Covid Parking Stress

Trying to get a Covid booster jab at theRiveria Centre in Torquay should have been straightforward but it wasn't.

Most talk in the queue was about the ability to get jabbed within the 40 minutes free parking allowance. Well, that should be extended to at least 60 minutes or abolished.

Finding a parking place was difficult and even worse was trying to get out afterwards when other users were coming in to park in the same lane. Organised chaos! This was time consuming, but how much time? Would we be over the allowance?

We thought we were in time but weren't sure so my wife went to the pay machine. She put in her registration number and then the heavens open. Thoroughly wet she grabbed the ticket in the slot assuming that in fact we were under 40 minutes and there was nothing to pay. Why otherwise issue a ticket? Very stressed she ran back to the car. Off we drove.

We are now questioning ourselves about the timings and the whole procedure. We have a ticket. The experience was traumatic. We are sure we were within the time limit but were we actually? Who knows? So our son phoned the Riveria Centre for help but they couldn't even tell him a contact number for Smart Parking who operate the car park.

So now we wait, confused and upset.

The actual system for getting the Covid booster was very simple but the time taken for the whole process depends on the number in the queue. Park elsewhere and walk. Save your nerves. That's What I Think, How About You?