FabSwingers.com forum: hospital parking charges

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

I was gobsmacked when hearing how two university hospitals charge £3 .00 an hour to park .

How the hell can anyone justify this ???

I wouldnt be able to visit or go to hospital appointments if i were a car owner.

Bloody disgracful

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I know a nightmare, I remember when my daughter was in hospital it was a pain having to get the necessary paperwork to get free parking to visit........... not something a parent should have to worry about affording the parking when you have a sick child!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

unfortuneatly hospital carparks are run by private companys who see fit to charge what they like

if hospitals wont to opt out before the contracts runs out it will cost them 1000's in forfit charges

so hospital have their hands tied

but yes it is disgracefull that these charges are allowed

why carnt hospital charge a resonable rate for their own carparks and plough that money back in to the hostpital

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

When anyone sick or long term in hospital, you dont think of having the bloody money to park up.

Its taking advantage of people misfortunes bigtime.

And its about time the bloody government stepped in.

The hospitals in question reckon it will be too costly to get rid of the company in charge.

Well surely when taking anyone on to oversee the parking , prices were mentioned ????

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

In Torbay General Hospital they introduced car park charges to stop people parking there for free and taking the short bus ride into the town centre every day to work.....

No room for out patients or visitors when the carpark is stuffed full of Ford Fiestas and Renault Clio's of young girly shopworkers who work in Dorothy feckin' Perkins!

Once they brought in a private company to operate the pay and display it resulted in disgraceful charges for people who needed it most.

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By *hristalCouple
over a year ago

Northampton

I had much the same when family were seriously ill and i was there 24/7.

If it had not been for a nurse asking me if i had been told i would never have known that there is a special permit.

Christalx

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"When anyone sick or long term in hospital, you dont think of having the bloody money to park up.

Its taking advantage of people misfortunes bigtime.

And its about time the bloody government stepped in.

The hospitals in question reckon it will be too costly to get rid of the company in charge.

Well surely when taking anyone on to oversee the parking , prices were mentioned ????

well you would have thought so peaches

may be the the small print should have been gone through with a fine tooth comb before they signed on the dotted line

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By *plpxp2Couple
over a year ago

Middlesbrough

Our local hospital charges a fortune, but you can get a pass that works out much cheaper if you are there on a regular basis. The only issues are its kept secret and the office that issues them is harder to find than Bin laden

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Well i have personally signed two petitions...one direct to number 10.

think we all need to make a stand.

ok ok.so i can dream . lmao

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

burton hospital is the same

i had to spend 12hrs there while i was having tests done

cost us nearly £20 in carparking charges

if we wernt so far away at the time i would have left the car there and got a taxi homes it would have been bloody cheaper

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

queens hospital(burton) is one of the easiest and quickest to get to ya know.

10 mins on the train..£4.50 return

they turn up every tens mins or so...

And the busstop outside. £2.50 return.

drops ya off right outside.

dont mind going there

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

sometimes we wonder if we are on a sex site? you have a choice in this country if u dont like it dont use the car park things people moan about

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Thats ..........

why its called a forum.....

to discuss all things, be it sexually motivated or publicly

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

Likewise you have the same choice to ignore a thread if you don't like it....

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By *umpkinMan
over a year ago

near the sounds of the wimborne quarter jack!

Poole General is close to the shopping centre too, hence why the charges are like they are. My Mum was in for several weeks and suffered a heart attack in the early hours oone morning. I was there over 12 hours and didn`t have the cash for the machine, so went to the office to pay. In general conversation, told the guy behind the desk why I was there so long and he knocked a fair bit off for me

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

mind you our local hospital dosent have car parking charges

ive spent many a happy hour there (not lol) with one thing and another and ive never had to pay to park

but on saying that its only a small hospital

but no dought they will follow suit and start charging

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

I would then park in one of the fields

sod the taters

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I would then park in one of the fields

sod the taters

can see that happening

they will all park in the little lane and the fields

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By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

