“38 year old male, throwing around his job title”
What happens if you park on a double yellow line?
You get a parking fine
What happens if you park in a car park and don’t buy a ticket?
You get a parking fine
What happens if you over-stay in a car park?
You get a parking fine
What happens if you park on or near a crossing?
You get a parking fine
What happens if you park anywhere where it says ‘No Parking’?
You get a parking fine
What happens if you park in an ‘Ambulance only’ bay?
You get a parking fine
Social status or job title does not exclude anyone from having to pay for parking illegally. Typically, at most hositals there are 4-6 ambulance bays outside a hospital marked in yellow or red lines with huge signs on the walls and the ground saying ‘Ambulances only’. It is perfectly clear and there for a reason......so ambulances with ill patients can park outside the A & E and get them into the hospital quickly and easily. Hospital staff, patients, relatives and members of the public have to use the ‘car park’. The clue is in the name! Patients or relatives or members of the public being dropped off or picked up can use the ‘drop off zone’. Again, the clue is in the name. It is very common for all the ambulance bays to be full of ambulances and throughout the day there is always a constant stream of ambulances coming and going.
This particular day we were sat at our local hospital in one of the 4 ambulance bays. There were 3 ambulances including us, the only one free was the one directly outside of the doors which we typically leave clear if possible, incase a ‘blue call’ (critically ill patient) arrives. We were scoffing down our venting machine food and watery Maxwell House coffees when a brand spanking new, black, Mercedes SLK convertible pulled in and parked in the ambulance bay. A middle aged man in a suit got out, locked it and walked off.
“Excuse me, you can’t park there.”
“Yes I can.”
“No you can’t, it’s an ambulance bay.”
“I’m a consultant, I can park where I like.”
“No you can’t, it’s for ambulances, there is one on route here now.” (massive lie)
“I haven’t got time to talk to you, I have work to do”
With that, the pompous, arrogant, prat, walking into the A & E. Being rather hot headed, I couldn’t let this lie. I stormed into the A & E after him but he’d vanished. So, I took down his registration number and went to the reception.....
*over the tannoy*
“Would the owner of a black Mercedes, registration number LK60 BFU, parked in the ambulance bay please remove it immediately.”
After a few minutes, he had not appeared.
“Would the owner of a black Mercedes, registration number LK60 BFU, parked in the ambulance bay please remove it immediately.”
Still no sign.
With that, the receptionist picked up the phone and called security. The security at this particular hospital also monitor the car park. He came outside, wrote out a ticket and slapped it on the windscreen. As her did, the alarm started sounding. Within about 30 seconds the self proclaimed consultant appeared. I was sat back in the ambulance by now and watched the argument unfold. He talked to the security guard like he was dirt on his shoe using such phrases as ‘do you know who I am’ and ‘I’ll have your job for this’. In an indignant last ditched attempt to throw his muscle power around he stormed to the front of my ambulance and started writing down the registration number.
“This won’t be the last you hear about this.”
I wound my window down.
“There is a pay & display car park just over there, that you are welcome to use.”
“You’ve made a huge mistake.”
“Actually it’s you who is parked illegally, I did tell you when you parked it.”
“I’m a consultant here.”
“The sign doesn’t say Ambulance and Consultants only, don’t blame me”
With that, he got in and sped off, revving his engine as he went. What a tool! Funnily enough I never heard any more about it! I truly hate people like that, people who think they are better than others. People who treat people ‘below’ them without respect and with contempt. He may have spent years moving up the ladder and he may be a respected consultant. Unfortunately, that doesn’t give him the right to do what he likes when he likes. I don’t buy into giving respect when it has not been earned. I don’t care what his job title is, I don’t care who he is or how well respected he is professionally, he is still working for the NHS, he is still a colleague and he still has to abide by the same rules as everyone else. A job title does not give anyone the right to talk down to or dismiss another person. Unfortunately for him, he chose the wrong girl to throw a job title at and despite his best efforts, I was the one who got to sit and watch him huff, puff and speed off in his rear wheel drive penis extension.
What happens if a consultant parks in an ‘Ambulance only’ bay?
He gets a parking fine
*smug face*