The Tickets, One Too Many!

By Maxine Jasmin-Green

Wed, 17 Jan 2024
  • 592 reads
6 comments
 

A friend, went to the hospital, but when she arrived, the car park was very full. She has a permit that she has paid for, it cost over a hundred pounds a year. Personally, I think if you work there and full time, you shouldn’t have to pay to park there. She agrees with me. She has her own section, where she and her colleagues are allocated. This parking places, is clearly marked, “Staff Only Parking.”

When she arrived for work, and she tried to park in her usual place, it was all taken, not by Staff but the public. But to be fair, there was no parking spaces at all in the whole of the hospital grounds. She drove around two or three times, finally she had to do what she saw others do, and that was to park on the grass verge.

When she finished work, she saw that all the cars, that were parked by her, all had been given parking tickets! She had displayed her permit, so she didn’t get a ticket. She said, “They should make the grounds bigger so that there is enough parking for everyone.”

It is a real bugbear of mine. I think all hospitals should have free parking! It grieves me that in the past I have had to pay for parking, when I have taken Mum or a friend who can’t walk far outside the hospital and then walk to the hospital. My local hospital, if I am on my own or with Paul I never park in the grounds where you must pay. I drive about five minutes away and walk there.

For those poor people who all got parking tickets that day, I think it is very unfair, one because there was NO spaces and two, they went there expecting to pay and did, but still got fines because there were no parking spaces. I would appeal.             

 

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Comments

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

It's the same where I live Maxine - and the charges are exorbitant too. Car parking should be free in a place like that!

 

Submitted by Maxine Jasmin-Green on

I agree it should be Free! It is a Hospital, in general sick people are there, loved ones will be visiting and those dying those will mental health, visiting older people who want family close, even going for appointments, and the Staff Nurse or Doctor or the Clinic section, where there are delays and time has gone over it is Stressful enough, for people to have to Worry about parking tickets and fines it is Crinimal!!!

 And for all those who have been slapped a ticket or have had to pay extortionate prices, the hospitals and ticket givers should Hang Their Heads in Shame!!    

sad

 

Submitted by marandina on

Parking at hospitals is such a mess. I avoid it if I can. Whenever I go to Northampton General, I use a council car park nearby. It's easier than the expensive bunfight at the hospital. Ditto when I take my lad to an appointment at Kettering General for his braces. I go to a Maccy D round the corner and he texts me when he's ready to be collected. Of course, this is easier said than done if you are attending treatment and not well. It's an issue that definitely needs looking at!

 

Submitted by Maxine Jasmin-Green on

And that is the Sad thing, the Majority can't avoid it, they have to go and have to Pay! It is Very Unfair. I think you do the right thing, finding somewhere else to park, and arrange to meet when your lad has finished his appointment. I think when it is posibile most people have to do that. The hospital in my story, whenever I went there I used to park in a side road, and it seems so did many others, when I went a few years ago to give someone a lift, I noticed that now they have put double yellow lines down, so now there is no where near, the nearest place is 15 minutes walk away which is a shame. To get round that, if I am picking someone up from that hospital what I tend to do is drive slowly around the grounds of the hospital car park as it is a huge one way system and then when I get the phone call that she is ready I then drive and pick her up .What a Palava! But it is better than Paying!!!   

Thank you for valued comments 

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Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

I couldn't agree more, Maxine. I get stressed about parking at the best of times so couple that with a trip to hospital and I would be experiencing a stomach-cramp inducing level of anxiety. There should be a free constant shuttle bus service from a large designated parking area, except for emergencies of course.

 

Submitted by Maxine Jasmin-Green on

You have Summed it up! It IS Very Stressful. I hate it Especially when I had to take my Mum who is in her late 80's. Her walkin is very limited and in the end after it took ages to walk Mum from the Car park to the front door, of the hospital  Time is Money!!! Then i  would have to find a wheelchair! This car parking lark is aimed at all of us who are at their Mercy! It is Unfair and They the Powers that be don't care!.

A free shuttle bus service sounds like a fantastic idea! Maybe you could Suggest it? It could be Council funded or run by Volunteers? I am sure it would be  very busy and well used service, say 8am till 8pm or after the last visiting hours? Maybe you could write a letter in your local paper and ask if anyone would be interested in either taking up the offer or suggestions for someone to fund it.  The right person, retired and bored at home would just jump at the chance! For it must Stress a lot of other people too. And it would be one less thing to worry about. You never know, You could be the Key.

The same hospital that is in my story, my cousin who is a Nurse, she sold her car about 15 years ago and walks to the hospital I guess it takes her about 30 minutes walk, then when she gets to the hospital there is a Free bus (For Nurses/medical Staff only) and it takes them to another hospital where they actually work and it does the same thing at home time, it takes about an hour to get to the second hospital but it is Free.

 Thank you for your valued Comments. 

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