Hospital appointment, can't drive, wwyd?

[RiverF]

I've got an injury that means I can't drive.

I do drive and am generally generous with lifts. I have quite a sociable life and we lift share a lot.

I'm single and my parents are very elderly, so I no longer have the "go to" help for these kinds of situations.

The appointment, related to my injury, is about 45 mins drive away. Or a very long complicated bus journey.

Do I suck it up and go by bus or ask one of the people who "owes" me a lift? Difference being that usually when I give lifts, I was going anyway.

Taxi, we get taxis for over an hour away just fine.

No harm in asking, but nobody owes you a lift.

Have a taxi as a back up plan.

Get a cab. It's far more agreeable than the bus (or finding out that favours only go one way).

Contact the hospital and ask about patient transport options. Plenty of them out there - volunteer drivers for example.

I’d take you if you were my friend (and often do this for friends), please ask someone, most people would be very happy to help.

Ask around. I've given a colleague a lift to an appointment that was impossible to get to without a car before.

Can you arrange transport via your GP? That’s what I was told to do ( but haven’t asked them yet!) Taxis for an hour long journey will be very expensive! Some hospitals have a shuttle service between hospitals , or perhaps try PALS.

Yes, that’s easy and very expensive!

I'd definitely ask around and see if someone will help you out.

You should offer them money for petrol. They might not take it but still.........

I got round this by asking in a FB post - that way I wasn't asking anyone directly and people could weigh up the day/time and see if they could do it before offering.

One person took me on his way to work (it was earlier than my appt so I bought a cup of tea before going to the clinic). Someone else did the return trip.

It was cheaper than bus + train, never mind parking, when I got one last week. I'd assumed it would be expensive, but getting there in less than four hours and in relative comfort would have been worth it.

That sounds great, how nice.

So who have u actually asked?

Hospital transport?

I would ask but not in the sense that they owe you. I’d just explain that you need a lift and wondered if anyone wouldn’t mind dropping you off, no problem if not. Perhaps you could get a lift there but a taxi back so they don’t have to wait around and park etc.

I'm not suggesting anyone actually owes me, but there are lots of people I've given lifts to, which maybe makes it a but easier to ask, although this is a big ask and iut of their way.

I haven't asked anyone yet.

There is usually a community driver scheme for situations like this (people who volunteer their services to drive people to appointments).
The hospital will probably have details. It's an properly organised scheme so volunteers will be dbs checked etc.
Or there's hospital transport - but that can make a 45 minute journey twice as long as they will be collecting several people.
Taxi if you can afford it.
Or......just ASK your friends/relatives.

If one of the friends you are considering asking was in your position and they asked you for a lift would you do it if you could? Ie no prior commitments making it impossible.

Yes I would, then ask
No I wouldn't as it would be out of my way, don't ask

Obviously no-one yet

She has elderly parents and no one to ask!

People love being asked favours if you don't normally ask. If they can't do it, they'll say no, but I'm sure you'd be surprised at who would offer to do things to help you out.

I've got friends I could ask, but realistically it's a whole afternoon and the sort of favour you usually.only ask of someone close.

@RiverF I think your best choices are taxi or community volunteer drivers then.

Definitely ask, even if people can just do one way.

Failing that, I would taxi there and back, or if cost is an issue, taxi there and bus hop back. I find public transport to hospital appointments super stressful because you have to build in such a margin of error for timings.

Google your local volunteer centre, we have a great one - I know some of the (now retired) folk who take people places especially hospital appointments. My pregnant (non driving) neighbour uses them for her hospital appointments.