I am 30 weeks pregnant today. I was on my way to the dr appt this morning, and I had a soft tire on the way there, so I pulled into the gas station 2 blocks away from the clinic. 2 jackasses were parked in front of the air pump and i was stuck waiting for several minutes, and i knew i was going to be late to the appointment.
I am normally 10 min early to the appointment and most of the staff know who i am, first name basis and all that. I dont make their jobs harder than they have to be, i just get seen for my baby stuff and i go home.
But today, holy shit. Their policy that they just enacted today, states that if youre 15 min late to the appt then you are a no show.
1st time offense: warning
2nd time offense: you pay for the appointment
3rd time: you are banned from getting medical services there
I was 14 min late, from the tire fiasco, and they had already no-showed me in the system before i ever had a chance to go. I pulled a Karen and demanded to be seen because I am an OB patient and have had this appointment booked for a month. The doc had no idea this was happening and was willing to see me anyway today. But they would have canceled me if i was not an OB patient. I was 2 blocks away and didnt feel the need to call because i wasnt super late anyway, and the phone call would have made me past 15 min late. Then they ask me if my phone number is up to date. Yes. Why didnt y'all call me? I have never been to a clinic that didnt call to make sure a patient was ok or needing help, if they were running late. They make it your problem for them making money. Fuck you clinic! If i wasnt almost done cooking the bun in the oven, I would have sought medical help elsewhere. Sorry, long winded, and needed to get this off my chest. Where is the humanity for patient care? Why do receptionists at a medical clinic get to determine whether you get the help you need? Tyranny at its finest.
Edit to add, I felt like i was being treated as if it was a tanning salon, because that's how our local tanning salons operate too 😆
EDIT ALSO TO ADD: I DID NOT RAIL ON PEOPLE LIKE A KAREN, IT WAS A FIGURE OF SPEECH. I was assertive and respectful, people keep blowing up my comments and that was my bad for saying that in the first place. Calm down lol.
Seriously? I have health problems! I am absolutely not leaving my vehicle at the gas station for that. I am not hoofing it to the doctor's office being 30 weeks pregnant with bad joints. Ialready explained that I was appreciative and apologetic. It is customary at the gas station to park on the side of the air pump and use the air gauge I already had and air my tire and get going. I do not trust the people around me to watch my vehicle when my town is known for crime. Hell no, that is the epitome of no self preservation. You don't know me, you don't know the context of it all, you have an agenda to shame me and not focus on the picture I was presenting. Why do I waste my time and keyboard typing on a close minded individual who is looking for every reason to badger me? GAW is not about that. It's OK to discern and look at details, but it is not ok to fight a useless battle like this. Just stop. You will never be in my position, or live where I live, with different cultural concepts. I will never be in your position either. I did the best thing for my situation, and your refusal to understand that appalls me. Move on.