Parking in the Regional Hospital - A rip-off?

Raiser

Why is it so expensive?

- Its an automated system where a machine takes what is is all fairness a relatively large amount of money (with respect to what's on offer) from People with ill Friends and Relatives to leave a car stand on a tiny section or tarmac for an hour or two...... What an absolute rip-off......

Euro Car Parks recorded a profit of €10,400,000 to year end 2008

It is interesting to note that the HSE have set a precedent here anyway - just don't pay it.

- Its also interesting to note that parking is significantly cheaper in Ennis Hospital - at an hourly rate of €0.

limklad

Then Do not bother parking within their grounds vote with your feet. Park out at the road or nearby and walk in. The Walk will do you good. If they are not getting your money they will not be getting that extra profit.

Raiser

limklad wrote: »

Then Do not bother parking within their grounds vote with your feet. Park out at the road or nearby and walk in. The Walk will do you good. If they are not getting your money they will not be getting that extra profit.

I do - Often times after the bracing walk and a precautionary second opinion from a qualified Medical Professional I no longer require the actual Hospital treatment and simply return home.

- Seriously though, I really, really do wonder how a rip-off situation like this could have arisen?

I know for an absolute fact that there was tarmac there paid for by you and I before Euro Car Parks arrived on somebodies invitation to start charging us a fortune to park there

Who was this Person and why did they decide to make such a move?

Insect Overlord

I'd be very interested to know if anyone at the hospital would reply to e-mails about this. I got to know the area around the Regional very well over the past two months, doing what limklad suggested in his reply. I refused to pay €2 per hour to visit a relative who was staying there, so I got to familiarise myself with the best parking spots in the nearby estates.

zing zong

Raiser wrote: »

I do - Often times after the bracing walk and a precautionary second opinion from a qualified Medical Professional I no longer require the actual Hospital treatment and simply return home.

- Seriously though, I really, really do wonder how a rip-off situation like this could have arisen?

I know for an absolute fact that there was tarmac there paid for by you and I before Euro Car Parks arrived on somebodies invitation to start charging us a fortune to park there

Who was this Person and why did they decide to make such a move?

this is a very good point, its paid for already, stinks of brown envelope

on a slightly related note, how in the hell is it legal to be clamped or fined for staying too long in a carpark???

when did we stop paying on the way out for time parked, rather than the way in, leaving you wide open if your a minute late!

Berty

Similar in a way to the car park by "The Steps" in Kilkee. Nothing has changed since the 60's except some ticket machines arrived a few years ago.

johndaman66

Insect Overlord wrote: »

I got to know the area around the Regional very well over the past two months, doing what limklad suggested in his reply. I refused to pay €2 per hour to visit a relative who was staying there, so I got to familiarise myself with the best parking spots in the nearby estates.

Same here when I was transporting my mother in and out to hospital a number of times a few weeks back. Just parked on a nearby bank car park premises. I'd suggest being a bit cautious though as some premises have clamping in operation signs up. Was in there 3 days and kept at least 5 hours each day for what was very routine procedures and x-rays (story for another thread or even forum though). At €2 an hour the bill would have being hefty enough and pretty hard to justify. I could see how people would get very furstrated when they have an appointment for a certain time and not get seen to for 4 or 5 hours after that time and then have a massive parking bill to pay as a result.

Berty

Here is another trick which I used over the past 8 weeks. If you arrive before 5:30 you can drive up left to the barriers. Not the ones into the front staff car park but the double ones that go all the way around the back.

Press the buzzer and say "picking up at the pyschiatric ward". Sometimes they dont even ask. You can drive ALL the way around until you get to the exit of the public car park. Depending on the time of day just around that bend as though you are leaving there are always cars lined up along the left. Throw your car in there.

Or to get to the same place. Drive up to the mini roundabout, do a u-turn and reverse all the way back and parallel park.

I used both EVERY day for 8 weeks or so. I was never once challenged.

Some people used to drive up the one way system towards cars and turn at the old gate and then parallel park.

There is also a traffic cone with some of that red/white tape on it at the exit of that lane. Some people, if they couldnt fit into the lane, would move the cone, put in their car and put the cone back in front of their car.



OR if you see a space along that row and dont want to drive around the hospital or like reversing then enter the car park and get a ticket, pay for the ticket, leave and then park outside the car park where you would just drive nice and normally to the space.

Dont park in the business's car parks.

(1) Its for their customers
(2) They will clamp you eventually.

acalmenvoy

Just 2 points, if, God forbid, you are visiting someone in intensive care or the high dependency unit, you can get a note from one of the nurses in the unit to give to one of the parking lads in the hut by the barriers and he will validate your ticket for free parking, not sure if other depts. will do the same.

Also @Berty, no need to drive around the hospital to get to that area by the front fence, just drive into the car park and pull a ticket, no need to pay, head straight for the exit barrier and use the ticket to get out, first 15 mins are free, then park up the side.

liquoriceall

Not saying I agree with the parking charges but its pretty annoying for the people in the neighbouring estates when people keep parking in them Springfield Drive and Carrig Drive already have the hassle of all the lazy parents who insist on driving up their estate to collect kids from school rather than a small walk

Berty

acalmenvoy wrote: »

Just 2 points, if, God forbid, you are visiting someone in intensive care or the high dependency unit, you can get a note from one of the nurses in the unit to give to one of the parking lads in the hut by the barriers and he will validate your ticket for free parking, not sure if other depts. will do the same.

Also @Berty, no need to drive around the hospital to get to that area by the front fence, just drive into the car park and pull a ticket, head straight for the exit barrier and use the ticket to get out, first 15 mins are free, then park up the side.

I said that above.

Also my missus was in High Dependancy for 4 nights and I didnt know about that. Her Uncle is still in Intensive care. He is never coming home. Anyway I must remember that the next time Im out there.

phog

It's amazing that some people see paying for a car park space is a rip off yet feel paying for the use of a road or tunnel isn't

My view is that the user pays, if you dont want to pay then dont use it, fairly simple.

Berty

phog wrote: »

It's amazing that some people see paying for a car park space is a rip off yet feel paying for the use of a road or tunnel isn't

My view is that the user pays, if you dont want to pay then dont use it, fairly simple.

Why?

The Government runs the hospital and we pay taxs for them to do that.

A COMPANY built the tunnel and "asks" us to pay to use it.

Big difference.

Stab*City

another handy place to park is behind the ambassodor (if you dont know where this is you dont deserve free parking!! :D) there is a free car park there close to the size of the euro park in the regional. didnt see any clamping signs but be sure to check.. probably ok if your only couple hrs either way..

acalmenvoy

Berty wrote: »

I said that above.

Edited for you:D

phog

Berty wrote: »

Why?

The Government runs the hospital and we pay taxs for them to do that.

A COMPANY built the tunnel and "asks" us to pay to use it.

Big difference.

I'd much rather pay for a parking spot than have none available, which was the problem when it was free because commuters were using it as a P&R car park.

flutered

the free car park across the road, also the roadway is used as a park and ride, many of the hospital staff park in the nearby estates, take a decco from 9.40 am until 10.30 am.

flutered

there is a new car park presently been built at the back/front of the oncology centre, what use will the income be put to, to say facilitys in the hospital would possibly be in line for the laugh of the year.

Insect Overlord

Threads merged.