21 November 2011

Parking in ACT without consequence.

| Ceej1973
Join the conversation
34
parking

We all know how parking at the Canberra Hospital Environ has been a challenge of late, in particular around the Pathology and Maternity end of the precinct, and with the added pressures from construction worker vehicles taking up valuable short term car parks, the last patients need are selfish people taking up spaces as pictured.

This photo was taken outside of Maternity, and, as you can see, the owner of the vehicle has taken it upon themselves to park in a restricted parking spot for 2 weeks now, without moving it once. Heres how the story goes.

Concerned staff of Maternity and Pathology have contacted Canberra Hospital Parking Operations Managment in an attempt to have either the owner move the vehicle or have the vehicle forcibly removed. Parking Operations have tried both these measures, including approaching the owner, but in vain.

According to Parking Operations, the owner is a patient at the Hospital. The owner when approached, has refused to either move the vehicle to long term parking space, or have a relative/friend move it for them. According to the owner, they have no-one who can move the vehicle, however, staff have witnessed on 2 occasions this week, relatives access the vehicle to a. remove a baby seat and b. place an explanation note on the dash board. The explanation note, states that the owner will move the car today (3 days ago of the 2nd week) and appologises for any inconvinience caused.

Parking Operations say that as the vehicle already has an infringment noticed issued, another one cannot be issued. How I wish a gust of wind would blow away the one already on the windscreen. Parking Operations had already contacted ACT Police, and as the vehicle is on Government land, the car cannot be removed, even if it was deemed to be abandoned. Further, when the owner was approached they said they needed the vehicle to get home after having an operation. I always thought it is very dangerous to drive after an operation, especially one that keeps one in Hospital for 2 weeks.

Unfortunately, attitudes such as those shown by the owner of this vehicle, place more pressure on the little spaces available to staff, courier, visitors and patients alike, and due to weak parking regulations, vehicles such as these can park as long as they like without any consequence. Personally, I would love to remove every infringement each day, so that a new one can be issued the next, however I would be implicated. Practically, I would rather see the Regulation changed, so that such menaces can be booked more than once or towed.

Join the conversation

34
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

Maybe the driver saw the “P” on the wall and thought the car park was reserved was for P platers

Multiple parking tickets can be written for the same car, it just depends where it is parked. If it was in a 15 minute zone, 1 ticket could be applied every 15 minutes until it was removed. If it’s just in a permit zone of some sort like in this case, they could write one ticket per day, every day.

Anyway, a few slashed tyres and an abandoned car call will learn them.

djk said :

BethiePrice said :

maniac said :

Pity they can’t tow and impound the car.

This would never happen in another state – the cars would be removed and the vehicle owner fined heavily.

Not quite true. We had a car park right on our driveway for a month straight without it ever being moved. I contacted the police and they wouldn’t remove it because it was registered. I did consider accidently swinging a baseball bat in the general direction of the windscreen but luckily for me it disappeared to make life difficult for someone else. Given it wasn’t a restricted parking space in a hospital but if someone is going to be inconsiderate it doesn’t seem to matter what state you are in, cops won’t do anything about it…. no matter how nicely you ask…

“Sorry Boss, not coming in today, someone has parked my car in on my own driveway and the cops won’t move it!”

Doesnt seem right that police/rangers/whoever cant move a car that is illegally parked for two weeks.

We get the government we deserve OR alternatively, one that is representative of the voting public…

Hahahahaha, so wait, you start off by alluding that the owner of the car is “a selfish person” that may or may not be a “construction worker”. Then you go on to say that you tried to strong-arm the person by taking it to a third party (and failed), and THEN you explain to us all that you’d just LOVE to keep piling parking tickets on this guy’s car, even though that is illegal (not to mention slack as hell). So to sum up – a patient that is currently residing at the hospital has, according to you, parked their car inappropriately (I can’t tell if the permit zone is for government vehicles or for people with a disability permit) in a spot which 95% of other patients couldn’t park anyway. Furthermore, all “authorities” upon which you have relied have failed you. Finally, you say that his reason for parking there (the same reason you gave that he SHOULDN’T park there) is irresponsible because its unsafe to drive after surgery – are you batshit insane? Your entire post is just a whine session wrapped up in double standards. Maybe he’ll reverse into your car when he checks out and you can post about that too.

CapitalK said :

djk said :

Rawhide Kid Part3 said :

A private vehicle cant be moved unless it’s causing danger to the general public or blocking general public access.

