My Short Lived And Unpromising Career As A Car Parking Attendant

10 Years ago, I received a job offer to work as a Car Park Attendant. A job I was told would last until Christmas Eve. But that didn’t happen. Why? Not entirely sure why, but it did mean experiencing one of the weirdest, and most annoying days of my entire professional life! Everything you’re about to read, is 100% True!

A friend from church had a couple of neighbours, who ran a sort of franchise of a car park attending company (all three shall remain nameless), and were looking for people to hire. My friend, knowing I was on Universal Credit, and looking for work suggested my name, so they got in touch. They offered me the job, which I accepted. The days I would work were on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. In addition to that, they also gave me Sundays off, as they knew I went to church.  So far it sounds plain and simple right, well here comes the first important clue as to the whole debacle.

The two company heads, including my line manager lived in the same city as me: Lancaster. The car park they were looking after was at a Sainsbury’s in Bamber Bridge, near Preston. As all three of us lived in the same city, and they had access to a car, they said they would also give me a lift to and from Bamber Bridge (as at the time I couldn’t drive), which was kind of them. So the following day, I started my first shift, by meeting at the agreed pick-up point (second clue), and at the agreed (third) time, across the road from my house. On my first shift I learned about what I needed to do, was provided with safety clothing, and was given use of a red lightsaber like torch.

Basically the idea was to control the traffic flow, to prioritize people leaving the car park, whilst also allowing those who wanted to enter. I was also told to collect idle shopping trolleys too, and place them in the trolley bays dotted around the car park. My first shift was on a Friday, and like they said they would, they drove me home. Then the following day (Saturday), they drove me there again, from the agreed pick-up point at the agreed pick-up time. The shift was pretty much the same as the day before, perhaps just finishing a little later than before, and then they took me home.

The following day was a Sunday, which I had off, followed by three more days off. So far so good…right? Well, yes, but then came week two. But before I go into that, some further information. Firstly, as part of the job, I had to sign up with an employment agency whose name I have forgotten, which I did, and there was no sign of any issues. Nor were there any issues with the company itself, so everything should have been rosey for my second week. Annoyingly though, I had to cancel my spot at the Chorley Writers Poetry/Story Slam the following Saturday, as I was due to work, so couldn’t go (which they were super annoyed about, given the hash and angry email they sent me).

That was annoying, but there was a plus. Because I had work that would in theory keep me occupied for 35 hours a week, it would mean that the frequently horrible people who worked at Universal Credit (just going to point out, that whilst back then they were genuinley horrible, several years later they had improved significantly), would leave me alone for a time. So, basically, it seemed like everything would be fine for the next two months. But then came week two!

Thursday: So, I left the house in the morning, and walked across the road to the agreed pick-up point. I arrived 15 minutes early, because in general I like to arrive early at things. So, I was there, 15 minutes before the agreed pick-up time, but I was at the agreed pick-up point. Un-surprisingly, they weren’t there, but it wasn’t time yet. So, I waited. 15 Minutes later, there was no sign of them. But fair enough, traffic in Lancaster can be frequently bad and unexpected, so they may be a few minutes late. So I continued to wait.

At the ageed pick-up point, there was a house, with a wall and no fence. So I sat down there to wait, just so I wasn’t standing up the whole time. 5 Minutes after the agreed time, and there’s still no sign of them. Then 10 minutes, still no sign, 15 minutes, still no sign, then 20, then 30, and so on. At that time I didn’t have their phone number, so I rang up church, hoping my friend would be there. He was, and he gave me their number to ring. So I rang them. Several rings later, no answer. So I tried again…and again…and again. Everytime, no answer. Eventually I sort of got through, but they didn’t speak one word. And then I rang again…and again, several more times; No Answer! All the time I sat patiently on that garden wall, waiting for them to turn up, hoping they eventually would.

Eventually; 3 Hours had passed! I’ll say that agin, 3 Hours! 3 Whole Hours; sat on a garden wall, on a cold day, waiting for a couple of people to take me to work, the same work we all worked at! I was there at the agreed time, and the agreed location! But they didn’t show up, nor did they answer their phone when I rang them, nor did they try to get in contact with me! I had done everything right, everything that was asked of me, but they left me high and dry!

So I rang my Dad, he was also annoyed at this situation, and told me there was nothing more I could do. So I went home, played Age of Empires II on my laptop, whilst watching the previous night’s episode of The Apprentice. When Mam returned home from work that afternoon I explained it all to her too. Again, at no point did either of the two company heads get in contact with me in any shape or form.

Friday: Now, it is possible that that could have been a huge mistake, so I thought it would be a good thing to try again the following day, Mam did tell me though not to wait 3 Hours this time, just 30 minutes. So, I left early again, so I would be on time at the agreed pick-up location. The time came…no sign…gave it some time…no sign…rang them…no answer. The events of the previous day were repeating themselves. Eventually, 40 minutes had passed (just genuinley didn’t realise the 30 minute barrier past the agreed time had gone); so I left, and went home.

As you can see, this was an incredibly ridiculous, and infuriating experience, especially for someone, who did everything right. I had heard absolutely nothing from either the company or the employment agency saying there was anything wrong, or plans had changed. No word about the pick-up location changing, or the time changing, or if I didn’t have a job anymore. Nothing! Not one bit of communication from anyone (apart from when I called them, and they refused to answer obviously)! But then comes the icing on the cake:

As you can see, I had evey right to be annoyed. I assume you would be too if this happened to you. So, I naturally wanted to gripe, and told my friends on Facebook what happened. Several hours later, the emplyment agency decides to phone me. They said that one of the company heads (I have genuinley fogotten his name), knew that I had posted about the incidents, and got in touch with them (how he found out I have no idea, as I didn’t have either of them as a friend on Facebook). So the employment agency told me that I should take it down. The reason (you’e going to love this): they said doing something like that could be considered “UNPROFESSIONAL”.

So, me protesting about a bad work experience that wasn’t my fault is considered unprofessional, but:

1. Telling me they’ll give me a lift to and from work each day, but don’t,
2. Telling me to meet them at a pre-arranged and agreed location (which I do), but they don’t,
3. Telling me to meet them at a specific time (which I do), but they don’t,
4. Not answering their phones when I try to call them,
5. Not speaking down a phone when they do answer the phone,
6. Not getting in contact with me after I try to contact them,
7. Not (them or the agency) informing me of any issues with my employment (if there were any, which I still don’t know if there was).

That’s all fine is it? That’s their form of professionalism is it? It was a mess! An absolute mess of their own making! I’m not just moaning about something because I was in a bad mood about it not going well; as they left plenty of evidence lying around for me to present to you, that it was genuinley their fault!

So, after the diabolical conclusion to the fourth shift, I went back home, and had to spend time looking for work, both to find a job, and keep Universal Credit happy (but at least they understood, on this one ocassion). But, because I’d already cancelled my appearance at the Chorley based Poetry/Story Slam, I couldn’t do that after all. A pretty grim conclusion.

But whilst I was understandably annoyed at the time of this incident, I have largely not thought about it in the 10 years since, mainly because other things that have happened over that time. I did once apply for another car park attending sort-of job the following year, and had an interview for it. But I didn’t get it. But I’m not bitter about that, as that was understandable, compared to the car park attending job I once did get!