So I just can't get over this, and must vent publicly. I have been taking Shrimp to lots of appointments to figure out what is going on with his kidney- thankfully, at this point, it looks like not a whole hell of a lot, which is awesome. I want my kids' major organ systems to be dull, boring, and have a strong work ethic. No excitement, thankyouverymuch. We got referred to a major, well known hospital that specializes in children. Not naming names, obviously. Awesome doctors- some amazing nurses, receptionists and the like. The valet? Not so much. The first time we were there our appointment stretched on for hours. When the doc is on rounds you can't do much about it. You know he is meeting with families with far sicker kids than we have. Just like the hour and a half wait at ultrasound- it took forever because emergency cases were coming in. Most of the people waiting were hot and bothered and I sort of wanted to smack them. Really? Little kids are so sick they need emergency ultrasounds? How about you thank your lucky stars that y'all can sit around and wait? It irritated me to no end. So when you FINALLY get to leave you're pretty excited- this hospital is hopping and the valet is probably the busiest place around, given the large amounts of loading and unloading of strollers, wheelchairs, and the like. I get that. Waiting forty five minutes for my car to be driven around the block? REALLY? I could have driven all the way back home in that amount of time. The garage was a block away. Throngs of furious people just wanted to go walk and get their cars, but they wouldn't let us. GRRR. OK, that was just once. These things happen (apparently there was construction- but still, I could have walked around that block twenty times in the time it took for my car to get driven up, and I'm quite slow). Second visit, the one with the interminable ultrasound wait, was pretty great as we got superb news and I'm walking on sunshine all the way out. My car came up quickly, I tipped the guy $5 bucks because I am literally oozing rainbows. Until I realize that the valet guy, or someone else who had access, because maybe it's wasn't the same guy who brought my car, stole my Dunkin' gift card. I remembered to lock my GPS in the glove box, but the little gift card tucked in my console didn't even occur to me. I used it on the way to the hospital (remaining balance about $15), and just stuck it back in it's home. When I reached for it after leaving to pay for my celebratory turbo shot, I came up empty.
Stealing is wrong. We all know that. I do feel bad for Jean Valjean in Les Miserables as he's just trying to feed his family. I'm a sucker for someone who is hungry. I cook for my students regularly Sunday nights because they come in famished from a weekend of less than adequate nutrition. My husband brings home extras from his restaurant for them too. I have one student who actually takes some food home for his mom. The only reason I know is because the mom told me- he's pretty slick about it. I started accidentally bringing some extra in tupperware that he can just "finish later". Still, if you are that hungry that you are resorting to stealing, there are services that can help. Get help. Don't steal. Screw pride, take pride in providing for your family by asking for help. I digress- stealing from a hospital valet service seems pretty smarmy to me. It's the kind of thing I would expect more from a nightclub, or hotel. But a hospital? Where families with really, really, really sick kids go to potentially have their lives saved?
It makes stealing caffeine right out from under them even more despicable.
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