And by the time the farmer realised you was there..........

you would be gone

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

My local hospital charges £10 a day, but there are concessions. Was introduced after people outside the hospital were using it at really cheap prices. They certainly don't now, lol.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"And by the time the farmer realised you was there..........

you would be gone

very true lol

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By *aughty_kittyWoman
over a year ago

finger licking good

my daughter goes to app's a lot and sometimes stays in, you can get reduced rates if u ask at recption where she goes

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By *ornyandnymphoCouple
over a year ago

poole

"sometimes we wonder if we are on a sex site? you have a choice in this country if u dont like it dont use the car park things people moan about"

Some of us don't have the option of using public transport or parking and walking, so we HAVE to use the hospital parking facilities

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By *zMaleMan
over a year ago

penzance

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR don't get me going on this one

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By *i 1 Get 1 FreeCouple (MM)
over a year ago

birmingham

It's a tax on the sick

until it's exposed as such, nothing will happen

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By *-and-KCouple
over a year ago

Back of Beyond

I know its diabolical for you as visitors but think about staff. When they introduced this charge at our local hospitals the staff had to give up two bank holidays,May and August so they could get free parking.

Now management have renaged on that and are looking at making staff pay but without giving the holidays back! New members of staff are already charged at a rate of £60 a month. Now how many of you are charged by your company to actually park at work??

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I was gobsmacked when hearing how two university hospitals charge £3 .00 an hour to park .

How the hell can anyone justify this ???

I wouldnt be able to visit or go to hospital appointments if i were a car owner.

Bloody disgracful

It's one of the numerous things that have made me totally disillusioned with New Labour. Seems to me they've totally transformed and these days their main aim is to cushion the rich and powerful whilst screwing every last penny out of the poor and helpless.

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By *umpkinMan
over a year ago

near the sounds of the wimborne quarter jack!

"I was gobsmacked when hearing how two university hospitals charge £3 .00 an hour to park .

How the hell can anyone justify this ???

I wouldnt be able to visit or go to hospital appointments if i were a car owner.

Bloody disgracful

As I said in my post, some hospitals charge these amounts because they`re close to shopping centres, a situation not exclusive to hospitals BTW. Poole Railway station is three times the price of Bournemouth to park in simply because it`s right in the town.

I suspect in some areas, buildings have been put up to cater for car parking and these have to be paid for somehow (think we`re still paying for the one in Poole)Rather have it this way than not being able to get the treatment I need.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Charges are due to be phased out (this year I think) in the North East

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By *he_original_poloWoman
over a year ago

a Primark shoebox in Leicester

The LRI only charges £1 per hour... that's if you can get in after sitting in a queue for up to an hour... and that's if there isn't a match on. It's right next to the Tigers ground and not too far from the Walkers Stadium

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By *ovCpl40sCouple
over a year ago

coventry

For the posters mentioning those hospitals that are "close to town" 1 of the 2 hospitals the OP is talking about is here in our lovely (NOT) city and is 3 miles from the town centre!!!

£3/hr and that don't matter if ya there 5mins or 5hrs and they wonder why folks call an ambulance for a cut finger, maybe because the taxi ride home less than parking charge after a 3-4hr casualty visit lol.

Of course the management know what the private company are going to charge! After all they are getting paid by that company so all in all its another way of raising revenue, same as the ridiculous rates charged to use hospital phones and even to watch television (whatever happened to the TV room?)

Thanks for adding yr name to the petitions Peaches!!

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By *iceguydaveMan
over a year ago

Monmouth

Here in Wales the Assembly is gradually phasing out all hospital parking charges, since 2008 I think. Those car parks administered by private firms have to reduce their charges to zero until their current contracts expire.

I was pleasantly surprised (having forgotten all about this change!) when I had to take my daughter to A&E last week - I'd spent ten minutes scrabbling around for change before setting off, fully expecting massive extortion when I got there!

