Today I went to Newbury Hospital for blood tests. I parked in their car park and Paid £1 for 4 hours. My daughter told me that when she last used the car park she gave her ticket to somebody else (as she had a few hours left over). So when I had finished I gave my ticket to somebody else. I also noticed that a lot of people coming out of the hospital asking others if they wanted their ticket.

Some people can afford it (car parking at the hospital) others can't so I had to write and mention the generosity of other drivers giving up their ticket to new arrivals.

I thought that was worth a mention.

I didn't know tickets were transferable.

Tickets don't have any markings on them other than saying when they start and finish. Giving your ticket to somebody else can't be proven it wasn't theirs in the first place. How could anybody stop it even if they aren't 'transferable'?

It's against the rules for use of that car park...... and will be in the 'Terms and Conditions' See the small print on the ticket machine So, I'd say 'Not So Good Idea'..

You might think you're being altruistic and saving the poor and needy from parting with 100 pennies, but you're diddling the hospital administration team. Car Parks don't run themselves y'know. Those paper rolls need replacing, the machines need servicing etc etc....

It's hardly Crime of the Century but you'd be in the wrong if you did it and got caught (see the Honest John link)
Honest John

Tough! To be honest everybody does it. You talking about 'diddling' the hospital; but what about those people who go to the hospital and then have to fork out money they can hardly afford? I am sorry, but I’ve got no sympathy for the hospital. I paid for my ticket but was quite happy to give it to a worthy soul.



When I was in the hospital I mentioned it to a nurse and she said they all do it and thanked those that did think of others.

How do you know you are giving it to a 'worthy soul'?

The hospital is a publicly owned service, the only people you are diddling are the people who fund it; us.

First of all you can tell; observe. It was Sherlock Holmes who said "We see, but don't observe."

As for "diddling"; yeah, you've got a point. As we all know our taxes are used for good and honourable things; in other words our taxes have never been misappropriated. Because of what you said I feel so bad – helping an honest soul – when our taxes could have been used for more worthwhile and justified causes; like nuclear weapons, paying high wages to MPs, locking innocent people up, and much more that our worth taxes could be used for. Your words are going to play on my mind. How could I have been so foolish? I want to thank you for showing me the errors of my ways and putting me back on track to being a sensible and caring tax payer. Thank you.

I don't think I deserved your sarcastic reply.

We are still the tax payer, and hospitals rely on revenue from carparks to help with funding. Denying that funding only puts more pressure elsewhere - especially if, as you say, 'everyone does it'. Ironically, this could possibly put the cost of parking up even more to achieve the expected revenue.

But if the ticket is for a fixed period of time, what difference does it make if two or more vehicles use the purchased time?

I shall take it that I’ve been severely chastised.



Just a matter of interest I paid for 4 hours and I should be entitled to do what I want with my ticket. When I did ask in the hospital I was thanked for my thoughtfulness to others. At least my efforts are appreciated, if not by you. And don’t forget I am also a tax payer as well. I could have parked down the road and nobody would have got my money.

Buying something doesn't necessarily mean ownership. £1.00 entitles you to park in the carpark for 4 hours. I'd have no problem spending £1.00 to park there for 4 hours.


I'm indifferent, I am just pointing out that sometimes charitable acts can have a draw back.

About another £1.00 or more by my reckoning.

But nor do I. But some people do (or can't afford it); and I was just trying to being charitable.




I think the gains out-way the draw backs. Should we really worry about diddling an organisation that wastes billions of pounds every year? At least my charitable act has eased some poor soul's worries; even if it is just in such a small way.

Good for you!!
Hospital parking fees are a rip off!!
You can always sign this!

Thank you.

No need to get your knickers in a twist GMR just because we think your charitable idea is flawed.... "Everybody does it" doesn't make it lawful.... (I think most of the Tottenham Rioters used the "Everyone was doing it" excuse and it didn't get them too far when they were dragged in front of The Beak.... )

If you want to give your ticket out then carry on. I think you'll find however that it's against the T's & C's that you agree to when purchasing a ticket from the machine. If there's a jobsworth on duty at the hospital then they may pull you up on it. The other 99.9% of the time the staff there will think you're a 'Jolly Good Bloke' for doing it....


