In reference to yesterday's post, the women I mentioned were all strong women and had the fortitude and self confidence to leave their abusive partners. As we know, not all women have this personal confidence, or resources to do the same.
Anyway, just to go on with even more negativity, I had a hospital appointment yesterday at a branch of our major hospital, The Alfred. I caught the 605 bus to Caulfield and was there in time for my appointment at 4.10. It was originally 3.50, then 4.00, then 4.10. Such time precision should lead to timely appointment.
It wasn't. Staff began to leave, the waiting area cleared, no staff seemed to be around anymore. There was one other person in the waiting area, who had arrived before I had. At 5.10, one hour later, I went back to reception to query the wait. Reception staff had gone home, and so did I, catching the 5.16 bus. I missed the appointment.
I am prepared to suffer the consequences of the hospital breaking the appointment and me leaving. Eff 'em.
I caught the bus partly because I prefer public transport around the inner city, but the 605 meanders a lot and it is slow trip, but about the same if I caught a tram and walked a few hundred metres. What I have preferred was to take the car. There is adequate parking, costing $10. But, you have to pay for the parking with gold coins, so a minimum of five $2 coins or ten $1 coins. This is hard to believe. Apparently there is a change machine inside, where you can change a note for coins. Well, I used to carry around a $20 note for emergency purposes, but after a couple of years of not using it, I just don't carry cash of any kind. 2025, and you need a pocket full of coins! How absurd.
So that was three hours of my life absolutely wasted, except I caught up on some podcasts, and quite enjoyed the passing scenery, and observing how the bus was used by other travellers. It is quite an on/off bus service, meaning there are never a lot of people on at once, but people are constantly getting on and off.
I will make a complaint to the hospital.
I hope to post something a bit more positive tomorrow.
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Andrew, I am not a great user of public transport, but husband and I love to go to Baia Di Vino restaurant in Sandringham and don’t want to drive so we get 822 bus. What I have noticed is that NO ONE pays!! I can’t believe you could be so arrogant, it’s like giving the driver the finger, they are so entitled. They are never challenged, probably due to driver safety. So I believe what happens is, the data of very little usage goes back to the bus company, “no one is using the bus”, so there’s only one service per hour on weekends 🤷♀️Marie, Cheltenham
ReplyDeleteI catch the 828 bus regularly and on Monday for the first time I saw inspectors on the bus, after a few years. I am one of the very few people who tap on and off.
DeleteMaire, I have certainly noticed the same about buses, and it has become worse in the past few years, as drivers were instructed to no longer tackle passengers for what is theft. As I understand it, public transport areas where the most loss of revenue are tackled the most. I'd rather see less focus on money and more long term focus on creating a culture of fare paying passengers by looking at say the areas where even older people avoid paying. A slogan something like, 'You can be caught, anywhere, anytime', and make sure that happens. I could rant on but I'll just add that passenger numbers are not solely counted my MYKI touch ons.
DeleteGood to know, J. But were many caught without valid tickets?
DeleteI would be so frustrated by that hospital experience. I think it is incredibly insulting to the patients to just leave them sitting there in the waiting room and just b#gger off home.
ReplyDeleteA few years back my optician gave me an urgent referral letter and told me to go directly to the main hospital A&E Dept as she thought I had a retina detachment. I arrived at 2 pm and was sent straight to the ophthalmology clinic where I waited ... and waited. I was left until the very end of the clinic and seen at 5:30 pm. No fun when you are sitting there, scared of going blind.
JayCee, you experience is bad. If only a person could take a couple of minutes to reassure you as you are waiting. I received an apology today.
DeleteYour account shows both the absurdity of outdated systems and the quiet resilience of making the best of wasted time
ReplyDeleteNicely put Roentare. Caulfield seems less efficient than the main Alfred.
DeleteCrises occur for all sorts of reasons: fires, strikes, terrorism, epidemics. But in my long life, I have never heard of hospital staff not protecting and assisting their patients.
ReplyDeleteHels, I did feel neglected. I received an apology today.
DeleteSo many strong confident women are still afraid to leave because of the threats to their children if they do, hence they end up staying longer than they should
ReplyDeleteJ, yes, and financial reasons. If you have no money of your own, with children, you can only hope for a refuge or sleeping in your car, if you have one.
DeleteSurely by now parking machines in Melbourne are cashless. In Adelaide they are. . As for public hospitals, they are so busy particularly at the moment. if you can afford private specialist it’s best to use them. We make sure we book appointments at the beginning of the year By June we have reached the threshold so the rest of the year is very cheap. My second visit to the specialist recently cost $28 , GP visits cost about $ 7 and if you have a medical plan you can get 5 visits a year to the physio for about $7 once you have reached the threshold .
ReplyDeleteAs an older person I know we seem to be cast as the problem in the health system and in owning a house supposedly too a large for us so the more independent we can be with managing our health hopefully the young and the poor can get a better deal out of public hospitals.
Not at hospital car parks, apparently. This is the only parking place I know where you have to pay with cash, worse, coins. It must cost more to operate than updating to a modern system. I've used private specialists and I can't agree that they are the best choice. I have private health insurance but it costs too much to use. As long as there is some direct benefit to me, I will register as a private patient as the public hospital, and I should receive better treatment, without direct cost to me. The hospital will claim against my health fund. I don't feel guilty now about having a three bedroom home, as I now host two overseas students.
DeleteHiss and spit. Hospital time concepts are very loose. I will be interested in seeing their response to your complaint.
ReplyDeleteEC, an apology and explanation over the phone today, plus an immediate response in writing wanting more detail. I hope you are not experiencing too much waiting. You can wait a good time in the private system too.
