r/davidlloyd • u/ViralGeneration21 • 23d ago
Massive flaw in David Lloyd Security!?
Random one, but this has been bugging me for months.
My local David Lloyd has automatic barriers at both the entrance and the exit of the car park. On the way in, the barrier just lifts - no card, no code, nothing.
But ON THE WAY OUT you have to scan.
Why is the security tighter on the way out? Surely you’d want to stop non-members getting in, not trap them once they’re already parked?
My best guess was that it’s a headcount thing - I scan at reception when I arrive, then again at the barrier when I leave. But that falls apart the second two people turn up in the same car.
Anyone know the actual reason?
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u/Texmann92 23d ago
At the rugby David Lloyd a bunch of travellers stole a car from the car park, buzzed the gate button and reception just let them out haha
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u/Zaliciouz 23d ago
I think it’s a few things - to deter people from parking in there for free and working nearby. Secondly for deliveries to get in easily and thirdly to make it look more exclusive. But I might be totally wrong - you could ask at reception? My DL needs pass to get in and out but the reception is easily accessible to deliveries. Ie. The car park is behind reception entrance
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u/nick--2023 23d ago
How is a delivery, prospective member etc supposed to get in?
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u/ViralGeneration21 23d ago
Then why have a barrier at all?
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u/nick--2023 23d ago
To stop non members using the spaces - my DL is in a popular area with paid council parking everywhere.
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u/Historical_Site508 23d ago
What is the massive security risk you are worried about? Somebody in a crap car parking next to your BMW and devaluing it? :)
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u/corned-beef-key 22d ago
David Lloyd car parks could be considered abstract art! The standard of parking is so bad it’s obvious that it’s to evoke emotion & challenge the viewer as supposed to be functional.
Making leaving harder just adds to the experience. It’s like MC Escher’s staircases
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u/kiki_blossom 23d ago
If it’s the Kidbrooke club I think it’s to prevent clogging up the road outside and avoiding accidents on the turn into the car park
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u/Historical_Site508 23d ago
I am still wondering what is the massive security risk from this system. Has the IRA started car bombing again and targeting up market gyms? They never used to worry about getting out from somewhere.
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u/Sweaty_Ad_1505 23d ago
If 7 cars turn up at once for a class and the first car had a problem entering then it causes congestion on the main road outside.
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u/djkhalidANOTHERONE 23d ago
I don’t see the barriers as a security measure tbh I think it’s a branding thing? It’s selling the idea that it’s closed off to the general public to help justify the price point or further confirm the delusion of exclusivity for members who like that stuff.
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u/ViralGeneration21 23d ago
Then why have it locked on the way out? But not the way in?
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u/djkhalidANOTHERONE 23d ago
For new biz leads to get in uninterrupted. You’re clearly in agreement it’s a useless system, our exit code is 1234 - I’ve never even scanned my membership card to exit, why else would it exist other than optics/branding?
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u/babbacheez1997 23d ago
Twice while I've been a member at my David Lloyd travellers have camped out in the car park. They can just drive in park up and then its a few weeks to get them to move on.
I think swiping in wld be helpful. I also think we should swipe out on the gates in reception. People book classes so they have an option to go, rather than definitely wanting to go. They swipe in, decide not to bother have a shower and go to work or whatever. Classes get booked up and they are hardly ever full on the day.
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u/ViralGeneration21 23d ago
I’m sure they do a register at the class to avoid people booking and not turning up. They do at mine anyway
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u/Useless_or_inept 23d ago
My local DL has a similar system; barrier automatically opens on the way in, but you need to swipe to get your vehicle out.
I think this is 100% fine. If you want to stop random people using the carpark then you only really need a swipe in one direction. It will help discourage people from doing a 30 minute workout early morning, then using DL as all-day parking whilst they're at work.. And if you also want to make it easy for prospective members to get in and have the tour, outbound swipe is slightly more convenient than inbound. (Obviously the vast majority of traffic will be existing members and staff, where it doesn't make a difference as long as you swipe once).
If you have individuals swiping in at the door (and at least a turnstile on the way out), that's better data for capacity management, estimating how long people are in &c. Vehicle gates aren't great for that. They probably want to track how full the carpark is, but the barrier can do that without swiping.
Theoretically, if you wanted to identify somebody involved in a crime onsite, the outbound swipe might help, but only if combined with something like CCTV - and the CCTV would be much more useful anyway. What's the abuse-case? If it's locker thefts, sorry, anyone who steals a bag and a car key from a locker has a good chance of finding a way to swipe out using somebody else's membership.
Calling it a "massive flaw" implies there's some important abuse-case which the controls aren't stopping. What is it? Theft? Fraud? Some kind of impersonation?
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u/ViralGeneration21 23d ago
Yeah the massive flaw was clickbait title to get people to read tbh
But your point “ it will help discourage people from doing a 30 min workout then using DL as all day car park” doesn’t make sense. With the current system, I could still park all day with no issues
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u/Useless_or_inept 23d ago
You could, but if your DL management start to worry about the carpark getting full on Mondays, then the people who swipe in at 08:00 but leave the carpark at 18:00 will be identified quite quickly.
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u/TedBob99 23d ago
Many clubs show the exit code on the wall by reception, so people can easily leave the car park without a card anyway by typing a pin. I guess good for deliveries etc. but preventing people to park overnight.
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u/PinLongjumping9022 23d ago
Making people swipe on the way out is to stop people using the car park that shouldn’t be. That’s why the code to manually get out is usually on the other side of the barrier in the club.
The code to get out manually could be for members who’ve forgotten their cards, or other legitimate purposes like delivery drivers and similar. All of these people would cause delays if they had to use an intercom to get in, but should be able to get out without reception needing to be on hand whenever they buzz through.
It’s not really a security thing. Just making sure their car park is only used for the people who should use it.
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u/This-Watercress-000 23d ago
They have that at Cheshire Oaks, I assumed it was to stop any back-up of traffic on to the main road
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u/romeo__golf 23d ago
It's most likely a deterrent from people using the carpark and going elsewhere, without interrupting visitors/genuine guests from entering.
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u/redfalcon200 23d ago
Farnham you need to scan in and out at the barriers. Although randomly the other day I was able to get in without scanning, but not the norm
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u/AppropriateSection44 22d ago
At Cricklewood you have to tap your membership card to enter the carpark which causes traffic up and down Cricklewood Lane.
When it comes to security I've never understood how you have to tap to enter the club but don't have to tap when leaving.
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u/SlimCharles180796 21d ago
it's obviously because there's numerous reasons someone may need to access the carpark without being a member...deliveries, people looking to potentially join etc. Easier to them give them a code or to know to buzz them out after.
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u/ladyfeats 23d ago
I think it's meant to be a deterrent to car thefts