A really nice piece in Mahala this month about the car guards at Durban’s beachfront – and the extra services that they offer (careful now):
The car guards that ply their trade along the Golden Mile are known to go beyond the call of duty, thanks to the trust that has been built over time between them and their “clients”. The modern surfer has one major issue when it comes to parking their new age vehicle and jumping into the ocean. The remote key: an electronic device that is not water friendly!
But this is not a problem at the major surfing beaches. Every day, numerous beach goers hand over their car keys to the guards in full confidence that their belongings are in good hands. An amazing interaction if you consider the approach most of us take towards crime prevention in this country.
I enjoyed reading this – a quick dip into another world – a world that as the writers suggest, conjures up all sorts of negative connotations. But the entrepreneurship demonstrated by these guys and the obvious trust that has built up between them and the surfers are fantastic.