TBH on the few occasions that I've had to go there I didn't bother buying a ticket at all!! At least you paid your £1...! WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED A FREE TICKET!!?



BTW, I've hired out a few top title DVDs from Blockbusters. They don't have to be back for a couple of days so if you want to save yourself a few quid let me know... The shop might struggle to survive if everyone used this technique but what the ****... the DVDs are mine till the time's up and I can do what I want with them....(Note - Hypothetical scenario)

I also have a fancy dress suit and it doesn't have to be back for another week.... If anyone wants to use a rather sweat stained 'Pimp Suit' (size large) and save hiring one from Pageant then get in touch....

£1.00 for 4 hours?

I wasn't getting my knickers in a twist; just debating it.

What the Tottenham rioters did wasn't in the same category as me buying a ticket and then giving it to a poor soul.



It seems giving ones ticket to others is a common practice. I am just one of many hundreds of charitable souls out there.




Most people park On Turnpike Estate.





Thanks, but I am playing my part in making the film companies rich by actually buying the DVDs, rather than renting them.





I've already got a fancy dress suite; it is called my shorts, cap and waist coat. It gets a good laugh and bypasses the hire shop. But thank you for your generous offer. I'll put you up for a recommendation to the Queen for an OBE.

Hiding.

£1 is life or death to some.

So they drove there knowing if they paid they would be doomed? Yes, a pound is useful for some, but I don't regard £1.00 for 4 hours a rip-off, which is the point I was making. Obviously if you are a frequent visitor, then it would mount up, but I doubt visits from 'Robin hood' would be in synch with the needy.


The only point I'm making is that denying hospitals and the tax man of money they might be entitled to, is in effect anti-social (no-matter how well intentioned). The only people who pay in the end are ourselves.

Of course my kindly offer would only be open to people who could clearly be categorised as 'poor souls'...


As for the OBE, I'd take it. As the idea was yours originally a medal for Other Bu*ger's Efforts would be appropriate...

The trouble is a lot of them are frequent visitors. And I never said they would be doomed; just struggle.




Well, I ain't going to lose any sleep over it; and I did pay, after all.

Well, that leaves me out then; but I know a couple of poor souls/ or a million. I'll bring them around to your house.




OK, expect a tickle of your privates by the Queen. Do you like Queens by the way?

You said, 'life or death'.

Hospital parking fees in general.
You should not have to pay to park at a hospital, most do not do it by choice.
It's the PRINCIPLE that is wrong (as in the constant above inflation price rises of the NWN) not the money per se.
Ever had to park at Royal Berks or Radcliffe?

Costs a bl***y fortune! My wife has to go pretty regularly and for 4 hrs it is £6! I recon over the past 7 years I have paid for a new carpark.

Yes I have, and they are expensive, but I don't think Newbury is.

So even when the charge is not excessive, you still support the avoidance of paying to park? Where do you think the money should come from; more taxation?

If we are to introduce principle into the argument, is it right that people who don't use a car to park should subsidies those that do?

I have no problem paying the amount charged at Newbury. For me, it is penny pinching trying to avoid paying. If I was struggling, then I might feel differently.

It's free in Scotland and Wales so why not in England. When taking a child to A&E, speaking from experience, the last thing on your mind is whether you've paid for parking or in the case of Newbury A&E the very cheap parking compared to other places. If you then get referred to Reading or Basingstoke, it then works out to be a very expensive day for some and thats before they've even been treated.

If you have a child that requires A&E of such importance, every minute counts, it is unlikely that Newbury will be able to cater for you. Anyway, I would be surprised if Newbury's carpark would fine someone who was in a genuine emergency.

Like I said, who should pay for it? Should it come out of the health budget?

Like I said the last thing on your mind is parking, if it wasn't I'd suggest the priorities were wrong. Also people sat in waiting rooms waiting on results, thinking my car park ticket runs out soon because the wait was longer than they thought, possibly an extra hassle they could do without.

It is £1.00 for four hours. Like I asked, who should pay for it? Should it come out of the health budget?

