A little respect shown to car guards goes a long way
“Some people can be really arrogant, treating you as if you were nothing,” said car guard, Lelanie Landsberg.
NEWCASTLE – Kitted out in a hat, comfortable shoes and a fluorescent jacket, Lelanie Landsberg is one of a handful of car guards who try to make a living at Newcastle Mall.
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“I became a car guard at Victorian Mall 19 years ago, before coming to Newcastle Mall.”
Over the years, Lelanie found there were those who treated car guards with disdain.
“Some people can be really arrogant, treating you as if you were nothing.”
But despite the attitudes of some, she said it was the people who made her job worthwhile.
“Having been a car guard for so long, a lot of people have become good friends of mine and it makes my work easier.”
Lelanie said one of the biggest obstacles faced by car guards was the weather, as they had no protection from the blistering heat and rain. “If you ever want a good tan, become a car guard,” she joked.
Finding pride in her employment, she said working at Newcastle Mall was much easier than in other parts of town.
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“In town, you barely make any money at all and I am really looked after here. But, it could be because I have been doing it for so long.”
Resident, Nadia Aziz, was recently shocked at the audacity of a car guard who demanded money from her when she went to the Post Office.
“I go to the post office every day. When I got to the post office, I was fortunate to find parking right in front of the building.”
When she got out of her vehicle, she claimed there was no car guard in sight, and she started walking towards the doors.
“Suddenly, a car guard called me and asked if he could look after my car. I knew I would not be long, but said yes.”
When she left the building a mere five minutes later, the car guard told her he hoped she was going to give him at least R2.
“I was already looking for some change for him, but I do not appreciate being dictated to on how much I should pay him; after all it is still free parking.”
Although she paid him, she vowed not to allow him to look after her vehicle again.
Acknowledging car guards needed to make a living, Mrs Aziz said she did not tar all of them with the same brush.
“But, I have had some incidents where my car was scratched when I refused a car guard’s services.”
Lelanie speculated the guard outside the post office was most likely not a proper guard.
“A lot of these people working as car guards in town are street children. Other real car guards and I would not do something like that, as people would not pay us,” she explained.
In the light of frenetically imminent Christmas shopping, Lelanie and other guards are steeling themselves for the busiest time of the year.
“If you treat others with respect, they will treat you with respect and things will go so much better for everyone,” Lelanie concluded.
