In quite a lot of pain, so just went to the new medical centre in town to get checked out by the pharmacist. Found out they haven't provided any parking for customers in the new centre. There's parking for the nurses and doctors, more than they need in fact, but it's patrolled, so couldn't risk it. Parked opposite. 40p for half an hour, not too bad. Only had 50p, so put that in. Went to the pharmacist to be told that someone's already being consulted and it would take about an hour. So I've spent 50p on five minute's parking and have to come back and spend more money (the next smallest coin I have is a pound).

Apart from the fact that it never ceases to wind me up that parking meters can't give change, why build a medical centre without any parking? They made a big fanfare about building this new centre and there's no bloody parking. The old one had parking, so although this one looks nicer and shinier, it's actually worse…

That also annoys me. I wonder how the councils declare this extra income and whether the charges are deliberately chosen so that users have to put in more than they need.

Maybe they got rid of the parking during the planning stages. Many councils have an anti car attitude. They could have said that the medical centre could be larger, as we do not want to encourage driving into the town centre.

The councils/companies probably justify it by saying you don't "have to" put more money in than you need to.

Mark

Then why have plenty of parking for staff who will be there all day?

They may need that space for, well, an emergency? Some form of ambulance ?

I had to park recently at the hospital and it looked like it would be a 2-day jobbie. The nurse said its actually cheaper to pay the £10 for a weeks parking then 2 x 24hrs. I promplty changed a note for 10 £1 coins and headed for the meter. When I got there it turns out the prices had recently gone up. A weeks parking was no longer £10 but £10.20. What is the bloody point! Needless to say I didnt have any more change on me so had a long walk to a cash machine then a shop to get a 20p.

The problem is with hospitals they are looking at every possible way of raising money. This means overpriced parking. In brighton because the hospital did not want to provide parking spaces for the staff they negotiated with the council a parking permit scheme for around a mile in every direction. So now residents got one year free, but faced £110 a year parking permit charges. It did not help that the council are very anti car, with endless road works converting streets to pedestrian only areas.

Any emergencies would go the county hospital a few hundred yards away, I would have thought.

Sods law dictates this is usually the time during which the Parking Nazis give you a fine. In which case you may as well consider that your (overpriced) ticket paid for and leave it.

I know the feeling

Local hospital is 80p an hour, and my appointments last at most 15/20 minutes, usually 5-10

I'm in 3 times a week which isn't much better, I usually just pass the ticket on to the next person to use in the hope someone will reciprocate it

No-one ever does. A few kind elderly couples have given me some towards it which was a nice gesture though

I do that when I can but I've had officials come over and say that I can't.

Most of the hospitals in Scotland have abolished their car parking charges but limit parking to 3 hours. If you go over then it's a penalty but you can get the penalty revoked if you are a patient - by going back into the hospital and asking the department you've just been to if they can cancel the penalty. You have to fill in forms, get them countersigned and send them off but at least you don't have to pay anything.

When councils consider planning applications, one of the criteria is nearby parking. The section concerned is consulted and, surprise, surprise, it's usually the same section that run the parking meters/machines. Of course they are going to say 'no probs, much nearby parking' - it's in their best (financial) interests

Al

Yeah, I don't think it's a coincidence that the council have just put up their parking charges and made the formerly free parking spaces chargeable. The pub car park next door that I was going to use has been turned into a private car park charging £2 an hour. Needless to say, it's now empty.

I think it's a bit of a false economy really as they've spent a fortune putting meters in and the spaces are now pretty much empty. It'll take them a long time to recoup their money.

There, you see? A common-sense solution. So who says the Scots are tight?