Does where ever this comes from define “danger to the public”? Because making a heavily pregnant woman make the hike from the carpark at CH rather than being able to park right outside seems to endanger her and her unborn child somewhat.

What if there are say 3 spaces for heavily pregnant women and all 3 are being used by heavily pregnant women who are giving birth and a forth one comes along and is heavily pregnant and is giving birth.

Anyway – even though I can’t read the signs I’m pretty sure they are for doctors or similar ie not for public.

Not intending to be funny but isn’t there a drop zone. I know you can park infront of Mat ward whilst being escorted in by the other half, but they then have to move to longstay carpark.

djk said :

Rawhide Kid Part3 said :

A private vehicle cant be moved unless it’s causing danger to the general public or blocking general public access.

Does where ever this comes from define “danger to the public”? Because making a heavily pregnant woman make the hike from the carpark at CH rather than being able to park right outside seems to endanger her and her unborn child somewhat.

What if there are say 3 spaces for heavily pregnant women and all 3 are being used by heavily pregnant women who are giving birth and a forth one comes along and is heavily pregnant and is giving birth.

Anyway – even though I can’t read the signs I’m pretty sure they are for doctors or similar ie not for public.

Rawhide Kid Part3 said :

A private vehicle cant be moved unless it’s causing danger to the general public or blocking general public access.

Does where ever this comes from define “danger to the public”? Because making a heavily pregnant woman make the hike from the carpark at CH rather than being able to park right outside seems to endanger her and her unborn child somewhat.

Where is Sgt Bungers when you need him.

The pink sign does not conform with standards so is invalid.The ‘Permit Zone’ sign appears to be poorly positioned and does not have a directional arrows or another sign with the opposite directional arrow to “gate” the space. It could be argued that it does not apply to that parking space.

devils_advocate3:04 pm 21 Nov 11

Rawhide Kid Part3 said :

A private vehicle cant be moved unless it’s causing danger to the general public or blocking general public access.

It’s one thing to say that the cops can’t do a b or c or a driver can’t be fined under x y or z legislation. It’s another thing to make a more general statement that a car can’t be moved unless its causing danger.

People still have property rights at common law. They have the right to take *reasonable* action to deal with trespass, intentional infliction of economic harm, unlawful restraint (it’s not as simple as saying “but he is free to go anywhere other than where I have impeded access”) and also a general duty to mitigate damages. If someone (for example) parks you in in your driveway, you are more than entitled to take steps youself to address the issue provided they are reasonable.

Finally, a good high-lift trolley jack costs a few hundred dollars and if I were living in a body corporate situation (again) , I would (did) find it cheap insurance against inconsiderate f–ks parking without regard for my fair use of the private and common property.
Coming out and finding their car sitting in the middle of the driveway or road seems to focus people’s minds on the issues far more than some passive-aggressive note on their windsheild.

Rawhide Kid Part32:11 pm 21 Nov 11

djk said :

BethiePrice said :

maniac said :

Pity they can’t tow and impound the car.

This would never happen in another state – the cars would be removed and the vehicle owner fined heavily.

Not quite true. We had a car park right on our driveway for a month straight without it ever being moved. I contacted the police and they wouldn’t remove it because it was registered. I did consider accidently swinging a baseball bat in the general direction of the windscreen but luckily for me it disappeared to make life difficult for someone else. Given it wasn’t a restricted parking space in a hospital but if someone is going to be inconsiderate it doesn’t seem to matter what state you are in, cops won’t do anything about it…. no matter how nicely you ask…

“Sorry Boss, not coming in today, someone has parked my car in on my own driveway and the cops won’t move it!”

Doesnt seem right that police/rangers/whoever cant move a car that is illegally parked for two weeks.

A private vehicle cant be moved unless it’s causing danger to the general public or blocking general public access.

devils_advocate2:07 pm 21 Nov 11

They need a new approach – “You have thirty minutes to move your car.” “You have ten minutes to move your car.” “Your car has been impounded.” “Your car has been crushed into a cube.” “You have thirty minutes to move your cube.”

BethiePrice said :

maniac said :

Pity they can’t tow and impound the car.

This would never happen in another state – the cars would be removed and the vehicle owner fined heavily.

