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Unhappy with hospital parking fees

To the Editor: I believe there should be no charge involved for parking at a hospital as you are there because you are ill or visiting someone who is. To my mind we are being penalized for being sick.

To the Editor:
I believe there should be no charge involved for parking at a hospital as you are there because you are ill or visiting someone who is. To my mind we are being penalized for being sick.
I am a 69 year old woman, who is an out patient receiving on-going chemo therapy. I also had the misfortune of falling in March and breaking my hip, which makes walking any great distance quite painful.
A few weeks ago, while in for my treatment, I parked in the handicapped space across from the emergency admitting doors. I hung my sign on the mirror, put money in the meter and went up to third floor for my chemo, which usually takes about two hours.
When I arrived back at my car, there, tucked neatly under my wiper, was a parking ticket for $10, and I found myself instantly angry.
Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t consider myself any better than the next person, but when you’re connected to a toxic cocktail of chemo drugs, they sure don’t want you running out of the hospital to plug money into a parking meter.
I’d like to know if cities are that hard up, that they need that extra money, and for what is this money used? If you tell me it’s for maintaining the parking lot, I’m going to fall off my chair laughing. I don’t think I’ve ever heard the reason why they started charging for parking, so enlighten me.
Enough said, just know I’ve never had a parking ticket in my life and to get one in a “parking lot” at a hospital just about takes the cake.
I also know that once implemented, it becomes written in stone and can never be changed. But it sure makes me happy to complain about it.
Stand up Saskatchewan if you think there should be NO charge for hospital parking.
Our MLA is Mr. Warren Kaeding, give him a call, I’m going to. Maybe the squeaky wheel will get some oil!
Carol Buchberger
Langenburg, SK.