are retail giant SM's catchwords, like they needed any word to catch our attention (or our wallets)! No less than a hundred thousand visitors leisurely walk or hurriedly stride along its many hallways every single day. the numbers are even more staggering on mega sale days. indeed, they've got it all, except for ample parking space, it seems.
cebu is home to the 4th largest shopping mall in the philippines, the 11th in the whole world (in 2009).
finding a vacant parking slot on weekends, weekday peak hours and big sale days, is a major headache. there are definitely more cars than there are slots in SM-cebu's 3-level covered, 1 roof deck and open-air ground parking. bliss to the lucky and woe to the unlucky when that much-coveted 15-square meter space is up for grabs.
the multi-level covered parking is equipped with sensors that turn green when slot is empty and red when occupied.
inching your car up the spiral passageway to the first level covered parking area, you see the 'FULL PARKING, please proceed to the next level' sign at the entrance. you scan the whole area and all you see are rows and rows of red lights. undaunted, you ignore the sign and choose to gamble on a slot that may open up. you start to cruise along on the lookout for a green light. you offer a silent please-let-there-be-a-vacant-slot prayer up above. He must have been listening because five cars down your lane, you see headlights and a car slowly moves out. in seconds, the sensor turns green. answered prayer !! you step on the gas lest someone beats you to the spot.
peak-hour hassle-free parking, isn't that awesome?
Nice, convenient, tight. I tried standing under one and the light turned green!
ReplyDeleteWell, maybe just maybe not finding a parking spot is a "sign" that you don't need to spend your money today :) So think of it as a savings measure and hold on to that money a bit longer.
ReplyDeleteyou're very right there, voss but you know, sometimes, i don't go there to buy but just to drive (do i hear you say -- 'yeah right!'?)
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