Not quite true. We had a car park right on our driveway for a month straight without it ever being moved. I contacted the police and they wouldn’t remove it because it was registered. I did consider accidently swinging a baseball bat in the general direction of the windscreen but luckily for me it disappeared to make life difficult for someone else. Given it wasn’t a restricted parking space in a hospital but if someone is going to be inconsiderate it doesn’t seem to matter what state you are in, cops won’t do anything about it…. no matter how nicely you ask…

“Sorry Boss, not coming in today, someone has parked my car in on my own driveway and the cops won’t move it!”

Doesnt seem right that police/rangers/whoever cant move a car that is illegally parked for two weeks.

Jurls said :

CapitalK said :

Can someone tell me what the signs say? I can’t read them on my computer even if I blow them up. – I can see that the middle one says PERMIT ZONE – but not what the rest says.

Anyway they should move the car. Also on the needing to park there if you are having a baby – if the baby is coming out of you, you’re probably not driving so could you not get dropped off – or am I over simplifying this? Surely if it’s an emergency situation you’ve called the ambos anyway?

lol, I expect the idea is that the husband/partner doesn’t just drop his wife/partner and drive off, but he would escort her up to maternity. Then he would return to move the car to a proper parking spot and head back up to maternity. I doubt whether most people would just drop off a woman in labour and leave her to make her own way up to the maternity ward. Not if they value certain parts of their anatomy 😀 😀 😀

Fair enough 🙂

CapitalK said :

Can someone tell me what the signs say? I can’t read them on my computer even if I blow them up. – I can see that the middle one says PERMIT ZONE – but not what the rest says.

Anyway they should move the car. Also on the needing to park there if you are having a baby – if the baby is coming out of you, you’re probably not driving so could you not get dropped off – or am I over simplifying this? Surely if it’s an emergency situation you’ve called the ambos anyway?

lol, I expect the idea is that the husband/partner doesn’t just drop his wife/partner and drive off, but he would escort her up to maternity. Then he would return to move the car to a proper parking spot and head back up to maternity. I doubt whether most people would just drop off a woman in labour and leave her to make her own way up to the maternity ward. Not if they value certain parts of their anatomy 😀 😀 😀

Can someone tell me what the signs say? I can’t read them on my computer even if I blow them up. – I can see that the middle one says PERMIT ZONE – but not what the rest says.

Anyway they should move the car. Also on the needing to park there if you are having a baby – if the baby is coming out of you, you’re probably not driving so could you not get dropped off – or am I over simplifying this? Surely if it’s an emergency situation you’ve called the ambos anyway?

maniac said :

Pity they can’t tow and impound the car.

This would never happen in another state – the cars would be removed and the vehicle owner fined heavily.

Not quite true. We had a car park right on our driveway for a month straight without it ever being moved. I contacted the police and they wouldn’t remove it because it was registered. I did consider accidently swinging a baseball bat in the general direction of the windscreen but luckily for me it disappeared to make life difficult for someone else. Given it wasn’t a restricted parking space in a hospital but if someone is going to be inconsiderate it doesn’t seem to matter what state you are in, cops won’t do anything about it…. no matter how nicely you ask…

They should move the car or it should be towed. Two days in a crisis – fine. But two weeks is just a joke, especially if reliies have accessed the car, or staff have even offered to move it.

On parent parking – I always try to park next to an island or column or similar to ensure I can open at least one door wide enough to get at least one kid in. If you have three, you need to open the door quite widely to get to the middle seat belt. And if you are not tiny yourself, and the kids are fairly hefty, it really makes the whole operation more doable if you can open your car door properly.

Car seats are the bane of my life – bring back the days of just heaving all the kids into the back and driving off I say – I’d probabably go out more often!

Well, if ACT police have told you it can’t be removed, then tough luck.

FioBla said :

The cloth computer bag could be inside.

lol

Pity they can’t tow and impound the car.

This would never happen in another state – the cars would be removed and the vehicle owner fined heavily. I really don’t think it matters what surgery the P-plater is having. My parents have had extensive surgeries and had to be in hospital for weeks – for my dad he never came out. Neither of them was so inconsiderate as to take up a restricted carpark permanently. It doesn’t matter if the P-plater has a baby or not.

qbngeek said :

schmeah said :

mmm, this seems pretty outrageous.

