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The hospital nearest to me is a large complex. It has many, many parking lots and parking garages.

Lately, as I drive by, there is one (newer) lot that is used for visitations. This is not an employee parking lot. It is on the opposite side from the employee lots and the parking garage entries.

Long story short, I've spent a lot of time at the hospital visiting a loved one for the past few years. And have lived and work (driving) in the area and I see this hospital all the time. I know people who work there, so I know which lots are for employees and which are for visitors.

I had a work related reason to be in the area a few times this week and had to drive right by the familiar visitor parking lot...

It's pretty damn full. I saw three spots open out of about 200+.

But... something seemed fishy. Usually, even when the lot was not full (years ago), there would always be people walking in and out, people using the valet parking, and even people using the two bus stops right in front of the hospital and lot. I know this because I was at the hospital almost daily, and often for days/weeks at a time. A loved one once spent 3 months straight in the hospital, came home for 2 days, and then went right back in for another month. Most days I'd be there twice, morning and afternoon/evening.

Now, those two days I drove past it? Nope. No outside pedestrian activity. On two beautiful, sunny, calm winded days... there wasn't even a visible valet outside the entrance like normal. Just a bunch of cars in the lot.

I drove around and saw the other side. There is a smaller emergency parking lot, two of them actually. One of the lots is also used for a cancer treatment center and is right next to the emergency entrance for the hospital proper. And none of them were jammed packed. Just a normal amount of cars like I would see on my literal hundreds of visits to this hospital over the past 10 years.

And then around to the farther side I drove to check out the employee lots and garage. Tumbleweeds.

I think this hospital closed the garages (which were rarely used anyways - yes, I know this because I know people staffed at the hospital and they told me that the garage is only used by the really top docs and surgeons. Other employees, like nurses and x-ray techs park in the uncovered lots across the street from the garages - which are physically attached to the hospital proper.)

That's my story. I believe that the hospital is trying to make it look like the hospital is overflowing, even with no actual foot traffic.

Sure, I'm paranoid and reaching here... but, I also may be on to something.