Wednesday, October 11, 2006

PMC...what a rip-off!

Because this is my 41st week, I had an appointment scheduled for today for a non-stress test and an ultrasonographic evaluation of amniotic fluid volume at Princeton Medical Center. When I got to PMC, I discovered that you have to pay for parking. You can park in their parking garage, for a fee, or pay extra for the valet parking. I was annoyed and disgusted. I've never been to a hospital where they would make you pay to park. I didn't have any cash on me (as I usually do not carry cash), so I couldn't choose either of those options. I decided to hunt for street parking. Silly me, I must have forgotten where I was. Finding any spot in Princeton, let alone a free spot (one without a meter) is next to impossible. After optimistically circling the hospital for at least 15-20 minutes, I decided to call the hospital and ask about free parking. Maybe I wasn't looking in the right place. The operator confirmed there was no free parking. So...I asked to be transferred to the Maternal-Fetal Department, where I had my appointment, and cancelled it. I'm also considering asking the midwives to switch us to Mercer Medical Center. Maybe I'm embracing my new frugal lifestyle a bit too tightly. But, I just can't bear to pay for parking, at a hospital of all places, and ask any visitors I may have to do the same. Am I making a big deal out of nothing?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh sweetie, i so hear what you're saying here. princeton started charging a while back. and not that this makes much difference, but it's not too expensive to park in the garage as i recall. not like an airport or anything...

and i'd pay to visit you, are you crazy? any person who loved you would. but i do hear what you are saying.

let us know if you switch to mercer. (tho IMHO PMC is a better hospital. just say'n.) and wouldn't you rather her birth cert say princeton instead of trenton? kale was sposta be born @ familyborn in princeton (birthing center since closed) but i had complications, and PMC wouldn't accept midwives so we had to go to helene fuld. UGH. so kale's birth cert says trenton and we've hated that ever since...

stick w/ princeton. we'll pay the stupid parking fees...

good luck!

xoxox
a

Anonymous said...

well..whatever you choose. We will pay to park and xpress our disgust!
Come onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn Friday da 13th!

Love, Mutha/MeMom