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Original poster

To not pay hospital parking fine

478 replies

StupidFine · 09/01/2018 08:19

Last week Dd (8 months) suffered an allergic reaction and was taken to the hospital. DH followed in the car and parked without paying (we live on the border and our usual hospital is in Scotland where parking is free, but this is our first emergency and we were taken to the nearest hospital which is in England). Either way the last thing on DH mind was the bleeding parking.

Thankfully Dd was ok, but a week later DH and I are reflecting on what to do about the parking fine. Our options as we see them are:

A) pay the fine and draw a line under this incident (£40).
B) contest the fine as it was an emergency and we have a hospital note with time and reason for admission (if contest is denied fine will go up to £80 as takes 35 days to review).
C) don't pay and just ignore the fine. A colleague of mine said as we live in Scotland we don't need to tell the parking company who was driving (apparently this loophole was closed in England) and since they don't know who was driving it's very costly/time consuming and not worth the company's effort to raise a case to claim the fine.

My head says to go for option A) as I don't want things like this hanging over our head. But my heart says option C) as it's ridiculous anyone should need to pay for parking at a hospital and the fine is just an arbitrary number pulled out of the company's backside (not quite but you get the point).

WWYD?

OP posts:
Dungeondragon15 · 09/01/2018 23:06

Well, actually that remains to be seen. The charge hasn't been waived yet.

I was referring to the couple who rushed to the hospital because their child had suspected meningitis. You thought they should have been fined for not remembering or stopping to buy a parking ticket but luckily the hospital is more reasonable and waived the fine.

m0therofdragons · 09/01/2018 23:19

@CherryMaDeara where she said they parked and now have a fine because her dh didn't think about paying. One option is not to pay.

Often hospitals can waive fees if you mention it at the time but after the fact it's too late to reverse, especially if managed by an external company.

We have around 100 people attend A&E every day (fairly small hospital) so all these people see their need as an "emergency". I think I'm the US you get free parking and I guess you could pay private as you get free parking with that but then the treatment cost is higher. I think I'll stick with paying for a parking ticket.

BashStreetKid · 09/01/2018 23:21

so these companies are allowed to pluck a figure out of thin air, and you have to pay it?

No, they aren't. If it were too high a charge, it would be viewed as a contract penalty /effectively unjust enrichment, and would be unenforceable. That was an argument that was run in the Beavis case, who decided that a charge at a similar level to OP's didn't constitute a penalty but was a fair reflection of the cost to the parking company in terms of things like maintaining the car park, enforcing charges, and being able to offer a facility to other legitimate users.

BashStreetKid · 09/01/2018 23:36

But you have been to A&E for her other conditions? So you have more experience than OP, who said it was their first emergency.

Their first emergency with their child. It would be unusual if they'd never been to a hospital before in stressful circumstances, not least when OP gave birth.

Once he was thinking straight, he bought a ticket.

Where do you get that from, Cherry? According to OP, he didn't buy a ticket until 3 p.m., having arrived at 1.10 p.m with their daughter sorted out by 2.30 p.m. That's a long time to start thinking straight after the emergency was over. Even then, he didn't go out to the car park to buy a ticket, he went out to fetch the car to do some shopping. And in fact he only bought the ticket after having received the parking charge, driven out of the car park and then driven back again.

Dungeondragon15 · 10/01/2018 08:12

Their first emergency with their child. It would be unusual if they'd never been to a hospital before in stressful circumstances, not least when OP gave birth.

I think that following an ambulance with your child in it in a life or death emergency situation is beyond stressful and (thankfully) not something many people experience. The vast majority of hospital visits will not be anywhere near as stressful.
If you visit hospitals frequently AND pay and display you might shop to buy a ticket however urgent/stressful the situation is but you would be doing it on autopilot in a similar way to picking up keys/money/phone etc when leaving the house. I visit hospitals all the time but as I don't have to pay until I leave via credit card there's no way I would be thinking about change/parking etc if my child was being rushed to hospital by ambulance. It's not something that would happen on autopilot and the thinking" part of my brain would be concentrating on more important issues...

