petew

Does anybody else park in the car park on Altea sea front on Tuesdays when the market is on? There are several scruffy looking individuals who try to direct cars into spaces and generally throw their weight around. Do they have any official status? (I don't think so). They don't actually perform any useful purpose, I think their aim is to con a parking fee out of anyone who doesn't know any better.

I'm just curious to know if anyone else has noticed (and been irritated by) them.

Sugarlugs

We went to Altea and they were there but I think with it being a Spanish market they probably think they are being helpful as they never asked us for any money, but its amazes me how many people walk around in the path of cars coming on the site with no thought for the traffic bit like Blackpool they leave their brains at home .

Mitzyboy

Its something that amuses me, for in Pedregeur there is a market on sunday and there is an industrial estate next to it. Every sunday a group of Spanish guys man the entrance and charge one Euro to park there. Its a very big busy market and they must make thousands and thousands of euros every Sunday.

Are they official, or do they just turn up there every Sunday ...... who knows

keithwalters

These "parking attendants" are all over Spain.

They are beggars. Instead of sitting down on the pavement with a "hungry and homeless" sign, they help direct traffic and park your car in return for a "tip".

In Ayamonte they even put on fluorescent jackets and have whistles!

mikelincs

We had them here for a few months last year, 'charging' a few Euros for parking on waste land near Mercadona. The police were called a few times, and after a few weeks they just didn't appear, mind you we have had far fewer beggars around the last few months in any case. Some people refused to pay, and they were threatened, they complained to Mercadona, but it isn't their land. And apparently, some people who didn't pay found their cars had been 'keyed'.

Pam Sarky

Ive been sat at El Faro bar and watched them come from their pretend car parking attendants job to the shop and come out with a cheap carton of vino. They then go in the mariner square and drink it then back to directing cars into spaces. I just hope it doesnt affect their vision with the size of the parking spaces and cause a few scrapes

spain

they do give you a ticket which has a word on it similar to donation and I have been told before that the car park (where the market is in gandia) is optional to pay so I assume Pedreguer is the same BUT I wouldnt want to not pay and then come back to find my tyres slashed !!!!!!

keithwalters

Ah, these ones are slightly different. They are "official".....they are there with the permission of the land owner. Yes, it is a donation so paying is optional. You shouldn´t have to worry too much about these ones keying your car because if that happened as soon as you complain to the land owner they wouldn´t get another job working in that area.

It´s the ones who don´t hand out the tickets that might do some damage to your car.

jdr

A € is a small price to pay for a parking space. ;-)

Mitzyboy

Pedregaue isn't optional as they stop you as you enter the estate. The market area park in Gandia IS optional and theres never any pressure, but having a ticket apparantly means that if anything happens to your car whilst its parked there, then its insured. Plus the fact that the lady on the car park is always so cheerful its worth the 70 cents just for that

spain

so then how do you know the difference ? (in the car parks that are optional pay)if it says "donat" on the ticket ?

Mitzyboy

God knows .... to be honest for the money I'm paying I don't really bother as I still remember paying for a great part of the owner of NCP's luxury 80 million yacht whilst living in Birmingham and parking there