But given the ‘baby on board’ sticker and the comments about removing a baby seat, it just points to what I’ve always believed; people with babies think they own the freaking world. Forever, pushing their prams into the path of others, taking their babies to cafes without any consideration to the noise they make and usually making little effort to quieten their sack of joy, parking in disabled spots because they need to access a larger berth to get their pram out .. etc etc. Given the ubiquity of these actions, I’ve come to believe the majority of parents need a labotomy ..

I have never seen a parent in a disbled spot, but why does there need to be parents with prams spots? I have 2 kids and I can manage to park in the middle of a standard spot and open both doors with ease and get the kids out. I can’t understand why you need the room to get the pram out, unless you park sideways, as the boot is at the back (or sometimes the front) and the back is not impeded by other vehicles.

It actually makes a big difference having enough room either side of the car. Especially if you happen to have twins or more and especially as people have a tendency to park really close!! I’ve actually had it before in a normal parking space where a woman parked next to me so close, I could barely manage to get my son out of the car. She was sat in her car at the time and completely ignored my struggles. Having unloaded my daughter already I was loathe to put her back in the car just to move it. They were 18 months old at the time so not like they could climb in and out themselves.

Also, I prefer to get my double buggy out of the boot and have it next to the car when I get my children out and put them in it. This is especially after an experience in a Queanbeyan car park I had, where some cretin got into his car having glanced over at me and then proceeded to reverse into my buggy as I was about to put it down to put it in the boot. The car park was huge, he clearly saw me there unloading the children minutes earlier and he STILL managed to reverse into me. Beggars belief.

I still think though, that there is no reason for someone to park for 2 weeks in a restricted spot. I mean, 2 weeks is a big difference from 2 hours and even if they had other more important issues, they should have let someone else move the car for them imo.

schmeah said :

mmm, this seems pretty outrageous.

But given the ‘baby on board’ sticker and the comments about removing a baby seat, it just points to what I’ve always believed; people with babies think they own the freaking world. Forever, pushing their prams into the path of others, taking their babies to cafes without any consideration to the noise they make and usually making little effort to quieten their sack of joy, parking in disabled spots because they need to access a larger berth to get their pram out .. etc etc. Given the ubiquity of these actions, I’ve come to believe the majority of parents need a labotomy ..

I have never seen a parent in a disbled spot, but why does there need to be parents with prams spots? I have 2 kids and I can manage to park in the middle of a standard spot and open both doors with ease and get the kids out. I can’t understand why you need the room to get the pram out, unless you park sideways, as the boot is at the back (or sometimes the front) and the back is not impeded by other vehicles.

Felix the Cat12:08 pm 21 Nov 11

schmeah said :

mmm, this seems pretty outrageous.

But given the ‘baby on board’ sticker and the comments about removing a baby seat, it just points to what I’ve always believed; people with babies think they own the freaking world. Forever, pushing their prams into the path of others, taking their babies to cafes without any consideration to the noise they make and usually making little effort to quieten their sack of joy, parking in disabled spots because they need to access a larger berth to get their pram out .. etc etc. Given the ubiquity of these actions, I’ve come to believe the majority of parents need a labotomy ..

When are these people going to start paying rego on their prams….bloody freeloaders

ThatUniStudent said :

Excuse me? Let me get this right, you’re pissed off because a patient in hospital who clearly does have a baby and is undergoing an operation is parked in a restricted parking spot? And you’re advocating hassling of said persion to move their car? I’m sorry, my sympathy for you is zero.
Move along folks, nothing to see here.

1

The patient could be an a serious situation and moving the car may be the last of her worries if she is fighting for her or her babies life.

It’s a little bit insensitive don’t you think – it is only one car space just let it be. Perhaps you would like to be in intensive care worrying that you might end up in the morgue in the basement. Nasty.

mmm, this seems pretty outrageous.

But given the ‘baby on board’ sticker and the comments about removing a baby seat, it just points to what I’ve always believed; people with babies think they own the freaking world. Forever, pushing their prams into the path of others, taking their babies to cafes without any consideration to the noise they make and usually making little effort to quieten their sack of joy, parking in disabled spots because they need to access a larger berth to get their pram out .. etc etc. Given the ubiquity of these actions, I’ve come to believe the majority of parents need a labotomy ..

Genie said :

Why CAN’T they be booked more than once ?? I’ve seen cars with dozens of fines on their windshield.

Sorry but correct me if I’m wrong, but it looks like they are parked in a ‘medical practitioners’ spot. Sooo tow the car away. If relo’s have come and collected a baby seat then clearly someone can come pick her up after an operation. Don’t you need to be released into someone’s care anyway? Eg, someone driving you home.

