Only freedom will do

Goldiegirl

edinburgher wrote: »

I am starting to realise that FI is about more than just having a big pile of money and then stepping back from the world. I need to take a look at some things that I can do to improve our quality of life in the here and now, because it's not enough to live life frazzled if it means getting out in 15 years (best case scenario). 15 years is a long time

I totally agree with you - it's getting that balance right, to make sure you have a good life in the here and now, rather than putting all your eggs in the future basket

edinburgher

which means she could be 5 weeks away ed, sorry

4 weeks max, believe we'll be given the option to induce birth past this point

Alchemilla

She might be here tomorrow.

edinburgher

Ethical dilemma re. private parking ticket.

Couldn't find a space at the hospital for maternity clinic appointment, so park in a space that wasn't a bay, but didn't prevent ingress/egress for any other drivers. Was ticketed by a private company for £40 (5 minute duration recorded, was more like 30 minutes before we actually moved).

Apparently in Scotland, I can deny driving and decline to say who was.

Is it unethical to do so? I am not sure. On the one hand, it wasn't a space, on the other hand, it's one of Scotland's largest hospitals and there are next to no parking spaces either in the hospital grounds, or within safe walking distance (large site in the middle of nowhere).

Somewhat torn. At a basic level, dislike lying. At a disgruntled level, dislike paying a 'fine' where inadequate provision is made to accommodate patients

misscousinitt

I agree, 15 years is along time (this is our max target for paying the mortgage off) and we certainly don't want to go back to the time that we had absolutely no money in order to do this.

As Goldie says, it's all about balance and what's important in life.

Exciting times ahead Ed - good luck with your future plans.

MCI

Karmacat

I don't think there's any dilemma - I wouldn't pay, especially not since its a private company thats been sub-contracted. Yes, you could leave enough time to drop off Mrs Ed and go park somewhere else - but as you say, its in the middle of nowhere.

I'm a bit bolshie on things like this - you have a legal out to it, so I'd take the legal out. Its a legal argument/technicality, not a lie :cool: using the system for your own needs, just like matched betting.

edinburgher

Obviously I like confirmation bias as much as the next person KC, but if I have to actively lie to invoke a legal technicality, it's still a lie!

Karmacat

I said I was bolshie

In all seriousness, you have to do what's right for you, so it doesn't stay with you. If you feel better about paying up, then go for it.

Karmacat

Just thought of a better way of putting it, Ed - they put you into a situation that you felt couldn't be resolved except by doing something that you knew you weren't supposed to do, and they could therefore benefit from, by fining you, and as an upstanding citizen, you would pay up when you receive a notice like this.

That's Catch-22 in action - two mutually opposing propositions, whereby you're manipulated into "choosing" an option that benefits them financially.

To my mind, in relation to any firm of whatever kind, when they do this they're breaking the social contract - I don't mind people selling things to me and thereby making a profit, thats how our world goes round, and that's fine, but manipulating me into helping them make a profit - no, thats not okay, and since they've broken the social contract, I'll break it right back at them.

But if you don't feel comfortable with that, you don't.

turtlemoose

I'm not one for induction personally, but as Mrs E is very well read I'm sure she knows the ins and outs of that rather than what a midwife/consultant/outdated hospital policy has said

Ref the parking ticket I had something sort of similar. Scan appointment, hospital car park (pay when you leave) completely full. Overflow carpark full. Nearest other parking (apart from residential) was a private company. I paid for 3 hours parking thinking that'd be loads of leeway for them running late... we were 3 hours and 9 minutes. I got a ticket. I read Martin's articles on tickets, I had a mooch about the bit of the forum that deals with this, and in the end decided to ignore it. I got bombarded with threatening letters for about 6 months (all went in the bin). Over the following 6 months they sent a few pretending they were a debt collection agency - this set my resolve even further that I would not pay! Eventually they simply gave up.