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As you might have picked up from previous entries, I resent having to pay for parking at the hospital. It seems like a tax on illness and the money, I suspect, does not find its way to the NHS. You get 20 minutes parking for free (which I managed to sneak inside at my last visit when I had my bloods done remarkably quickly), but I couldn't rely on that happening for this appointment.
I have though, found a life hack for anyone going to hospital in Stevenage who has a car, doesn't want to pay for parking and is capable of walking one kilometre (which admittedly might not be that many people). I had to stop off to get some groceries and Sainsburys is in walking distance of the hospital and allows two hours of free parking. Now there's no guarantee that a trip to the hospital will be done in two hours, but the fee you have to pay if you go over is almost certainly less than the hospital car park. I was confident I'd be done within the hour and could thus save myself at least four pounds, get a little bit of exercise and claim a huge moral victory.
So I parked in Sainsburys, bought some eggs (no need to buy anything if you don't want to, but it seems fair to do so) and then walked up to the appointment.
In some ways it was ridiculous. I was inconveniencing myself for a cost that I could easily afford and it would mean wasting 20 minutes of my life (I would have wasted them anyway). But in other ways I felt like I was a superhero defeating the system. It did strike me that it would be amusing if I was run over on this walk, but at least I'd be near the hospital if I was.
I did pass a group of slightly dodgy looking men, one wearing an FBI cap but I don't think he was in the FBI and I thought they might mug me or kidnap me, which would probably make my money-saving plan a fail on balance, but I was being paranoid. They were just a group of men walking through the hinterland between the Premier Inn and the roundabout to Hitchin and the A1 for some perfectly innocent reason. Thinking about it, they were probably heading from the hospital to Sainsburys' car park. They weren't my enemies, they were my compatriots. Never judge a book by its cover or a man who is not in the FBI but has a hat that implies he might be, by his hat.
The plan came off perfectly. I arrived for my appointment a bit early, but was seen early and was done in five minutes (everything seems basically OK, but a couple of anomalies with my bloods, so I have to get tested again in January - no problem for me now I have discovered my life hack). I'd probably have got away with parking at the hospital for free again, but that's not the point.
So a quite specific life hack for maybe up to five people who read this blog (if you include my wife - who I am pretty sure would rather pay £4 for parking than go through this rigmarole), but not everything is for everyone. Don't let the hospital car parks win.
I came home and recorded the November bonus podcasts for monthly badgers and then one of the December ones too. I was still pretty knackered and I was out of juice by the last one (but you'll probably enjoy it nonetheless). The AMA pod will appear here in the next few days for paid subs.
BUT I am going to do a Christmas Ask Me Anything podcast that will go out to EVERYONE (not just badgers and substack payers!) and if your question is used then you get sent an exclusive badge. Email me at
arichardherringa@gmail.com with a question.