That's not the same as saying 25p per hour. Most hospital visits are for much less than 4 hours, but it still costs £1 minimum. If you took the length of the average visit, the rate would work out at far more than that.

That's unless you sit in the café for 3 hours or more to get your money's worth

It must do already because who is paying for Scotland and Wales

A £1.00 an hour is still reasonable compared to else where.

They have decided to divert some of their health care budget to allow people to park for free, it seems; should we do the same?

To be fair, £1 for 4 hours parking is very reasonable. Some other hospitals (I saw a list somewhere, can't remember where) charged like £5 PER HOUR for parking.

Parking charges in hospitals is a form of direct taxation in that if you use it then you pay as opposed to those that don't use it having to subsidize those that do if it was free.
However it is in the noise when you consider the amounts of tax payers money being paid into the health service that finance the healthcare tourists that are drawing on a finite resource and paying nothing towards it. This is what is wrong and needs to be addressed.

Yes. I very rarely goto Hospitals for medical reasons. When I have done the last thing I care about is finding a machine that works and keeping a ticket upto date. You'll find this is the main issue people have. Whether it be £4 an hour or £1.

I'd guess that the majority of users of a carpark are visitors and don't have an emergency to contend with. If they have, there is usually a drop-off point. To use money from the health care budget to pay for people to visit hospitals (who in most cases can afford it I suspect) under such circumstances seems inappropriate use of money to me.

I have a guilty secret - I enjoy a little ticket swapping too – both giving and receiving and not only in the hospital – I’ve even indulged in a bit of swapping in other pay & display car parks too. There’s many of us out there.

As far as the hospital is concerned, I completely agree that £1 for 4 hours is nothing – therefore I don’t do it in the hope that I’m helping someone less fortunate – and indeed, whilst I can afford to pay the money I’m more than happy to take one when offered. But for me, it’s simply about not wanting to see a perfectly useable ticket go to waste.

I’ve never seen this as “fiddling” the NHS out of much needed funds – I’ve always understood the car park is managed by an outside contractor, therefore I doubt that much of that £1 actually ends up with the NHS and benefits patient care – however if anyone can prove otherwise I’ll gladly stop doing it.

But in the meantime, I shall continue with my swapping habit and not waste time questioning my own morality when we daily hear stories of high earners rewarding themselves with big fat bonuses, avoiding taxes and being creative with expense claims – perhaps they should set us all a better example.

I have a guilty secret - I enjoy a little ticket swapping too – both giving and receiving and not only in the hospital – I’ve even indulged in a bit of swapping in other pay & display car parks too. There’s many of us out there.

As far as the hospital is concerned, I completely agree that £1 for 4 hours is nothing – therefore I don’t do it in the hope that I’m helping someone less fortunate – and indeed, whilst I can afford to pay the money I’m more than happy to take one when offered. But for me, it’s simply about not wanting to see a perfectly useable ticket go to waste.

I’ve never seen this as “fiddling” the NHS out of much needed funds – I’ve always understood the car park is managed by an outside contractor, therefore I doubt that much of that £1 actually ends up with the NHS and benefits patient care – however if anyone can prove otherwise I’ll gladly stop doing it.

But in the meantime, I shall continue with my swapping habit and not waste time questioning my own morality when we daily hear stories of high earners rewarding themselves with big fat bonuses, avoiding taxes and being creative with expense claims – perhaps they should set us all a better example.

Apologies for the multiple posts - slight technical hitch!

Jacklets, what you say about contracted out might be true, but if people wanted free hospital parking, then it is likely it would come out of the health budget.

Yes, if you have to be a regular visitor to RBH then it does add up. However, I have seen much higher fees at some other hospitals. Newbury CH is very cheap for parking.

In some town-centre car parks, I have seen that part of the registration number of the vehicle has to be entered at the ticket machine and it is printed on the ticket...

It's the slippery slope to a life of crime..... Ticket-swapping is a 'gateway crime'. You'll be robbing cars from that car park before you can say "Give us a quid...."

That is true; I've already started robbing banks.

Then why do they bother to charge it??

It might be to dissuade people from abusing the space.

How else will they pay for the maintenance of the ticket machines?