Letter: Fined because snow covered disabled parking space
Wednesday 15th December 2010, 8:45AM GMT.
Letter: I recently visited the Oswestry orthopaedic hospital after severely injuring my leg and knee.
I understand why the hospital car parks have to charge to gain revenue these days, and I paid my £2 fee and went inside the hospital for my consultation. When I returned to my vehicle which my wife had driven for me, there was a £40 fine on the windscreen.
It appeared I had parked in a disabled space, which I was unaware of as snow had masked the yellow lines.
My wife parked there because it was nearest the door and my leg is so badly damaged, I can only walk a few metres at a time.
I understand the hospital needs extra funds, especially in these hard times. But this money should be used to ensure the car park is kept to a reasonable condition, even when snow is a problem.
The car park attendants seem to sit around for most of the day; surely they should be armed with a shovel and earn there wage?
I will pay more attention to which space I choose next time. And I hope that in future the car park staff ensure the car park is cleared of snow more efficiently.
Also, it would be nice to see common sense used a bit more widely in society but I doubt this will ever happen anymore. Merry Christmas to everyone in Shropshire! (Except for the parking staff at Oswestry hospital )
Les Potter
Bishop’s Castle
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Commonsense? Earning their wage?
This is the real world mate, y’know. You don’t actually think everybody is like you and me do you?
Fight the fine by the way, never heard such b******* in my life!
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ppppffftt…splutters into tea drenching Luscious Louise and her bouncing baubles on page 3…clear the snow!! CLEAR THE SNOW!!!! Health and safety mate..health and safety
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the money from parking does not go to the hospital it goes to the firm that runs the car park including its upkeep.
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Sorry to say Vamperic, but I am 99% certain that you are wrong and that the arrangement is actually a profit sharing between teh hospital and the car parking company
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You did not get fined, you received a charge.
Only courts can fine you, private companies do not have the right to do so and must not use the word fine in any documentation that they issue to you.
Personally, I’d refuse to pay and let it go to court if they let it go that far. As long as the space was obscured, I cannot see a judge allowing their case to succeed. I doubt whether they would even let the matter go to court if the facts are as you state.
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Absolutely – simply refuse to pay. The people running the car park have a responsibility to ensure that there is adequate signage before applying charges – snow or no snow.
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That just another excuse by the attendants of the car parks cant stop them reading the paper an playing cards
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Common sense? Ok whilst I do agree that these car parks are a rip off and will do anything to get an extra few quid, common sense would state that parking right next to the door would be for disabled people no??
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I personally would not pay this charge for the reasons you stated, have you appealed against it? i think you have a good case. did you take a photograph?
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