Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

To not want to pay this fine?

96 replies

Imamiddleclasstwat · 05/08/2017 18:22

My 8 ur old dd is in hospital with suspected appendicitis. I drove her to a and e and she was in agony, could barely stand and the nearest car park is about 3-400m from a and e. There's no way she could walk so I parked in the 20 min drop off slot and carried her in. She was then sent straight to the surgeons and spent the night on morphine and didn't want me to leave her to move the car (massive hospital, probably would have taken about 20-30 mins on total), she was in pain, unwell and scared. I didn't feel I could leave her in that state. First thing next morning I went to move the car and have received a £50 fine, the ticket was put on after an hour.
I'm going to have to pay it aren't I? Feels like there's no compassion. I saw a police car also with a ticket.

OP posts:

Witchend · 05/08/2017 19:27

No one ever wants to pay a fine. That's kind of the point.

One of Dm's friends set off for hospital half an hour away, back in the 80s so no mobile phones. On the way he took a turn for the worse and by the time she arrived he was in a coma and there was a queue for the car park. She parked on the double yellows and ran in with him and got fined.
She said that she knew she deserved to be fined and had no problem with paying it, but that there wasn't another option for her at that moment.

I wouldn't blame you for doing it. But the fine is totally justified, and you should pay it.

InvisibleCities · 05/08/2017 19:30

Yeah, sorry but you should just pay the fine. If you'd left the car there for 45 minutes fine, but if the council/whoever is in charge of the fines checks CCTV and sees that your car was there till morning you might accumulate a higher fine! Added to that is the fact that you could have left your DD and moved the car, you just chose not to. You don't have a leg to stand on I'm afraid.

viques · 05/08/2017 19:30

I don't know why you are saying there is no compassion. The ticket person doesn't know why you parked there, you could have been a chancer with an ingrowing toe nail for all they know, they don't traipse around to find you and then make a value judgement about how deserving you are. As others have said, those spaces are there for a reason, and parking overnight is not one of them.

I am sorry your daughter is poorly, appendicitis is agonisingly painful, but you chose to park there, I understand why, then chose not to move your car. You could try appealing, but I doubt it will get you anywhere so pay up and put it down to experience.

talonofthehawk · 05/08/2017 19:31

You parked illegally, pay the fine.
Sob stories won't work.

brasty · 05/08/2017 19:32

You are wrong to say there is no compassion. They left your car for an hour before ticketing it. Lots of people use those drop off points for people who are too ill to walk from the other car park.

BewareOfDragons · 05/08/2017 19:33

You left it there over night?!

Pay the fine.

Bombardier25966 · 05/08/2017 19:35

@LokisLover, how would you have felt if you couldn't park near the hospital because someone was blocking the short stay spots?

TheFirstMrsDV · 05/08/2017 19:41

You can get a letter from her consultant confirming you bought your DD in for an emergency and you may well get the fine waived.

I don't know why people are so keen for you to pay the fine as its bloody unlikely the hospital will see any of it.

Its very hard to leave a child in the circumstances described in your OP. You have my sympathy and I hope your DD is on the mend

Glumglowworm · 05/08/2017 19:42

I m sorry DD is so poorly and I hope she feels better soon

But yes you should pay it. If you'd been there for 30 minutes and got fined people would be more sympathetic but you were there overnight.?

Those bays are vital, for situations exactly like yours where someone is dashing in with an ill person. And that's exactly why they can't be abused. How would you feel if you'd hadn't been able to park there because other people had parked there hours earlier and not moved?

isadoradancing123 · 05/08/2017 19:42

You could have left her for 30 mins and explained to her that you had to move the car

Kursk · 05/08/2017 19:44

There is no compassion but you probably suspected that when you parked there. It is what it is

Sparklingbrook · 05/08/2017 19:44

You can't just park in a drop off zone overnight. How would you have felt if the drop off zone was full of people parking overnight when you arrived with your DD?

I would just pay the fine.

theSnuffster · 05/08/2017 19:53

I'd just pay the fine. I think if I was in your situation i'd have probably done the same thing as you- the car would've been the last thing on my mind, my child would be my priority.

LokisLover · 05/08/2017 20:01

@Bombardier I really do see why my opinion is contentious, I am not an entitled selfish person but can see my comment doesn't reflect this.

I'm thinking of this with my local hospital in mind where the drop off point can still have a car parked in it and still be accessible to others and the road isn't blocked. Im also looking at this having had an incredibly unwell child, car vs child and inconvenienced others able to have the luxury of dropping off and time to park a car, which would you chose?

Unfortunately I have two children with serious health complications and when I visit the hospital for their appointments I wouldn't dream of parking anywhere other than the designated car park. If I was using the drop off area and someone was parked in it I'm sure I'd still manage to drop off and then park my car elsewhere.

But in an emergency, and possibly life threatening emergency with an 8 yr old child, not just a banged head or such like I can see exactly why the op did this.

And yes I think the fine should be paid, I'd see it as a small price under the circumstances.

Floggingmolly · 05/08/2017 20:03

How can it be a lack of compassion?? It's a hospital, there were probably umpteen people needing to use the spot in the time you were parked in it.
I don't understand how she wouldn't let you leave her side all night long but first thing in the morning it was fine for you to move the car?

Spam88 · 05/08/2017 20:05

I can understand not wanting to leave her, but what about the other people who were brought in to A&E and we're too poorly to walk but had to because of people misusing the drop off point? I hope your daughter is feeling better

MaisyPops · 05/08/2017 20:07

Pay the fine. The spaces are for short drop offs, not over night parking.
how would you have felt if you couldn't park near the hospital because someone was blocking the short stay spots?
^^ this.

horsefeathers · 05/08/2017 20:08

You had your reasons for making the decision you did, but the fact is lots of people have to rush sick loved ones to the hospital, and there isn't enough land for you all to get overnight parking right next to the building. Think about it logically - your situation was serious, but no more so than many other people's. The hospital has to do something to deter people from hogging those spaces. Cough up the fine, be thankful your car wasn't towed or something, and focus on your DD.

AngeloftheSouth84 · 05/08/2017 20:08

Next time get an ambulance to hospital. Wouldn't have needed to worry about parking then.

Redglitter · 05/08/2017 20:14

What makes you think your need was greater than anyone elses. Yes it was an emergency when you arrived but you had plenty opportunity to move it. I appreciate you didn't want to leave your daughter bit presumably you weren't in theatre with her.

You might not like it but in this case I'd say you need to just pay it.

I'd be amazed if the hospital waived it

Tempranillo · 05/08/2017 20:21

When I had to take my baby to A&E I had to leave my car in one of those drop off points. I told the nurses and they gave my details to security. My husband moved the car when he arrived about 5 hours later. No problems.

NoqontroI · 05/08/2017 20:22

I'd get a letter from the consultant and try and contest it tbh. I've been in a similar situation and didn't have to pay. Hope your dd is OK.

BabsGanoush · 05/08/2017 20:26

Why didn't you move the car whilst your DD was in surgery?

ivykaty44 · 05/08/2017 20:27

Sorry about your dad

Ok there are a lot of loop holes with these types of companies.

As they put a ticket on your car they have a set amount of days to wait until they can contact you again.

You need to have a little patients though and not contact the company.

If you want to play them at there own game let me know and I'll search out the rules for you

Hope you're dd gets better quickly

Floggingmolly · 05/08/2017 20:29

What would the consultant say, do you think? That ops child was ill? It's a hospital, full of ill people. That's if he actually agreed to waste his time interceding on behalf of op and her parking fine in the first place.
He may has slightly more important stuff to occupy his time?

Flip

1 2 3 4