Sunday, July 19, 2009

Fuming Mad On "Globe VIP Parking"




Wishing to be able to have sufficient time to spare prior to the 21k gun start of Globe “Run For Home” I left my place at 4:00am today 19Jul09 and headed for Fort Bonifacio. By 4:15am I and Jun Martinez were already within the vicinity of Bonifacio High Street and there were already a great number of participants who have arrived earlier than us which was a clear indication of a well attended race event.

As I was approaching the cashier parking booth at the parking area just at the back of ROX, a Globe security personnel approached me and asked if I am a “GLOBE VIP” I said “no I was not” and the Globe Security said that I cannot park my car on the said parking area as it is primarily reserved for “GLOBE VIP”. I tried to hold my cool as much as possible and asked the following questions;

1. Is the parking area “pre-paid by Globe? (answer) No it was not.
2. What constitute a “Globe VIP” (answer) Executives of Globe and their guests holding parking stabs.

One beauty in the sport of running is that all are equal, rich, poor, executives, students, working class, unemployed and what have you. Everyone has a fixed distance to traverse. It is between you and the road. I have as well participated on so many local road races in the past two years and NEVER have I seen a RESERVE PARKING FOR VIP . In this issue, parking fee will still be paid for by the so called “VIP” and the only purpose of the word “VIP” is that they can come late and not bother to find their own parking space.

I told the Globe Security who were about five (5) men that I am insisting my public right to go inside the parking as I am a paying registered runner and that the parking area was not “pre-paid” by Globe. Should they (Globe) want, they can tow away my van. I asked the cashier to issue me a parking ticket, who at first does not want to issue one without approval from her superiors. In the end the girl issued a piece of paper attest that my van is parked on the area.



To make matters worst and fan more my anger on the issue, upon completing my 21k run I was surprised to see that the parking area was only occupied by about 20 cars (the parking area can easily accommodate 100 cars). The parking area was UNUSED and in the process did not earn the revenue it could have easily gotten from other participants who were looking for a parking area.

Just before I was about to leave, I saw VINCE MENDOZA and showed him the parking area and the problem on the VIP PARKING. Vince reply was that he could not himself understand the action of GLOBE for such an action.





To GLOBE I wish to remind that you are a “Customer Driven” corporation and the priority to you should be the “customer”. On this case, I/we, have duly paid for to participate in the race and we are entitled to all the amenities that goes with the race. I am sure that such an idea of a VIP PARKING RESERVATION is beyond the knowledge of your high executives as these people are well known in the industry to be humble and human who are not ashamed to fall in line and be given the same treatment as any Juan or Maria. In the end, what have you accomplished? The parking area was “UNUSED” which could have easily been used by your “paying customer” and avoided any inconvenience in looking for other parking area even though they came early for the race.

I hope that GLOBE will have a good explanation on this matter. On the part of FINISHLINE, I have already shown firsthand the issue to VINCE MENDOZA which I hope that as organizers they will be able to advise their sponsors on future races the norm and the importance of “First Come First Serve” principle and that in running all men are equal regardless of financial or education attainment.

16 comments:

  1. this is the first time that happened in the history of running in the philippines. i just hope there were no cases of thefts in parked vehicles during this race.

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  2. Dear BR - As they say "Only In The Philippines"

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  3. Sir Amado,

    I was also shocked when a security guard asked me the same question.

    There were a lot of "out of the ordinary" things that occured in today's proceedings...

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  4. Dear Ray - You are right. Another out of ordinary which I shall blog later was runner running with her DOG during the race!!

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  5. Another form of the monster known as BIGOTRY! We should try harder to be BETTER HUMAN BEINGS just like when trying to improve our running

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  6. Sir Amado, I am really against these "VIP treatments". We are all equals here in the races. We also pay for our reg fees, parking fees, etc. I would have done the same thing - demand for my parking ticket or they tow my car. Then I'll file charges against them.

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  7. Dear Neil and Anonyous - The sad thing about this is that the real executives of this corporation are good and responsible people, however, somebody down below had this wise idea thinking he will score pogi points which actually backfires and destroys the corporate image of Globe.

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  8. i also observed that runner with two dogs and about to make a post about it but i'll allow you to have the privilege to post your story. on the other hand, i am not sure if the ayalas will accept reponsibility for the "lapses" during the race, unlike the american jim lafferty of p & g who immediately accepted responsibility for the actuation of one of his employees for not allowing me to use their salonpas spray. i will bet P 500 for this.

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  9. Thanks for bringing this up, this kind of VIP treatment really irritates me. Could we be seeing the start of elitism entering our beloved sport? I hope not. Sadly, when running (or any other sport for that matter) becomes more and more of a social event than a sporting event, things like these are bound to happen.

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  10. Dear BR - Thanks. I should be able to post the issue on the dog within today. I wont take your bet as I have also the same feeling as yours. However, I hope that do issue a statement on the issue.

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  11. Dear Carlo - In the end it is all up to us runners if we will allow such elitism or not. Hopefully we all have the same feeling and will oppose such action in the future.

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  12. We were asked the same question and since my husband did not know about this (i knew about this vip parking from a friend who saw the signages night before but did not tell him), he told the lady that we paid our registration for this run and he will park where there is available parking, there was no instruction in the race kit that the rox parking area will be closed and neither was there any in the globe website. The guard could not do anything but let us park cause my husband was fuming mad...and to think that this run was for a cause...

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  13. The runners with dogs sort of bewildered me as well. Sucks that this "VIP" parking underscores an alarming dichotomy on the "cause-driven" principles by which the race was supposedly built on. Confusing indeed.

    Cheers,
    Luis

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  14. Dear Lucille - I could just see myself in your husband how he felt about the matter. I pray that this never happens again in any other races in the future.

    Dear Luis - Somebody had this wise idea thinking probably he will get praises from the executives. Instead, tarnished the corporate image of Globe. If I am his boss I have the guy responsible to explain/apologize for the issue.

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  15. I hope this issue reaches the higher ups of Globe, Amado. I'm sure they have no idea that something like this happened during the race. And thank God we didn't go there to park or I would really be @/#(&)!

    Did you leave early, Amado? I wonder why we didn't see each other. I still joined the takbo.ph pictorial. Hope to see you soon!

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  16. Dear Nora- Unless it reaches the right person of Globe then it is bound to happen again for a Globe sponsored event. However, I am banking that Finishline on their part as race organizer will excert their know how and expertise to any sponsor who may have such a bright idea in the future.

    Normally after races I have to rush back home to catch the 9am mass in our condominium. Got to please the boss!

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