Dear Editor:
There is something fundamentally wrong with parking fees for emergency room patients. A while ago I took my wife to Burnaby Hospital emergency suffering a possible life-threatening episode. After paying $17 for parking, I emerged to find that there was a parking ticket issued five minutes after my time expired. The fee for non-prompt payment is $80. So I could have called the ambulance for exactly the same fee. Of course, that is not an option because of the new priority call system, but I digress.
As we age and depend more often on health services, I find that I have less and less tolerance for the questionable policies behind faceless bureaucracy.
Could we look at some more reasonable solutions. I would be willing to pay an annual fee for a permit. If I never needed it, that would be a worthwhile bonus for me and a contribution to Health Services. It just seems morally wrong to contribute to a parking enforcement agency at a time of family health crisis.
On the other hand, a city which holds hundreds of millions in reserve while increasing taxes annually, might consider offsetting such costs. Or they could follow the example of Delta and ban such practice completely.
I wrote this piece several months ago and hesitated to send it.
Three weeks ago, while I attended a medically
required education session at Burnaby Hospital, I received a $64 ticket because I refused to contribute to the independent operator and chose to park at a city meter. My fault this time, as I did not take the time to properly inform myself from the sign that said residents only before 9 a.m., and I was 17 minutes early.
In any event, I followed the instructions and deposited the payment in the Burnaby City Hall after-hours drop box on the due date. This happened to be a weekend when, sensibly, city hall is not open. The cheque was cashed. I then received a letter from the city demanding an additional $16 for late payment.
They were not working on the due date, and therefore I am liable for being late.
Ironic that I got the ticket for being 17 minutes early. Coincidence I would guess that the City of Burnaby total owing matches exactly the parking contractor amount of $80.00.
I await the credit collection letter that may affect my credit rating, as pointed out by the city.
Ray Power, Burnaby
