
