Yesterday, Scrobs had an appointment for a regular jab in our local hospital, and as is the norm, I arrived early enough to spend half an hour driving round and round looking for a parking space!
As 'luck' would have it, within a couple of minutes, I'd engaged 'Parking Observation Technique 5a', which means that when looking for a space in a hospital car park, drive as slowly as possible to let the others get away, then keep peering at the entrance for an ex-patient scuttling towards a car nearby, stop, and either ask if they're moving, or wait for the magic indicator signal that they're leaving!
And it worked! So I was 3/4 of an hour early!
Thus, the reception room awaited, which is not too bad as it's a small clinic and there are only a few people waiting, and anyway, I always take my trusty Telegraph Cryptic Crossword book with me, and the time flies!
But this time, the 'worst' thing happened, when a gentleman arrived, smothered in tattoos, and immediately started to talk to the chap next to him about every ailment he'd had. (having tattoos cleaned off clearly wasn't one of them)... Luckily, 17 across was giving me some anxiety, and I could easily stare down at the page for the next ten minutes, while he droned on about each incision, tablet, operation etc., and I was pretty relieved when he was called in before me, and peace reigned!
But, being led into the 'big chair' they use for such jabs, I heard him close by carrying on the boring inanity at the nurse, not unfriendly, but utterly tedious! I wished I'd brought my earphones!
After about fifteen minutes, thankfully, he was ready to go, and the only mildly funny thing he'd said as he was leaving was, 'I'm retired, and the sad thing about retirement is, that you never get a day off'!
I guess I forgave him for that...
8 comments:
It was my annual scan today and as it can be a tedious car journey round the Derby ring road to the hospital, we decided to travel via Uber. Not cheap but much easier than driving there ourselves then trying to find a parking space. We'll certainly do it again.
Doncaster does something right! DRI has awful parking at the site but a free shuttle bus every twenty minutes from a large, if rough, car park at the racecourse. The arrangement works a treat!
AK, I hope and trust the visit was positive! I had a lovely Sister administering the jab, and clearly a gorgeous, dedicated, well-meaning saviour for old geezers like me. He biggest worry was that a large, local building near her home, was being designated as an HMO. I really wanted to give her a million quid to get out and live in a nicer place...
She's worth it.
We do have a similar situation here in Tunbridge ells, TheJ! I know the car park well, as The Senora and I would gorge ourselves on a pizza in the local Frankie and Benny's, with a bottle of vino, then escape to the cinema afterwards to sober up, and see any film worth watching...
I haven't got that far yet, but will certainly have to one day!
Try Tunbridge Wells - it's a typo worth forgetting...
Daily trips to my local cancer treatment centre for prostate radiotherapy caused more concern than the disease due to the car parking availability. Fortunately my two daughters offered to take it in turns to take me and pick me up. Daughter No 1 took 30 minutes each way, while daughter No 2, using the same route and at the same time, only took 20. My relief at not having to find a parking space was replaced with concern at the speed cameras, or local plod, on daughter No 2 days!
Penseivat
That isn't a pleasant situation in most hospital car parks, Penseivat! Blood pressure goes through the roof usually, and even this week, the lovely Sister Stacie had to wait for it to come down to normality... In Kent cancer patients at least get free parking, and they also have a shuttle bus from a retail park, which I tend not to use, as there is occasionally a surfeit of similar tattoos and whinges on such vehicles, and I'd rather get up earlier than put up with that before I even get to the big chair!
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