Hospital car parking fees top the list of life’s biggest injustices

HAVING to pay and display whilst visiting loved ones in hospital is life’s biggest injustice payment according to new research released by The Co-operative ISA’s.

Hospital parking charges head the top 20 of raw deals, with 17% people citing fees for visiting sick friends and relatives as the thing they hate to pay most for, making some so angry that they deliberately risk being clamped by refusing to pay.  Having to pay to spend a penny at public toilets also makes the list of fees which get the public’s back up, along with prescription charges, dentist bills and surcharges when booking flights.

The survey, which asked 2,000 people to reveal their most hated charge, reveals that taxes are the UKs most contested charges when combined, with 39% of people believing that they are unfair. Inheritance Tax came 2nd on the public’s unfair hit list, closely followed by Council Tax 3rd, while tax on savings, National Insurance and Road Tax all made the list.

Zack Hocking, Head of ISA’s at The Co-operative, said:- “The research confirms that there are many charges the public ‘begrudgingly’ has to pay for.  Unsurprisingly taxes are a bone of contention, with even tax on savings coming above prescription charges and dentists bills.”

Despite tuning in on a daily basis the public hate having to fork out for their television licence, which came 5th in the raw deal top 20, with many admitting to tuning in but deliberately not paying, despite the risks associated. 

Restaurants that put a service charge on bills should take food for thought from the findings, as 17% of people dine elsewhere to avoid paying.  Amongst the remaining disservices making the top 20, are expensive train fares, vets bills and higher charges for taxis to get home on New Year’s Eve.

BHSS issues warning of low flying exercise

THE British Horse Society Scotland has warned horse riders of a combined RAF and NATO exercise that is to take place from 28 April 2009 to 30 April 2009 throughout Scotland and Northern England.

The exercise will generate a high volume of low level flying and the Society stresses the need for riders (and their horses) to wear high visibility clothing during this period.

Exercise Wycombe Warrior 01-09 and the NATO Electronic Warfare Integration Programme will consist of up to 70 sorties each day, with low flying restricted between the hours of 10am to 6pm.

Exercise planners and participating aircrew will do what they can to ensure this essential training activity is conducted in a manner that causes minimum disruption.

The public and horse riders are advised for their part to make themselves as conspicuous as possible from the air to enable low flying aircraft to see them at the earliest opportunity.

Sheila Hardy, BHS Senior Executive Safety, said:- “The fact that this information is being circulated so widely shows the level of co-operation between the Ministry of Defence and The British Horse Society and the BHS is grateful for this prior warning. However, we do urge all riders to wear high visibility clothing every time that they ride out, as this allows them to be seen much sooner, whether from the ground, or from the air.

Those riders in areas that are vulnerable to low flying aircraft should also ring the Freephone helpline 0800 515544 before they ride out in order to establish what low flying air activity they might encounter on their ride.”