DAMAGES CAUSED BY PARKING BOOM SYSTEM AT EMPERORS PALACE

DAMAGES CAUSED BY PARKING BOOM SYSTEM AT EMPERORS PALACE I had damages caused to the vehicle I was driving by the parking double boom/gate exit system at EMPERORS PALACE / PEERMONT GLOBAL. The incident happened in the early morning hours of Friday 31.08.2019 at gate no. 7. The first boom was opened after the Security Guard present checked the parking ticket I paid for. The second boom/gate should have been closed at that time as there still was a vehicle in the gap between the 2 gates. But the system and/or security guard present allowed me to drive into the gap. The outer boom was still kept open and this is certainly a clear sign to continue slowly through the second boom/gate. As I undertook this, the outer boom closed on top of the vehicle I was driving, leaving damages which had to be repaired - amounting to Rand 4'179.10. The boom area was dark and poorly lit and I am not fami**** with this double boom system as residing in Cape Town where we are used to single booms. Under the circumstances, I did not look for an exit button, which I later learnt was located in the gap between both booms. Having a button there or not, the system should be foolproof and should never close on top of a car when left open. The system should not allow any car into the gap when the gap is not completely cleared and the outer boom should always be closed until the exit button is pressed. Then people will start looking for a button IN THE DARK to open the outer gate. After several correspondences with Emperors Palace, they deny liability for a malfunctioning or wrongly operated exit boom system. They want to put the blame on me with the explanation that I was tailgating. Would their system be programmed and working properly , tailgating was not possible at all. Maybe it was even human error by the security guard who stood by the inner boom - EMPERORS PALACE is keeping quiet about this. Maybe this person should not have opened the inner gate but to the contrary did so. With all due respect: With a double boom system NO vehicle should be allowed into the gap between inner and outer boom when the gap is NOT cleared of vehicles. Opening the inner boom and allowing a vehicle to enter the gap and still having a slow vehicle moving in the gap and through the outer boom signs a green light to continue through the outer boom and to follow the vehicle in front. There are many boom systems in South Africa in operation where a boom remains open if several vehicles follow in sequence to exit and it does not close between every vehicle. I regard it as very shabby and cheap by EMPERORS PALACE / PEERMONT GLOBAL to deny liability and they are ducking away for settling the bill for the damages caused by a system which is misleading the user/consumer/client. I supp**** them with a police report and affidavit related to the incident. I will name and shame EMPERORS PALACE / PEERMONT GLOBAL and their cheap attitude turning a blind eye on this. I am in the tourism industry, well connected and will spread the word about their disappointing excuses. The Legal Administrator Jacques Havenga sent me a mail that they put the blame on me for their floored boom system. They are fast to mention their cameras but do not comment in any way to the valid points I am voicing in my complaint. This is how they bend the truth. This is outrageous.

Walter G. Boesch