Do you have to pay for parking?

Published

In an effort to raise funds for the hospital, they have recently begun charging to park in the parking garage. What was a free "perk" now costs $4/day. They have taken away the "employee only" lots and they allow visitors and patients to park anywhere. Needless to say we all want the free spots. I work 11a-11p and there are never free spots available that are "safe" to walk to after my shift, and it frustrates me to pay $4 to come to work. We have had several town hall meetings on this subject and the parking fees are staying, in fact we were told we were "lucky" to only have to pay $4 dollars since in the"big cities" it costs $10 to park. Ugh.... The real kicker is that the parking garages were donated by a family that wanted to give back to the nurses who cared for their mom! Nobody had heard their thoughts on the parking fees. Just venting....and curious.....who has to pay to come to work?

Are most of you who have to pay to park in downtown cities? I think it is awful to pay to park in hospitals in the suburbs or rural, in the big cities the nature of the area is that parking is at a premium for everyone. I still don't think it is right though.

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Having to pay for where you work? Totally insane!!! Im glad I live in a rural state. The only people who can afford $45 dollars a month is the doctors working there!!! Or even $10 a day. WOW!!! What about the people who only make $8-$10 an hour? There is no way they could afford that!!!! Not me!! Some hospitals need to reevaluate and make some of the visitor parking areas into workers areas!!! Like I've heard over and over Healthcare has shifted from treating a patient to the mentality of a retail store. Great customer service with a smile and money honey, keep it coming!!!!

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Rural area and we don't pay. Parking is close to the door.

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I work in an inner city hospital, and the hospital subsidizes the cost of public transportation or parking to make it cheaper for employees. That being said, parking is still about $7/day, but it is much cheaper than paying the full price of $18/day! I usually just take the bus when I work dayshift, it only costs about $2.20 but it takes FOREVER to get to work then!

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i worked in a hospital in downtown LA and didn't have to pay and it was well lit, not very far and always space available. I've never had to pay and have always had safe, close parking, guess i should consider myself lucky!

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After moving from Seattle, I consider Lubbock Texas as a rural area. I see cotton fields across the street, and it is $4 to park!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

No. At Duke in Durham, NC we had to pay. Don't know what they are doing now, but luckily I walked to work back then.

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My previous job was $30 per month - one before that $60 per month. Now I don't have to pay for parking. I agree - it is bullcrap.

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Specializes in Government.

I work in Madison WI where parking is a nightmare worthy of a big city. I pay 25$ a month for a clean, well lit lot. I work in an office so all the gov't employees (some making barely 10$ an hour) also have to pay the same. It bites, but then again, you shouldn't build a city on an isthmus....

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I am currently doing my clinical at a very large metro hospital in downtown Pittsburgh.

Employees and students alike pay a $10.00 deposit that you get back if you return your parking permit when you leave/quit the hospital and pay $7.00 a month to park in a very nice, large, well lit parking garage right next to the hospital.

Families of patients that will be there an extended period of time may also take part in this.

You get a pass that hangs on your rear view mirror and a little "credit type card" that you insert into the ticket machine upon entry/exit of the garage. This system works really great and I think it is more than a fair price to get to park there. The neighborhood is very shadey, anytime of day.

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Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

Sounds like a topic for a story in your local newspaperm, perhaps a story that also addresses the "nursing shortage."

My first thought was "what does your union have to say about this?" And that if you don't have a union, this might be an issue that motivates people to organize one.

I've never paid to park at any place of employment (including in major US cities) and never would.

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Well all those prices don't sound too bad compared to one of the major hospitals in Edinburgh Scotland. The New Edinburgh Royal Infirmary charges £10 a day.. yes i did say a day to park ... thats about $16.70 a day.. at todays exchange rates. to park..

Also consider that we nurses here in UK make A LOT less per year than our US counterparts.. and they really wonder why they are having troulbe recruiting nurses?.. HELLO? .. :chuckle

Kaylesh

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