So the next step was to get another ticket from the "automatic" parking meter. An attendant girl standing besides that meter helped me to get the ticket and also provided the 5-rupee coins which I did not have.
When coming out of parking, both tickets were collected and checked by the guard standing there. The first ticket was checked for vehicle number (to make sure I was not stealing someone else car) and second was checked for the parking time. (to make sure that I did not overstay)
This new system just makes things difficult for everyone. If the sole purpose is to collect more money by hourly parking rate, that could be done by writing time by the attendant at entrance. (Or better yet by increasing the flat parking fee for every one)
This new parking system "automation" is just ridiculous. It has increased the number of attendants besides incurring the additional cost of 10 expensive meters.
This automated parking system is used in developed countries for 100% self-service paid parking. This is of course not possible in our country due to cultural and existing system differences.
This is the type of automation we achieve when we mindlessly copy systems from other countries.
I often have hard time convincing my clients on simpler and to-the-point IT solutions for their businesses. They will insist on getting big, expensive and complicated solutions like Oracle, SAP etc. Not because they need it but because the big companies around the world use these.
I never give up though.
It is the incident of last two days before eid-ul-fitar. I went liberty market with my family. The time was around 1:00am. At entry point i went to the first ticket meter. A female attendant was standing their to help the people for saying that the ticket meter has been shut down and you can get the ticket at exit point. After shopping when i arrived at the exit point, the attendants fined me and said that you did not get the ticket at entry point therefore you have been fined. which was double then the ticket price. i told them the story of entry point and they said the entry point attendant is fool. you can well imagine the systems introduced in Pakistan.
ReplyDeletei am with you with the issue that simplicity is the best. But think that when you see in the newspapers that a person is required who have well command on Oracle, SAP, VB .Net, SQL etc. etc. They never demand a person like who can develop any kind of CRM or ERP system in any language.
Sometimes good things are done in such a bad way that they lose their beauty.
ReplyDeleteBy reading Shahid's long comment, I thought that he can also start his own blog. :)