The Sweet Service Award goes to the 1500 Capetonians who participated in the Madiba Unity Fan Walk on Sunday, in honour of Nelson Mandela’s birthday, and to retain the unity amongst Capetonians developed during the World Cup. The Fan Walk was initiated and organised by Jacqui Biess and her daughters from Charly’s Bakery. 

The Sour Service Award goes to the parking guards in the Cape Town city centre, who seem to have been appointed on their degree of rudeness and harassment towards city shoppers, rather than on their ability to efficiently collect the parking monies with charm!   With their orange bibs and blue overalls they are highly visible, and have become a deterrent to many wishing to go into the city.  Recently I parked near Marcellino’s Bakery, a 5 minute stop at most.  As I came out of the bakery, the parking guard was already at my car, and refused to get out of the way when I tried to close my car door.  I had to ask the CCID security guard, who was standing with him, to call the police, so that I could protect myself from him, as I did not know what he would do to me, in my own vehicle.   Similarly, a guard in Barrack Street threatened to clamp the car wheel if I did not pay upfront – in Sea Point we pay afterwards. In both cases the communication came with extreme rudeness.  The cost of parking is more than the cost of buying two bread rolls at Marcellino’s Bakery, hardly an incentive to go there now, except on a ‘drive-through’ basis!

The WhaleTales Sweet & Sour Service Awards are presented every Friday on the WhaleTales blog.  Nominations for the Sweet and Sour Service Awards can be sent to Chris von Ulmenstein at info@whalecottage.com.   Past winners of the Sweet and Sour Service Awards can be read on the Friday posts of this blog, and in the WhaleTales newsletters on the www.whalecottage.com website