DeleteTo quote someone I respect: Eff 'em! We do become a bit more patient and less rattled as the years go by, but we notice every stupid thing of this nature. Yes, we do. Glad you enjoyed your outing anyway. Andrew. Aloha
ReplyDeleteFunny, Cloudia. My tolerance for stupidity is quite low now.
DeleteThe appointment fiasco was disgraceful. Fortunately you are a level-headed and resilient fellow but other senior people are more frail -physically and emotionally. Nobody should be treated like that without proper explanation and apology.
ReplyDeleteYP, yes, they have my sympathy. I sorted it today to my satisfaction so far as there was an explanation and apology. We all need to be more squeaky wheels.
DeleteThat's bloody annoying.
ReplyDeletePixie, annoying yes, but I didn't die. Something happens in my brain when my time is wasted. An extreme level of stress with what was already stressful. I've learnt that the appointment clerks on the phone are good friends to make.
DeleteI'm assuming at least the bus driver accepted a card.
ReplyDeleteWhat Kirk? Back read. Ah, get it now. It was a travel card to touch onto a reader.
DeleteDefinitely make a complaint to the hospital. I have an appointment next month at our new big RAH, the place where people get ramped in ambulances and left in corridors and I'm not looking forward to it but it's apparently the only place that can do a liver scan.
ReplyDeleteRiver, I find our main hospital pretty good for scanning. I hope they give you a back gown as well as a front gown to wear for your scan. Is it CT scan or MRI?
DeleteDon't know what type of scan, didn't know there was different types.
DeleteI think it will be an MRI which gives heaps of information.
DeleteGoodness! That hospital experience must have been downright frustrating. Unimaginable how the staff could be so indifferent to patients.
ReplyDeleteI too prefer public transport. But they are only as good as how predictable they are. My favourite is the metro. One is sure about the service, and the time for the journey. Here buses are very unpredictable. One doesn't know when they will come.
(My latest post: The city that went back in time)
Pradeep, any public transport that runs in traffic will not be reliable. Trains and subway systems should be.
DeleteOh my, missing your appointment as the times changed so many times, not good enough, Andrew. Glad you are going to make a complaint.
ReplyDeleteThe parking is a rather old system, even I use my phone to park as know doubt you do in other areas of your city.
Margaret, for sure re using cards and phones. As I said, I haven't used cash since the beginning of Covid. I have an app to pay for parking in my local area, which means I turn it on when arrive and off when I leave, so I don't pay for extra by overestimating how long I will be.
DeleteThat is disgraceful and there's no excuse for it. It certainly doesn't give patients any confidence.
ReplyDeleteJB, I received an apology, with an good understanding of my experience.
DeleteOf topic - I made a post of Melbourne Eats for you https://junkboattravels.blogspot.com/2025/09/melbourne-eats.html
ReplyDeleteMost don't bother paying on transit here either. I'm too scared to get caught. I take a fair amount of public transit and have seen the POO (sad name Provincial Offence Officers) transit police a handful of times and have only ever been asked for my POP Proof of Payment.
ReplyDeleteOn the GO trains I've also only ever been checked once, by the Revenue Protection Officers and saw 1 guy get caught who "forgot" to tap.
That is pretty cheap hospital parking but who carries coins?? Actually, every jacket/coat I have, has coins in the pockets!
I also carry a $20 bill in my phone, ever since I forgot my wallet one time.
PS you shouldn't have to pay for parking at a hospital!
Jackie, you've reminded me of public transport staff with a position called Ticket Examiner and Relief Depot Starter. Look at the capital letters.
DeleteWhen travelling on one of your old trams, it didn't have a Presto card reader, and the driver was not keen to bother with taking our cash fare. Fine, free trip.
I think hospital parking should be free. It's not an entertainment venue you choose to visit.
Yes, we have since phased out cash. Presto has only been around since 2008 (according to Wikipedia), but honestly, I don't remember it being available then. I got one of the first cards around 2016. There is now talk of capping TTC fees for very frequent use.
DeleteSo I had a Presto card before you did, bought in 2015.
DeleteI'm sorry, Andrew. What a pain.
ReplyDeleteSandra, such things raise my levels of stress a great deal.
DeleteOh yeah, it sounds like the hospital needs some feedback, even though it probably won't change anything. How ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, also ridiculous that coins (not just cash, but coins!) are required to pay for parking. What is this, 1995?
A decent phone apology helped Steve. The strangest thing about the parking is to wonder why it hasn't been upgraded. Money, I suppose, but at times they have the exit gate staffed to help people, plus the cost of the change machine.
DeleteYes, if they're fine tuning appointments to ten-minutes and then--goid knows why--fine-tuning them further than that, one might expect they would at least run on time. If I'm not called back after 20-minutes, I complain, and some doctors' offices even have notes advising that patients do that.
ReplyDeleteSnowy, the only reason I tolerate things there up to a point, is that it is the public health system without direct cost to the user. I was going to see a professor, the head of neurology.
DeleteI was referred to an ear place, for one ear tinnitus, that has gone on since I slammed that side of my head into the bank of that ditch, when out trapping. So I go there, check in, and wait. wait more. After an hour of waiting, I go up to reception and they cancelled my appointment on the spot. I was given another appointment. I received no less than four emails and four texts daily to remind me of the next appointment. One hour before the appointment, just after receiving the latest batch of text and email reminders, they called to cancel it. Tried once more, same thing only this time they cancelled two hours prior. I gave up then, decided it to be some sort of scam or something. If they expect us to keep our appointments, they should also.
ReplyDeleteThat's a whole lot worse Strayer. This will be at a private medical business, I assume. But MAGAs will claim waiting for years if it was a public health system. That's not so.
Delete