RockinHippy · 10/01/2018 08:46

*I would challenge it given the circumstances

Everyone has a circumstance for being at a hospital.

Pretty sure people don't turn up for a day trip out.*

What a dumb comment & obviously spoken by someone who has never had a true medical emergency with their DC or anyone close. Trust me the only thing any parent thinks about is getting their DC to safety

QueenUnicorn · 10/01/2018 08:55

OP's usual hospital has free parking so why would they think of needing change for the car park? If you've never been before you don't know.

SaucyJack · 10/01/2018 09:22

"why would they think of needing change for the car park?"

Because it's a car park?

Who honestly doesn't know that some car parks charge, and some don't, and if you want to avoid a fine- then you need to check the signs before leaving?

It's not even relevant to the Scottish/English NHS thing.

Dungeondragon15 · 10/01/2018 09:34

Who honestly doesn't know that some car parks charge, and some don't, and if you want to avoid a fine- then you need to check the signs before leaving?

Do you honestly think that if you were following an ambulance because your child was in it in an emergency life or death situation, you would be giving any thought to the fact that hospitals in different areas and have different systems and that you might need change? Maybe people would gather change on autopilot if that is what they are used to doing but most people aren't as even if even if they visit hospitals regularly many now charge when you leave and you can use a credit card.

Original poster
StupidFine · 10/01/2018 09:36

Their first emergency with their child. It would be unusual if they'd never been to a hospital before in stressful circumstances, not least when OP gave birth.

I didn't go into labour like a Hollywood movie so I had time to go to our usual hospital...where parking is free. This was an emergency and we were taken to the nearest hospital which is pay and display.

OP posts:
RockinHippy · 10/01/2018 09:37

Confused I can only guess that those of you that put change for parking above getting medical help for DC, either don't have DC, are aren't bloody human. Trust me when your DCs life is at stake, you think of NOTHING else but getting them help, Why is that so hard to understand Confused

IsabellaTruffle · 10/01/2018 09:46

Dungeon I would have to disagree as many if not all my friends/family with young children have had to take their child to A&E with potentially life threatening circumstances. I have travelled by ambulance twice with DC1 who has no medical conditions. 111 services, 999 and paramedics don't take any risks with young children and babies and so they are often taken in ambulances particularly if showing certain symptoms.

I don't think anyone is necessarily criticising the OP for forgetting to pay as obviously it isn't the first thing on your mind, however the charge is justified given it was a car park with "pay and display" and the OP didn't.

I don't think contesting it would make much difference as a huge proportion of the car parks users would be there under similar circumstances.

My youngest DC spent a total of 8 weeks in hospital (a mix of SCBU and admissions as a baby) before they were 1. This was in a car park which needed to be paid for, with my car needing to be left there several overnights, it cost a small fortune but if it is a paid car park then you have to pay unfortunatley.

SaucyJack · 10/01/2018 09:49

"confused I can only guess that those of you that put change for parking above getting medical help for DC"

The child was already under the care of paramedics in a separate vehicle.

Stop being such a drama queen.

Original poster
StupidFine · 10/01/2018 09:55

Where do you get that from, Cherry? According to OP, he didn't buy a ticket until 3 p.m., having arrived at 1.10 p.m with their daughter sorted out by 2.30 p.m. That's a long time to start thinking straight after the emergency was over.

Where do you get that from, BashStreetKid?

Our DD wasn't 'sorted out' by 14:30, she had received initial treatment but was showing signs of secondary reaction.

DH returned to the car at 14:40, but that's not when the ticket was issued, the ticket was issued at 14:00 (13:45 inspector noted no ticket on car then returned at 14:00 and issued the ticket) less than an hr after the emergency.

Even then, he didn't go out to the car park to buy a ticket, he went out to fetch the car to do some shopping.

Exactly hence why it was an honest mistake by DH as opposed to blatantly ignoring the need to get a ticket.

OP posts:
Branleuse · 10/01/2018 10:06

Ive actually had parking charges outside my own house before because ive messed up my permits. Ive just paid them. I didnt realise I could have written them a letter telling them that im actually scottish, therefore parking charges dont apply to me.

