No Need To Be Patient When They’re Not A Patient

(I’m sitting on a bench waiting for someone to come out of the clinic, watching the fountain, but it happens to be right near the turnabout for patient dropoff and pickup. The area is covered in signs — and always has been as far as I know — that say, “No parking, pickup/dropoff only.” I witness this exchange. A woman drives her car up into the no-parking area, turns it off, gets out, and starts to walk into the clinic.)

Hospital Employee: “Ma’am, this is for patient dropoff and pickup only; you cannot park here.”

Woman: “I just need to run into the pharmacy real quick. I won’t be a minute.”

Hospital Employee: “Then you need to move; there is parking nearby and this area is for patient dropoff and pickup only.”

Woman: *looks around* “I don’t see where it’s posted, ‘no parking.’”

Hospital Employee: *points to three signs, then to red-painted “NO PARKING” on the cement* “It is clearly marked in all four of these places, and on the sign as you come into this area. Please get into your car and move it.”

Woman: “I’m not moving my car. I will be back in a minute.”

Hospital Employee: *picks up a radio, speaks into it* “I need a tow vehicle at the fountain, please.”

(The woman starts screaming and yelling with a bunch of profanity and accusing the employee of trying to scam her, take her car, etc. This takes several minutes. What she doesn’t realize is that while she’s yelling at the employee, a sheriff deputy has walked up behind her and observed the situation.)

Deputy: *taps the woman on the shoulder* “Excuse me, ma’am.”

Woman: “What do you want?” *turns around and her expression changes when she sees its a deputy*

Deputy: “You have two choices: move your car, or I will issue you a ticket for parking in a no-parking zone. The fine for parking here is $85.”

Woman: “FINE! I’m never coming back into this hospital again!”

(She got into her car and drove off. A few minutes later, I saw her walking from the parking garage into the hospital, and then a few more minutes later, back out with a bag from the pharmacy and some type of frozen drink.)