Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa Message Board - Payment for Airport parking

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We picked up friends today at the airport. (Thankfully, we didn't get hassled, blocked or threatened by any taxis, but I was prepared, with a camera, pen & paper, etc. if they'd tried.)
I don't know how long the current parking payment procedures have been in effect, but they were new to me.
You have to pay inside the arrivals area of the terminal, down in a back corner. You then insert the stamped parking stub into the machine, and you're done. Until one of the rent-a-cops explained it all to me, we were condemned to circle the parking lot, trying unsuccessfully to find a way out, like Charlie on the Boston M.T.A.

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I'm not sure I understand...you take the ticket you get when you enter the parking area to a machine inside the terminal to pay? And, then how do you get out of the parking lot?

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When you enter the parking lot you fake your ticket from the machine and the barrier rises. Before you can leav the parking lot you now have to go to the booth in the airport and give them your ticket and pay the fee, then they give you back a validated ticket that you stick into a machine and if everything works the barrier goes up and you leave. I promise I will break the damn barrier before I will follow such a backward, poorly thought-out procedure.

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Where in the airport terminal is the booth to pay? Thanks!

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Not sure I see the issue. This is the same as most automated pay parking lots in most big cities where they have removed the human attendant. You drive in and take the ticket from the machine, the arm lifts and you enter the lot and park.
When you're ready to leave you pay according to the amount of time your car was in the lot. Currently you need to go past the taxi ticket stand, towards the washrooms and on your left there's a window with a person there who will tell you how much you owe and validate your ticket which you take with you.
You drive back to where you came into the lot, insert your validated ticket into the slot, the arm lifts and you go on your merry way.
There is a machine in the airport just as you exit where it looks like you will be able to pay and validate your ticket without dealing with a person.
I have used the same type of system in Vancouver, Calgary, Seattle, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Tepic, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Morelia, London, Edinburgh, Paris and numerous other cities. I am pretty sure many of you have also used the same type of system in your travels.
Is it the best system? Maybe not especially as it has obviously taken jobs from some people but that aside you don't need a degree in anything to use the system.
Don't want to use the lot then circle around or park off site but not a deal breaker for going to get friends or family from the airport.

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Jeez, I was just asking where in the terminal you went to pay. I wasn't complaining or anything...no reason to get so upset!

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Sorry Ita. No offence meant and as a matter of fact I placed the reply in the wrong place. My comments were for those who complain for complaining sake about something that's pretty simple.

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Sorry Ita. No offence meant and as a matter of fact I placed the reply in the wrong place. My comments were for those who complain for complaining sake about something that's pretty simple.

Obviously you meant me. And obviously you're one of those sheeple who go quietly to their slaughter.

Since obviously it hasn't occurred to you, for handicapped folks and elderly or folks with mobility issues this new payment format is a lot more than a minor inconvenience. And for locals and others unaware of how the new system works, a simple sign explaining it would be helpful. Those are the folks to whom you owe an apology, if you really want to be sincere.

Why fix a system that wasn't broken? Just because that's how "they" do it somewhere else?

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When I was at the airport yesterday there was a young man sitting there where you enter the parking lot (in the sun because they did not make a shaded area for him) He was giving information on how to do the lot. He spoke no English. I understood him well but decided to circle the lot and not do this option.

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Lady M. can only think this is some sort of security measure(not having a lone woman in the exit booth) , but obviously there's something else here for someone to benefit monetarily. It's Mexico!! :-)

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Lady M. can only think this is some sort of security measure(not having a lone woman in the exit booth) , but obviously there's something else here for someone to benefit monetarily. It's Mexico!!

That was my initial thought, too, until Devney and others mentioned that this is how it's done at all the "modern" airports, which reminded me that THIS airport is operated by a very "special" Spanish consortium that has no love for Zihuatanejo and could care less that for 40 years we've had a booth there. I'm sure they see it as simply another of their penny-pinching methods to increase their profits, particularly considering that for the past couple of years our airport has had such little business that I'm sure even the parking lot attendant's salary wasn't covered by the daily income since almost nobody was using the lot. So even though now that business is back, they've ditched the booth and aren't about to change their minds. And apparently it STILL doesn't occur to anyone at the airport to put a simple friggin' SIGN up. But you can bet your Maltese bippy that everyone got their Christmas bonus!

Madness!

