FOR motorists who traverse downtown Kingston, requests for “drinks money” or a “blessing” from men who frequent the busy business district have become commonplace, not as a form of begging but as an exchange for access to designated parking spaces.

These individuals often block the spaces — identifiable by white-painted kerbs — only removing the blockade to usher in eager motorists before demanding payment.

One man, who requested anonymity, told the Jamaica Observer that he has been approached more than 10 times in the past three months, paying as much as $200 each time to park at sections of King Street, Harbour Street, Ocean Boulevard, Orange Street, Princess Street, and other major roads. He recounted an instance in which an interaction led to a heated verbal exchange because he’d reached his limit and refused to pay.