Whenever you park you car in South Africa nine times out of ten you will be approached by a car guard / parking attendant. It’s a form of begging.
As you alight your motor vehicle you’ll be asked ‘watch the car sir?’ There is no need to enter into conversation with them a simple nod of the head as you lock the car and march off to your destination will suffice.
So what function do they perform I hear you ask, the answer is many!
‘Guarding’ the car isn’t really one of them but if they know where you are (which shop) they will call you if something untoward happens, I parked up on a pavement recently and while enjoying lunch a traffic officer started to write a ticket, I was called, went and spoke to the chap and escaped a fine!
They point out empty bays in streets and car parks saves a lot of pointless driving around.
If it’s a difficult bay to get in or out of (if your vision is blocked by that 4×4 parked next to you) they offer help and directions.
They feed the meters if they see a warden, I haven’t put a cent into a parking meter for over 20 years now, it is understood that I’ll tip them at least the minimum of the parking charge on my return.
The guards each have their own ‘turf’, how it’s divided up and ‘claimed’ I have no idea but I imagine that the shopkeepers in any particular street help maintain order. It is of course in the shopkeeper’s interest to ensure reliable and safe parking for their customers.
So what does this service cost? Anything between 1 and 5 Rand, (10-50p), I always ensure that at least one silver coin is included in my offering. Remember that I said almost everywhere that you go? On a busy day I often end up tipping a dozen or more of them as I go about my travels!
To all it’s a job, I recall recently that the one guard asked if I had missed her the previous day (I had) she explained that she ‘couldn’t come to work as she had a hospital appointment.’
So, if you are thinking of coming over for a holiday (World Cup anybody?) and hiring a car don’t shoo them away, they perform an important function, the loose change that you give them is probably their only source of income.
The point of the above explanation was to draw your attention to a series of ads by BP in this the World Cup year, they made me laugh and I wanted to share this one:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=672X_iw5oDU&feature=related
(embedding disabled :()
CB
Tthe above clip titled
GUARDS VS BOYTJIES BP 2010
BP ad promoting the 2010 World Cup. Agency: Ogilvy SA
Boadicea's Chariot 
We used to have the same guys in parts of Dublin. They were known as ‘lock hards’ from their habit of shouting ‘lock hard!’ as you were backing into a space. I don’t think they operate anymore; the police may have cracked down on them.
They were all young boys in the part of Africa that I grew up in. They operated in the parking areas outside of of the main shopping stores. They did a good job and would also help carry the shopping to the car. The downside was, for those not in the know if you refused to take up their offer, your car could get scratched!
Nice post, happy memories. 🙂
And if you don’t play the game they smash up your car?
They sound good useful guy’s and gals, the video clip was embed disabled but you can see it on Youtube by clicking; great clip, I loved it.
We have the same sort of youngsters doing the same here (without the polite patter), they’re called car thieves 😉
i was a bit confused by their purpose when i was over there, but they didn’t ask for much money so i went along with it. to be honest i was confused most of the time.
Small change to us an income to them: I remembered this every time we parked last Christmas. It feels odd, so I can understand your feelings CPB.
Pseu. i am also confused by your new photo. are you leaning to the left, or is the photographer leaning to the right?
Afternoon all
Ha, pleased it stirred memories in some and gave a glimpse of life down here to others.
MoO (#3) they daren’t touch the car, everybody that I know tips them anyway, but touch the car never, not even lean or rest on it!
They have permanent ‘pitches’ an aggrieved motorist would return if he saw a mark on his or her car.
Pseu I prefer your Table Mountain one (but I would say that wouldn’t I ;))
Who can tell, CBP?
Soutie – They have a similar system in Liverpool, but it is more extortion than protection. “Look after your car, Mister?” is an invitation to hand over a pound coin and know you will come back to a car with the radio, contents and all the wheels still in situ.
OZ
Soutie, good evening and thanks for this. Brought back happy memories of that extended South African holiday visiting the wife’s SA cousins in Summer 2007.
The car guards were, for me, yet more evidence of the politeness that the vast majority of South Africans seem to show to each other in most situations. Both car guard and driver treated each other with respect and I personally found it all very refreshing and very different from the UK.
So, in my case, I knew what car guards were. Still slightly unclear about Boytjies, despite googling.
Enjoyed the Divas v Taxi drivers game, by the way.
Up the Sharks next Saturday!