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I agree that the system is fairly straightforward and is used in many parking places worldwide. They tried to introduce a similar system at The Bodega Aurrera where you paid at the checkout - but that was soon disbanded as nobody wanted to pay to shop. The big shopping mall in Acapulco has a similar system but the pay machines are actually in the car park.
The most notable thing to me, at the airport, was that when they had the pay-booth then you paid a minimum of 28 pesos for 2 hours - but now, with the new system, it is a minimum of 30 pesos for 1 hour - over twice as much!

--
Graham Felipe'

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It's pretty much how all term parking works...at least in my experience.

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It works unless the car or cars in front of you did not understand and did not pay inside and there a traffic jam which requires a traffic cop to have everyone back up to let the non payer out. I am sure this happens 10 times a day. It happened when we were leaving...took about 10 minutes to get out of the lot.

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I just circled once and picked up my person. I will try to never park there again.

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Interesting thread. I had another issue with airport transportation yesterday that caused me to vent on another site.

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g153445-i356-k7227168-Taxis_at_the_airport-Ixtapa_Zihuatanejo_Pacific_Coast.html#63234969

I'm new here, ready to fall in love with the area, but I'm missing the logic re tourism development of what they're doing at the airport.

Tell me if I am off base.

Thanks.

Ray

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Interesting thread. I had another issue with airport transportation yesterday that caused me to vent on another site.

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g153445-i356-k7227168-Taxis_at_the_airport-Ixtapa_Zihuatanejo_Pacific_Coast.html#63234969

I'm new here, ready to fall in love with the area, but I'm missing the logic re tourism development of what they're doing at the airport.

Tell me if I am off base.

Thanks.

Ray

There are two services: the local taxis operated by various taxi unions who can pick up and drop off anyone anywhere except pick-ups on airport property without special permissions, and the airport-only taxis we know as Transporte Terrestre.

The airport-only taxis offer better vehicles but for the most part are limited to one-way trips from the airport to lodgings even though the law says they can also pick up from lodgings for return trips to the airport; however, when they try to do the latter they often find themselves blocked by the local taxi unions and ugly scenes arise that usually end up leaving the tourist with a terrible memory of our lovely town. The airport-only taxis offer a colectivo service where you share a ride with others. It is more economical though not as fast arriving to your lodging unless yours happens to be the first lodging to arrive to among the several passengers.

Airport taxis cannot simply pick folks up from the street and offer them a ride anywhere. The fact that they offer the arriving passenger additional security (unlike a taxi you wave down in the street), a fleet of well-maintained late-model vehicles operated by reliable and trustworthy drivers justifies their higher rates.

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Another reason for having a centralized taxi service from the airport is protection from gouging. If you have come one come all taxi service, arriving visitors are really vulnerable to being taken advantage of. With the pay first, posted flat rate system, visitors have a good measure of protection. At an additional cost since there is no competition.

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Fran . then why does it cost twice as much from airport to Z or Ixtapa than the other way when you leave, B-) your tears must be worth pesos !!

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You'll note I said that protection monopoly comes with a cost. There is no competition with a single provider who sets the rate. It's not a perfect system. But it is what it is.

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Fran, ergo you pay twice as much- airport to Z than the other way around makes sense in economics and to the taxi companies, just glad we don't fly in anymore. :badass:

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Fran . then why does it cost twice as much from airport to Z or Ixtapa than the other way when you leave, your tears must be worth pesos !!

Because after dropping off their fares at their lodgings they ride back to the airport empty, unlike other taxis who can often drop someone off and technically find another fare for the return trip back to their base area, a right the big local taxi unions are currently denying to the airport taxis, limiting their income even more.

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Fran ,so that's why they can charge twice as much? It's :-D :-D been going on for years, tears are worth pesos.

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Before I retired I use to park in Grant Park in Chicago Loop and paid at a booth when leaving. A few years ago we took the grand kids to see the window displays. We we got back to the garage saw a pay here machine- I did not realize I was suppose to take my ticket back after paying. Waited 45 minutes for some one to find my ticket. It was unbelievable how much parking had gone up after we left. Parking is a rip off in Chicago.

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Parking in Chicago is pure supply and demand. You see very few empty spaces in Loop ramps and garages. Hence rising costs.

That's why I take the L downtown. And Carol takes one pass in front of the airport door at the airport.

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Just curious, how many people who have posted in this thread are Mexican nationals?

PS. Not me.

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Give the Raisins a break! It's been at least 2 hrs since they last complained

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