If Wales can do it, so can the rest of the UK

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

[Removed by poster at 24/02/10 12:00:44]

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"The LRI only charges £1 per hour... that's if you can get in after sitting in a queue for up to an hour... and that's if there isn't a match on. It's right next to the Tigers ground and not too far from the Walkers Stadium

Many city's have that problem with non hospital visitors parking there as its cheaper than other car parks.

I would rather pay to park and be able to park than have free parking and absolutely no places. Which ever way you just don't win.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I support hospital parking charges - providing the money is spent on improving parking facilities at the hospital.

Most hospitals I have visited have totally inadequate parking arrangements.

I would prefer to pay a few pounds on the rare occasions I need to visit a hospital than to see large quantities of hospital funds allocated for the care of patients being used to improve car parking.

Let's be real, the government won't give a hospital extra money for a car park improvement so it would have to come from funds that should be going on patient care, better it's paid at the car park for the car park.

Perhaps the "Park n Ride" systems many towns have could be used for those that can't afford on site parking or perhaps the "Ring and Ride" service could be used to transport people to hospital visits for those that would struggle to afford it.

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

You are absolutely correct, for many Hospitals bringing back free parking will just mean nowhere to park when you have an appointment.

At Torbay Hospital it wasn't unusual to see three or four cars driving in together at 8.30, the occupants then parking up and piling into one designated car and driving into work together.

The hospital carpark was nothing more than a free carpark for shop and office workers two miles away in the town centre.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

In Scotland the older hospitals have free parking, which is fine if your getting dropped off and picked up otherwise forget it.

I have been a patient and a visitor at the Queen Margret in Dunfermline a few times and each time I have filled in the comment form saying staff should not have to park in visitors parking they should have their own area (patrolled)and secure but since the hospital was built about 10-15 years ago nothing has been done.

Often staff cannot get spaces and now park at the local railway station - now if you are a back shift nurse walking down there late at night its not safe, but thats what they have to do.

As for ring and ride being used - why not half the time I see them out and about they only have one person in them.

BUT I was booked in for an operation last May at a hospital in Livingston to be there at 8am!! Cant be done on public transport so the hospital ordered me a patient transport car - it picked up 3 other people dropped them at various hospitals and then dropped me off, all for free.

So maybe those who cannot drive would be applicable for the transport like I was??

Shona

x x x

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Here in Wales the Assembly is gradually phasing out all hospital parking charges, since 2008 I think. Those car parks administered by private firms have to reduce their charges to zero until their current contracts expire.

If Wales can do it, so can the rest of the UK

I am in Aberystwyth now and we come here about once a month, we will be moving here permanenlty next month.

I hate the car park at the hospital here, you can never find a parking space and regularly see people parking up then heading off to the University next door.

The local streets are very narrow and it must drive the home owners mad that they struggle to find a parking space near thier own homes due to hospital visitors/users taking up all the places.

I would happily pay to park at the hospital if the hospital used the car parking money to improve it's parking facilities or if the fee stopped the University users parking at the hospital.

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

Sounds just like the hospital carparks down this way Jed, it's all very well for people to try to score political points over something like hospital car parking on here, but as you say the reality of free carparks in hospitals goes a lot deeper than revenue raising.

All Free hospital car parking does is ensure that out patients will struggle to park for their treatment.

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By *oe_Steve_NWestCouple
over a year ago

Bolton

I think it's immoral to force people to pay to park in a hospital - it's a nightmare for most people - I had to take my mum in for radiotherapy every day for ages then when she was in hospital we wanted to be with her for as long as possible it's just another layer of stress and unjustified. (If the hospitals got rid of a few 'manager's' and execs then they'd have a heck of a lot more money. Z

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By *he_original_poloWoman
over a year ago

a Primark shoebox in Leicester

I think hospital car parks should charge £10 per hour as the standard rate..... but there should be a fixed fee for hospital users (visitors/patients) of something like £2. It's not that difficult to do, plenty of supermarkets/hotels have systems for doing this. The easiest way being a daily discount code which you are given by the people in the department/ward you are visiting... tap it in the ticket payment machine and job's a good 'un.

