Parking fine dished out while man’s wife having baby

A man has been left outraged after he rushed his wife, who was in labour, to hospital only to walk out after the birth of his daughter to a parking fine.

A man has been left outraged after he rushed his wife, who was in labour, to hospital only to walk out after the birth of his daughter to a parking fine.

The man wrote to 3AW’s Jacqueline Felgate to share his anger at what had happened at Melbourne’s Royal Women’s Hospital.

“My wife was in labour and we had to rush to the Royal Woman’s Hospital as her contractions were near unbearable,” the man wrote alongside a snap of the fine.

“Once we got there we had the emergency department staff and our midwife team met us in the emergency department car park as they didn’t think we’d make it inside to give birth.”

A dad was upset by a parking fine. Picture: Instagram/@jacquifelgate

The man said hospital staff were able to get his wife upstairs, where she gave birth to a “beautiful baby girl”.

But, when returning to his car to move it once everything had settled, there was a piece of paper to dampen his elated mood.

He discovered he had been fined by a “security” guard at the hospital, so he went to try and explain what had happened.

“I was told ‘bad luck’,” the man said.

He called what happened “absolutely ridiculous” and said as if he was going to risk his wife and unborn child’s safety.

The man added he was sharing his story to see just how many others had a story just like him.

A spokesperson from the hospital told news.com.au that the hospital was sorry about what had happened.

“We’re very sorry to hear that a new Dad was issued with a fine while parked at the Women’s entrance during a medical emergency,” the spokesperson said.

“We do have a process to appeal parking fines and our policy is to withdraw fines for all people accessing medical services.”

He had rushed while his wife was giving birth. Picture: iStock

In the comment section, many shared their own experience of unfair parking fines.

“This also happened to me when I had my first born and the Royal Women’s. I just wrote a letter and attached her time of birth and they withdrew the fine,” one shared.

Another said: “But was the car parked for more than 4 hours in the ED spot? More to this story me thinks.”

“I got two at Monash hospital in the mail 4 weeks later, it was issued by a legal company not parking inspectors for the council. It totalled $400. I wrote into the weird website and they wouldn’t withdraw, I called fines Victoria and they have no fines in my name. It’s a rouge company issuing fines on private property,” one added.

Another social media user added: “Hospital parking has always been a rort. Don’t pay it. Congrats on the birth of your baby OP!”

Originally published as Parking fine dished out while man’s wife having baby