In and out with a snap at the Brandon Regional Health Centre

Security had to be called this morning at the Brandon Regional Health Centre due to an altercation over parking in front of the main entrance. Two women reportedly got into an argument when one woman approached the other who was carrying coffee to her car from the Tim Horton's coffee shop in the hospital. The confrontation, which occurred in the circular patient drop-off area, escalated quickly to the point that Security had to separate the two individuals who were on the verge of a physical altercation. 

Although there is designated parking on the Brandon Regional Health Centre grounds for Tim Horton's customers, the woman carrying her coffee was parked in the designated 10 minute patient drop-off zone. At the time there were open spaces in the Tim Horton's parking zone. The woman who confronted the cafe patron later confided that she was dropping off her ailing father who requires considerable help with mobility. 

The Tim Horton's coffee shop in the hospital is one of a small handful of coffee shops in the east end of Brandon. In order to accommodate patrons as well as patient drop-off the hospital has designated the circular area as a patient-drop off zone, and the parking just north of the patient drop-off zone is designated Tim Horton's parking.  

"I saw that the area was marked as a patient drop off zone, and this woman was parked where she shouldn't have been. I asked her if she could read, and things kind of escalated from there," said the woman who was dropping off her father. The cafe customer has declined to comment. 

When asked about the parking issue, the Brandon Regional Health Authority issed the following public statement; “The Brandon Regional Health Authority recognizes the need to accommodate parking for hospital as well as Tim Horton’s patrons. We would ask the public at this time to respect the parking zones as they are marked. The designated patient drop-off zone is meant to service those patients who have difficulties with mobility and require to-the-door transportation.”