None are abuse proof obviously.... but if it stops the selfish fecking rugby supporters from filling up the car park or makes the majority of city workers go and look elsewhere.... then I'll be happy.

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

For many hospitals it's got nothing to do with money, it's got more to do with people abusing the carparks.

Most hospital carpark charges are taken up with operators fees and security.

I worked for several years in a hospital Pharmacy and saw the free parking being taken advantage of on a regular basis by office and shop workers.

They would even stoop so low as to use forgeries of essential hospital staff window stickers in order to park, when NCP increased the car parking charges in town the hospital would bare the brunt.

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By *ig badMan
over a year ago

Up North :-)

"For many hospitals it's got nothing to do with money, it's got more to do with people abusing the carparks.

Most hospital carpark charges are taken up with operators fees and security.

I worked for several years in a hospital Pharmacy and saw the free parking being taken advantage of on a regular basis by office and shop workers.

They would even stoop so low as to use forgeries of essential hospital staff window stickers in order to park, when NCP increased the car parking charges in town the hospital would bare the brunt.

Sad when people do this but have seen it my self with people parking in the hospital and then walking out into the city. I would rather pay more to actually get a parking spot when rushing to see the ill than not be able to find a bay to park in.

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By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

My husband pulled up a young police officer who had parked in a disabled bay at Marks and Spencers the other day, when he came out of M&S with his sandwich and bottle of milk my hubby tore him off a strip....while I hid behind the shoppin trolley shelter waiting for hubby to be arrested.

The officer did agree he was out of order though and left red faced

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By *orestersCouple
over a year ago

The Forest

I went for a hospital appointment the other week and I was shocked and disgusted when they charged me for a cup of tea and a mars bar. The nursing staff also refused to give me a shoulder massage as I waited. absolutely terrible service!

Sarcasm aside, car parks cost millions to build, run and maintain and someone has to pay for them. If they stopped charging, you can guarantee that the money would come from elsewhere - fewer "expensive" nurses, ward closures, loss of services etc etc. The NHS is suffering - there are too many people taking out and not enough putting in.

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By *umpkinMan
over a year ago

near the sounds of the wimborne quarter jack!

At the Royal Bournemouth hospital - £1 an hour, but, totally out in the open, no lighting whatsoever making evening parking a lottery as if you can find your car when dark assuming the scroats haven`t nicked it or at least broken in a nicked something and of course, if it`s chucking it down with rain you get bloody soaked.

Conversely, at Poole, all under cover and well lit with undercover access to the hospital. Would allow single females to feel much safer too as there`s always someone in the office monitoring cameras.

You gets what you pays for!

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By *ovCpl40sCouple
over a year ago

coventry

Don't get me wrong folks I have no problems with being charged for parking, at a hospital or elswhere for that matter.

My problem is with the amount being charged, let alone the absurd layout of 1 of the car parks (90% of spaces marked for disabled but once yr through the gate you gotta pay to leave) sooooo £3 just to see no spaces available FFS man surely charging this much the "company" could employ a better planner lol.

As for car parks costing so much to be built, not at the hospital concerned cos they are just tarmac!!

Gotta add really wouldn't mind if some of the money helped pay for the Air Ambulance, which I add is the busiest in the country, but nooooo so we gotta dig deep for that as well (which we do regularly!!!)

Gets to be a real drain on finances when MrsC is diabetic £3 for what is usually a 15min visit grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

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By *1sexypairCouple
over a year ago

Retford

I’v read this with loads of interests due to being in hospital lately with my wife coming to visit me in the evening with my dad driving her as she doesn’t drive or our daughter.

