Folded Bromptons In Hospitals, Or Locked Up In London?

[ColinJ]

Indeed, you should see the racks outside at Thomas hospital in London absolutely rammed. You'd be lucky to use them without damage and its got about 30 Sheffield stands in a line.

Only 30!?!?! No wonder it's rammed! I suggest browsing around the Cambridge hospitals site https://mapstreetview.com/#v2amk_2zh5_7a.0_-jg43 if you'd like to see hundreds of racks absolutely rammed (well, pretty full - the streetview car used to visit places at very off-peak times and I assume it still does). There's at least 1700 bike spaces on that site, according to OpenStreetMap/OpenCycleMap, and I rarely see a vacant space and often see bikes locked to any reasonably fixed object.

Ha - try parking your bike at Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax... !

It is only a small hospital, but even so - only 4 places! I never wanted to risk arriving there on my bike and finding all 4 lockers occupied so I used to go to Halifax by train and walk from the station.

 

[Salty seadog]

Ha - try parking your bike at Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax... !

View attachment 446402
It is only a small hospital, but even so - only 4 places! I never wanted to risk arriving there on my bike and finding all 4 lockers occupied so I used to go to Halifax by train and walk from the station.

looks like they're only for Folding bikes as well.
Or am I missing something?

 

[mjr]

Ha - try parking your bike at Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax... !

Typical. Cycling is relegated to "other travel" on https://www.cht.nhs.uk/find-us/other-travel/ which links to a non-working map of parking locations. I'd be complaining if that was my hospital, even if there are a half-dozen or so staples by the far lockers.

I guess from the large "DROP OFF" area that they expect us all to be arriving by chauffeur limo or taxi? What's their slogan? "Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax - Building For Obesity"?

Edit: oh yeah and smokers get more space than cycle parking. CHT really seem to have got their priorities warped.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Is the Brompton sick, did it need an operation?

 

[cosmicbike]

Is the Brompton sick, did it need an operation?

It needed some TLC, SWMBO took control in September and has been riding with the saddle too low, failing to pump up the tyres and not mackling the chain. It's feeling better now, even though I only did 1 of the 3

 

[ColinJ]

looks like they're only for Folding bikes as well.
Or am I missing something?

The lockers look quite small in the photo but they had full-size bikes in when I was there. Maybe a large bike with the saddle high might have to be leaned over a bit inside though?

Typical. Cycling is relegated to "other travel" on https://www.cht.nhs.uk/find-us/other-travel/ which links to a non-working map of parking locations. I'd be complaining if that was my hospital, even if there are a half-dozen or so staples by the far lockers.

I guess from the large "DROP OFF" area that they expect us all to be arriving by chauffeur limo or taxi? What's their slogan? "Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax - Building For Obesity"?

Edit: oh yeah and smokers get more space than cycle parking. CHT really seem to have got their priorities warped.

I didn't notice the hoops when I was last at the hospital 3 or 4 years ago. They might have been added since then. Even so, pretty poor!

That area where the people are gathered has 'no smoking' signs everywhere but I still saw people smoking.

There is a small covered area opposite which is the only place on site where smoking is actually permitted, but as you can see, even then the smokers don't stick to it.

It might seem annoying to smokers to go on about it, but when I spent 9 days in a ward at that hospital suffering from life-threatening problems with my lungs I was directly opposite that shelter (window marked in red in the photo below). It was summer so the windows were open and I could smell the damn smoke all day long as it wafted up there into the ward.

 

[classic33]

Ha - try parking your bike at Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax... !

View attachment 446402
It is only a small hospital, but even so - only 4 places! I never wanted to risk arriving there on my bike and finding all 4 lockers occupied so I used to go to Halifax by train and walk from the station.

The main entrance to the building, circular building was the maternity ward/area, is on the other side of that building. The area where the seats are in, on the left of the doors had racks and another two lockable containers.

The car park was home to the main part of the General Hospital, with the smaller carparks where the A&E carpark is now. The drop off area is also for patient ambulances(inter hospital transfers) and private hire vehicles used for the same purpose. It should only be used by those vehicles but it's being misused by some.

Like the smoking in that area, it's hard to "police". With staff only allowed/able to intervene if it's blatantly misused. For a non smoker, it's odd having smoking shelters in an area designated as Non Smoking at every entrance to the grounds.

Chief Exec is ex council, responsible for the road improvements taking place around it.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

One of our Consultants takes his Brompton in

Quite a few of the other riding Consultants take their bikes to their offices, on the top floor

 

[ColinJ]

Like the smoking in that area, it's hard to "police". With staff only allowed/able to intervene if it's blatantly misused. For a non smoker, it's odd having smoking shelters in an area designated as Non Smoking at every entrance to the grounds.

One old guy in my ward opened a window, leaned out of it, and lit up a cigarette - the smoke blew straight back into the room! The nurses had a few choice words with him ...

A few hours later a porter took me to have a CT scan. He told me that one seriously ill smoker had been so desperate to smoke that he got his friends to wheel his bed out of the hospital into the car park!

 

[classic33]

One old guy in my ward opened a window, leaned out of it, and lit up a cigarette - the smoke blew straight back into the room! The nurses had a few choice words with him ...

A few hours later a porter took me to have a CT scan. He told me that one seriously ill smoker had been so desperate to smoke that he got his friends to wheel his bed out of the hospital into the car park!

Seen it too often to be suprised by it. The A&E "Ambulance Only" entrances are used at night on a regular basis due to the door entry system within the hospital.

I'm not a smoker, but it seems pure ignorance to wheel your dolly, with drip(s) hanging from it through what is an Emergency Entrance. One for people who have no choice.

Like was for the first part, the nurse having words with him.

 

[annedonnelly]

I don't think I'd go inside a shop if It was in that state.

I would go BACK to that bike shop if that was their attitude

 

[rogerzilla]

My consultant opthalmologist keeps his Brompton in his office.

 

[Tobes]

Well they let wheelchairs, pushchairs and buggies in. That's my argument when I wheel a bike into a shop. Only needed to deploy it once mind most places are OK

Comparing a bike to a wheelchair or a buggy is a pretty weak argument and not one i would use myself.
A wheelchair user in the majority of cases could not enter the shop without their wheelchair where as a cyclist can. Same goes for young infants in a pram or pushchair.

 

[Salty seadog]

Manny thanks.

 

[mjr]

Comparing a bike to a wheelchair or a buggy is a pretty weak argument and not one i would use myself.
A wheelchair user in the majority of cases could not enter the shop without their wheelchair where as a cyclist can. Same goes for young infants in a pram or pushchair.

Same tyres though, if you're careful what you fit (no trying to go in on studded tyres...)