Dungeondragon15 · 10/01/2018 10:10

Dungeon I would have to disagree as many if not all my friends/family with young children have had to take their child to A&E with potentially life threatening circumstances. I have travelled by ambulance twice with DC1 who has no medical conditions. 111 services, 999 and paramedics don't take any risks with young children and babies and so they are often taken in ambulances particularly if showing certain symptoms.

I suppose it depends on your definition of "life threatening circumstances". Just because someone goes to hospital in an ambulance it doesn't mean that their life is in immediate danger. I and my children have been taken to hospital via ambulance but our lives weren't in imminent danger as could be the case after suffering an allergic reaction. I don't think that a common occurrence for parents at all.

I don't think anyone is necessarily criticising the OP for forgetting to pay as obviously it isn't the first thing on your mind, however the charge is justified given it was a car park with "pay and display" and the OP didn't.

Some posters are certainly criticising OP for not paying and seem to really want her to be fined and are vociferously against her appealing. I can't work out whether it is just because they don't like to think that they could have appealed in similar circumstances or whether it is just because they are mean-spirited and/or see everything in black and white and don't have the capacity to understand that there are sometimes shades in between. Either way, it doesn't matter as car park fines are sometimes waived on appeal in my experience in similar circumstances and therefore it is worth OP appealing.

Rebeccaslicker · 10/01/2018 10:13

The OP's namechange says it all. She doesn't think she should have to pay for her mistakes and she gets very stroppy when people point out her entitled attitude. After all, she pays tax in Scotland, doncha know?!

She may be able to persuade the person in charge of appeals to let them off on discretionary grounds - although they doubtless hear similar reasons every day of the week, and if they see that the husband was able to head off shopping they might question it - but she'll need to drop the attitude if she wants to succeed!

Royalcoronation · 10/01/2018 10:14

OP why did you post and ask IYBU to not pay the fine then proceed to defend your reasons (right or wrong) to not pay?

Just don't pay. Your mind is clearly made up.

Dungeondragon15 · 10/01/2018 10:15

Alternatively, many people are just jealous of the fact that people in Scotland don't have to pay for car parking when in hospital and want OP to be fined to make themselves feel better. A case of schadenfreude.

RockinHippy · 10/01/2018 10:16

*The child was already under the care of paramedics in a separate vehicle.

Stop being such a drama queen.*

& there speaks a none parent, or an insensitive, robotic arse🙄

Royalcoronation · 10/01/2018 10:17

Alternatively, many people are just jealous of the fact that people in Scotland don't have to pay for car parking when in hospital

Plenty of people in Scotland pay for parking at hospital.

IsabellaTruffle · 10/01/2018 10:17

I define life threatening as needing immediate treatment as the patients life is potentially at risk. For example my DS's temperature shot up, he went completely floppy and starting slurring his words, the paramedic rushed us in as it was potentially a life threatening infection that would need testing and/or immediate treatment. Other family members/friends have had similar issues, very high temps, difficulties breathing etc. I wouldn't consider being taken via ambulance with a broken leg for example life threatening but a lot of the time paramedics/111 nurses guess it could be something serious so treat it as such until it can be investigated. This happens fairly often in babies and young children as they can cope very differently with an infection/virus and go downhill fast.

Dungeondragon15 · 10/01/2018 10:21

Plenty of people in Scotland pay for parking at hospital.

Okay, so jealous of those in Scotland that don't...

Rebeccaslicker · 10/01/2018 10:22

Hahaha now we know dungeon is the OP's main account. That's the daftest thing that's been posted yet Grin 😂😂😂😂

Dungeondragon15 · 10/01/2018 10:30

IsabellaTruffle I'm sorry that nearly everyone you know has had to call an ambulance because their child's infection has become imminently life-threatening. That has certainly never happened to me or anyone I know. I have taken my children to hospital myself because of infections but I wouldn't have described them as imminently life-threatening as would be the case for suspected meningitis or anaphylactic shock..