Some things aren’t as extraordinary as they seem. At least once a month, this headline appears in national news: “Woman Gives Birth in Hospital Parking Lot.”
Now, having a baby in anywhere but a nice hospital room, or for the daredevils, their own bedroom, is a little unusual, but not a lot unusual. It’s so commonplace, in fact, I vote hospitals do a little better job accommodating the women who deliver in the parking lot. I think a special reserved spot is in order. It should be close to the entrance, have a gurney on stand-by, and a hose within reach to rinse off your upholstery.
A permanent sign would be in order, as well as a mention of the space during the obligatory “maternal readiness” hospital orientation tour. Hospitals could annex the space as part of the actual facility. That way, those who find themselves in reach, but falling short of the hospital doors have a place to deliver their baby and the headline can be retired.
If people keep having babies in parking lots, isn’t it time to treat the event as a probability instead of a reason to call the news crews? And charge those women the hourly rate for parking, instead of $3,000 a day.
For yet another article about parking lot births, read here.
