Just about five years ago, I found myself experiencing one of my episodes that forced me to go to the Emergency Room.
I had recently moved to a new city, and began dealing with brand new physicians, protocols, health service offices, etc...
Being stubborn and broke, I drove myself over to the ER. (Before judging, many major complications of chronic illnesses are not immediately life-threatening, but still require emergency room care and observation - especially severe and/or throat edema caused by Hereditary Angioedema.
Arriving at a new hospital is already generally nerve-wracking. Unknown policies, entrances, and parking availability all contribute more stress to a frightening and painful situation.
That night, like most nights at the ER, the 'visit' took about 7-8 hours.... My parking stall had only been good for three hours.
But when was I supposed to move my car to another stall and pay for another 3 hours of parking??
"Hey doc, can I borrow a wheelchair and bring my IV pole outside so I can refill the meter?"...
After an incredibly lengthy, painful, and stressful ordeal, all I wanted to do was get home! Despite finally being able to get the episode under control, the entire experience left me feeling all kinds of exhausted and defeated. I desperately needed to get home, crawl into my warm, comfy, bed, and finally get a bit of restful sleep.
By the time I reached my vehicle, there was a whopping ticket costing just under a hundred bucks. Talk about getting beaten up while having just been knocked down!
Weak, upset, overwhelmingly exasperated, and worn down from hours and hours of poking and prodding, vomiting and crying, to then be faced with an expensive parking ticket, now THAT was an extra intense blow.
In my opinion, no one should ever have to be concerned with paid parking while being ill or injured badly enough to need emergency health care. Walking out of that dreadful experience to see that parking ticket was just plain bull!
If I ever come into lottery-size money, I intend to fund hospitals to have a FREE parking section designated for emergency-room patients. During the triage assessment, there could easily be one extra question regarding how the patient was transported... The intake form, requiring the patient's signature, could have a blank line to register the vehicle belonging to those who are in the ER.
Even simpler than that, each individual requiring ER doctor assessment can be automatically given a parking voucher during the intake.
When you're having one of the worst days of your life, the last thing that should be on your mind is being surprised by, and paying, for parking.