Park and Lock Parking Centre - 401 Fish Row
In the 1920s, cities across America started to allocate space for parking lots that were either owned and managed privately by commercial and retail associations or owned by public entities and maintained by private operators. Some of these lots were within downtown areas, others were located at city perimeters. During the next thirty years the need for such spaces only increased, and this need became a source of riches for New Jerusalem native Frank Thurston.
When an empty lot at 401 Fish Row, once a warehouse back in the 1800s, came up for sale in 1945, Frank saw his chance. He quickly bought up the property and had it leveled, paved, and rows of parking spaces painted. A small kiosk was built for a guard, and Thurston opened the Park and Lock Parking Centre. He has never regretted the decision and now lives in a very pleasant house in the Uptown district.
The lot is open seven days a week 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Costs are 50 cents an hour, 10 dollars a day, and 25 dollars for a single weekend. Cars left on the lot for longer than 48 hours are impounded and towed.
Randy Garbin, 20, works as the guard at the Park and Lock along with his dog Scram. Randy takes money, makes change, hands out tickets (which a few area businesses will stamp for a refund), watches over the parked cars, takes down license plate numbers, and generally keeps the lot clean and tidy. When not otherwise occupied he and Scram relax in the kiosk and listen to his portable radio. He and Scram both currently live at the American House Hotel - 412 Fish Row. He has a huge crush on Lynn Fowler, one of the working girls at the Maid's Lament Bar; unfortunately she is almost completely unaware of him.
Scram is a youngish Border Collie who adores Randy and listens eagerly to his stories of how they are going to move to California some day and surf. Scram isn't sure what surfing is, which is ok because Randy has no idea how to surf, but he's sure it is going to be great. He's a generally friendly dog who likes most people and even gets along well with some cats. Overall he is just about as naïve as his young master.
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