|
|
|
   
   
|
HARVARD GAZETTE ARCHIVES Toyotas, Fords, and Sport Utility Vehicles -- The mechanics of parking cars is Ronald Whittingham's game By Ken Gewertz
Ronald Whittingham has a recurrent dream. Under the Cambridge Common a huge space has been hollowed out, a parking garage of immense capacity into which drivers happily vanish, secure in the knowledge that they are leaving their cars in a space that is safe, convenient, and legal. "I have that dream every night," Whittingham said. "Then I wake up and it’s reality time." The reality is that parking in and around Harvard is scarce and that radical solutions like a sub-Common parking facility probably aren’t going to happen anytime soon. Whittingham, who was hired as Harvard’s parking manager six months ago, must contend on a daily basis with the University’s often vexing parking conditions. Harvard has six garages and about 60 lots – 6,000 spaces in all, and that number isn’t likely to grow. In fact, each time the University puts up a new building, chances are that some parking spaces will be consumed. In view of this scarcity, Whittingham advises drivers to leave their cars at home if possible. Carpool, use public transportation, take advantage of the University’s discount T-pass program, he urges. And yet, despite his exhortations, there never seem to be quite enough spaces to go around. Many drivers take parking for granted, he said. This is especially true for newcomers to Cambridge who may not be accustomed to the tight, heavily regulated parking environment. "Some new faculty members expect to get a space outside their building. It just doesn’t happen that way." Another problem is that parking can be an emotional issue. People who have gotten a ticket or whose car has been towed sometimes show up at the parking office at 29 Garden St. in a state verging on apoplexy. This is where the ability to cultivate good customer relations comes into play. "It doesn’t happen very often, but sometimes people come in yelling, screaming, and crying. We try to calm them down – and usually we succeed." Whittingham and his staff can be extraordinarily compassionate. Sometimes they’ll drive towing victims to the lot on Western Avenue to pick up their cars. And when frazzled, sleep-deprived students show up during finals period brandishing parking tickets they swear are undeserved, Whittingham will occasionally surprise them by marking the tickets void. Dealing with people and managing large, complicated operations is a skill Whittingham first learned in the military. A native of Philadelphia, he joined the Navy as an enlisted man at 18, earned a bachelor’s degree through the Navy’s college program, and ended his 11-year tour of duty as a lieutenant. He found that he was able to adapt to the Navy’s sink-or-swim approach. "They throw you out there and you learn as you go," he said. Fresh out of the Navy, he took a job with the oil company Amerada-Hess, managing a string of retail gas stations and dealing not only with the routine business of hiring, firing, revenue control, and marketing, but extraordinary events like fires and accidental deaths. "It’s incredible what can happen at a gas station," he said. Whittingham’s job at Harvard may be different from his earlier assignments, but it is no less challenging. Five out of six of his office staff are new as well, so he has faced the task of training new employees while learning the job himself. He has also been working on building up his field staff from 16 to a projected 25. Because dealing with the public is a large and crucial part of his operation, Whittingham makes staff training and support a top priority. "I try to foster a good attitude in my staff. As they say in the military, you’re only as strong as your weakest link, and they’re on the front lines." And like any military commander, Whittingham must occasionally prepare for all-out battle. Fortunately, these times are predictable. One recurrent skirmish occurs at the beginning of the term when people apply for parking permits and are sometimes dissatisfied with the inevitable trek from their assigned space to their work site. But this conflict pales compared with the school year’s greatest test of mettle – Commencement. "Commencement is a complete and utter nightmare," he said. "Alumni come back for reunions and they seem to forget you just can’t find a parking space in Harvard Square." For Harvard’s parking director, the day is a frenzied exercise in diplomacy and improvisation. But it is also a challenge, and Whittingham, as he has shown before in his career, responds well to challenges. "It’s draining, but it’s fun. And I’m always hopeful that next year we’re going to do better."
Copyright 1999 President and Fellows of Harvard College |