Either one of them making two journeys to the hospital in the afternoon and evening

Cost of the parking was never the issues with us yes it was a little expensive. Twice a day up too £10 pound a day the problem they had was parking,

Never seems to be enough room so they was having to arrive much early then local people just to park in the multi storey car park at the royal Hallamshire hospital Sheffield.

For the size of this hospital the car park is no way big enough and should be bigger

Yes it would cost more……. But it’s better then going round in circles or parking on the side of the road and getting a parking ticket……

Most of are cost’s was in petrol for the car with a 60 mile round trip for them, to visit me. I was in a local hospital to start with but they had to transfer me to Sheffield, which made it all the more difficult,(21days total)

Mrs. tuxi also came to visit me by local bus, then train, then by taxi.

It turned out to be a very long day for her she left home at 11am got home at 6pm spent 2-1/2 hrs with me,

So has a patient in hospital not having someone visit you. Inst a very nice feeling

So any charge you have to make for parking…….. Should never be an-issues

Me thinks.

Ps back again to hospital for another pre- op assessment 3hrs…… 60miles and a £5

A its only money lol

Kev x

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

When Sue spent some time in hospital payed for parking as still a lot less that what i pay for parking in the City.

Also if you have to take relatives to hospital appointments or are picking up patients leaving hospital most will let you park for free for the time it takes you.

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By *zMaleMan
over a year ago

penzance

I have spent hundreds of pounds in hospital car parking, taking my late wife to appointments. We were/I am in the fortunate position to afford it, but there are ppl out there that cannot.

If a person is seriously ill and needs regular hospital treatment, they should be given a free car pass to allow them to attend their appointments, which more often than not run late by sometimes hours (not blaming the staff) these things happen. This all builds up to stress that is not in the interest of the patient (Duty of care springs to mind) Also the prices of car parking prohibits friends and relations from visiting. It is now medically shown and proven that a patient in hospital who has regular visitors makes for a better recovery. ( duty of care again)

As the car parks are run by private companies, I ask what percentage of the fee's go back to the hospital. Very little I would suggest, because I can see no positives IN the running of the hospital, in fact the reverse. All breast cancer op's are now being transferred to Plymouth which again brings into question the cost of travel and parking at Derriford. (Duty of care AGAIN)

I have just found out that even the Police carrrying out their enquiries at the hospital have to pay for parking!!!! and as for staff having to pay well that's down right disgusting.

This being a very emotive subject to me, I have taken my time to write this post and hope that you all will relate to it.

I wish I could find a light hearted way of responding to the op but I can't.

On reading the posts it seems that one area differs to the other. WHY???? It's supposed to be the NATIONAL health service

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By *lasgowcouple07Couple
over a year ago

glasgow

tell me about it, there is 5 free spaces in the hospital where i work and theres over 3thousands workers there, there just as bad as thiefs

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By *lirty14uMan
over a year ago

Milton Keynes

Have spent £110 visiting my mum since Jan 7th..... and she doesn't even know it...

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

i took my elderly neighbour to casualty when a lead glass bowl fell out of her dishwasher and severed tendons and arteries in her foot ..thought it would be quicker than an ambulance ..i got fined £60 quid for parking my car outside casualty... luckily she didnt bleed to death ... ..

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It seems that a lot of Hospital Car Parks are being used by people using other facilities in the area and not the hospital, going to the shops, Unitversity, shops etc.

Perhaps the hospitals suffering from this problem could take a leaf out of some supermarket books.

At one of our local Asda's you pay £1 for an hour and £2 for two hours parking, you can then take the ticket into the asda and have the fee re-imbursed as you take your shopping through the till.

So if Hospitals did the same thing, genuine "customers" could go to the hospital reception and get a refund on production of thier hospital appointment slip or by proving that they were visiting an inmate (whoops mean patient) or had another valid reason for being there.

It wouldn't solve all the problems but would solve some.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If you own a car park you could not give a flying fuck who pays to park so long as they pay.

We can all gum bump as much as we like but it's as simple as that

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

bump

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