Heh Heh Heh
You think that TCH actually gives a rats if you are released into someones care? When they discharged me, they decided to do it earlier than we were previously told and my wife was unable to get there to collect me in time. I asked if I could stay until she arrived as I was not able to carry my bag. They took my bag to the main entry adn told me I could sit there and wait.

It is also the only time I have used TCH as I was taken there after an accident and I was unable to be transferred to Queanbeyan hospital as I requested.

Why CAN’T they be booked more than once ?? I’ve seen cars with dozens of fines on their windshield.

Sorry but correct me if I’m wrong, but it looks like they are parked in a ‘medical practitioners’ spot. Sooo tow the car away. If relo’s have come and collected a baby seat then clearly someone can come pick her up after an operation. Don’t you need to be released into someone’s care anyway? Eg, someone driving you home.

Is it restricted and a drop off point for those in labour?

katkat said :

ThatUniStudent said :

Excuse me? Let me get this right, you’re pissed off because a patient in hospital who clearly does have a baby and is undergoing an operation is parked in a restricted parking spot? And you’re advocating hassling of said persion to move their car? I’m sorry, my sympathy for you is zero.
Move along folks, nothing to see here.

I think most mothers will agree that there’s a huge difference between having a baby and having one ~coming out of you~.
There are only 3-4 car spaces in that area that aren’t restricted, the others are staff/disabled parks.
It’s the closest parking area for both the labour ward and the birth centre so there are many people who do need to be able to park there (rather than the other parking areas further away) when they arrive at the hospital.

Even if the patient does not have anyone who can move the car for them it sounds like there would be a number of volunteers from the staff working in that area!

+1

They should get it towed if the owner won’t let staff move it!!

Captain RAAF10:18 am 21 Nov 11

Having a sign up on a wall stating “No Parking!” does not necessarily make that sign enforceable!

There are literally thousands of “No Parking” signs in this city and others that are incorrectly placed and the no parking restriction is unenforceable. I thumb my nose at them and park there anyway.

PS: I’ll move the car once I’ve had this boil removed!

Disinformation10:10 am 21 Nov 11

ThatUniStudent said :

Excuse me? Let me get this right, you’re pissed off because a patient in hospital who clearly does have a baby and is undergoing an operation is parked in a restricted parking spot? And you’re advocating hassling of said persion to move their car? I’m sorry, my sympathy for you is zero.
Move along folks, nothing to see here.

Oh, so that huge parking building that was finished and operational BEFORE this started is merely for the convenience of the people who aren’t stupid or arrogant?

I’d suggest that if the relatives have removed a baby seat, then THEY have the baby, so there’s no reason to bring that into the sympathy vote. And someone can look after a baby, but can’t move the car to the long term car park?

I managed to park in the carpark at the start of a kidney stone episode. She has absolutely no sympathy from me at all. Maybe the surgery was a consideration transplant? It obviously wasn’t an emergency.

ThatUniStudent said :

Move along folks, nothing to see here.

I think that it is those scheming ADFDA folk doing another covert anti gay prank.

ThatUniStudent said :

Excuse me? Let me get this right, you’re pissed off because a patient in hospital who clearly does have a baby and is undergoing an operation is parked in a restricted parking spot? And you’re advocating hassling of said persion to move their car? I’m sorry, my sympathy for you is zero.
Move along folks, nothing to see here.

I think most mothers will agree that there’s a huge difference between having a baby and having one ~coming out of you~.
There are only 3-4 car spaces in that area that aren’t restricted, the others are staff/disabled parks.
It’s the closest parking area for both the labour ward and the birth centre so there are many people who do need to be able to park there (rather than the other parking areas further away) when they arrive at the hospital.

Even if the patient does not have anyone who can move the car for them it sounds like there would be a number of volunteers from the staff working in that area!

ThatUniStudent said :

Move along folks, nothing to see here.

The cloth computer bag could be inside.

ThatUniStudent9:24 am 21 Nov 11

Excuse me? Let me get this right, you’re pissed off because a patient in hospital who clearly does have a baby and is undergoing an operation is parked in a restricted parking spot? And you’re advocating hassling of said persion to move their car? I’m sorry, my sympathy for you is zero.
Move along folks, nothing to see here.

Take of his number plates and repot the car to the police as being dumped…

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.