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Type 1 Been told something on holiday (upsetting) type 1 diabetic!

A

ANDuncan!

Member
Messages
11
Location
Cambridge
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
I'm open to most stuff but some stuff like coronation Street is a big NO
I am on holiday in Lanzarote. I was just told to go to the toilet(just outside of the restaurant/very close to it) to take my blood and insulin if I wanted to eat food. I got very upset and did that.

Is this discrimination?

Am I covered by EU laws that i could take my blood / insulin where I want?
 
That's awful - don't know the answer to your question but I hope you left quick sharp and found somewhere more accommodating (())
 
Why? Was it a senior member of staff that told you to do this? I'm thinking of the studies done (even in hospitals) showing that not everyone washes hands after going to toilet. As soon as you touch the outer door handle, your hands could be contaminated. Not ideal for testing or injecting.

I wash hands before leaving my room, go to dining room, choose food then test and take insulin. If it's a buffet, I test at table, then get food and inject back at table. No one has ever said anything.
 
Pop into a pharmacy and ask if it is acceptable for restaurants to be like this. Don't let it spoil your holiday.
 
@ANDuncan! I'm sending a big hug your way! I hope it hasn't spoiled your holiday. Attitudes like that can be very upsetting. I'd be upset.

I think it's more ill-expressed ignorance rather than discrimination.

Hugs!
 
Thank you for the support peoples !!! it means a lot ! ! wondering if the equality act prevents stuff like that but all the stuff I could find was work related really - it's useful if I was @ work - but on holiday atm
Thanks for the comments
 
Diabetes as a disability could trigger rules against discrimination - however whether the local legal system would consider diabetes a disability is another question. It might be a though line of argument to run given that the restaurant did not actually refuse to serve you but requested that you test your blood/take insulin elsewhere (which they would, and possible rightly could, argue is for health and safety reasons, even if we, diabetic ppl, know it's BS).

Regardless, I agree with the other posts: I hope you left quickly to a more welcoming place + name and shame please. Ignorant and abusive people like that do not deserve your time or energy.

Please note that the above is not legal advice and I would recommend you seek the opinion and assistance of a qualified lawyer if you want a definitive view on this.

I hope this helps.

Alex
 
What a cheek! I would have asked how they would feel in your shoes and gone somewhere else. It's perfectly possible to test with no-one even noticing and injecting in restaurants is something I just get on and do, usually in my abdomen under my jumper. How did they notice?
 
@ANDuncan! - I believe that Lanzarote is part of the EU, by virtue of it's relationship to Spain, although it is, if I recall, considered not to be for Customs and Duty purposes.

Clearly you will do what feels best to you, but speaking entirely on a personal basis, if I were in your shoes, I would tend straightforwardly not to go back there. You are on holiday, presumably for a limited time, of a week or a couple of weeks? In that situation, I would want to enjoy my holiday, rather than launch into battle over something that is unlikely to be truly resolved in one or two interactions with a single individual.

If that feels like doing nothing, you could consider mentioning to your holiday rep, if you have one.

I appreciate that the action I would take doesn't help other people in the same situation as yourself, but it would seem such a shame for your holiday to be more over-shadowed by this incident than it already has been.
 
@ANDuncan! incidentally was it a management person at the restaurant or just a waiter/waitress? If the latter then it would be a good idea to bring the problem to the attention of the owner or manager as they may well be grateful to you for doing so, so that they can make sure it doesn't happen again. Don't get upset by the experience though and do enjoy your holiday.
 
I also wouldnt go back there but i would also probably put a review of the retaurant on trip advisor mentioning the issue
 
I have been insulin dependent for nearly 60 years. Initially injections weren't a problem as I had only one a day and blood testing wasn't possible. The kits weren't available. Now I do not like injecting in public or testing my blood glucose publicly. The Freestyle Libre overcomes the latter issue. I always try to find a seat in a restaurant when I am not in full view and inject in my upper abdomen as discreetly as possible. You do have to consider the sensibilities of other people. However injecting in a public toilet is far from ideal for obvious reasons. Provided you were prepared to be discreet I feel the restaurant was being unreasonable and as others have said I would have found another one. Whether they were discriminating against you is another issue and I have no idea whether that could be proven. Hope this incident did not spoil your holiday.
 
Well i will be the odd one out here,i would think it good manners to go to the toilet or wherever to inject, there are some who would pass out at the sight of you injecting at the meal table. One wonders how some are brought up. Maybe next time you could ask for a bucket to be put under the table save you having to go to the toilet for other reasons.
 
A very interesting post. The request for a bucket sounds a good idea. Sadly I fear it will not be large enough to accommodate the people I would place in it.
I feel sorry you lack a knowledge of diabetes especially T1. Your T2 input however is enlightening.
 
No, as others have commented toilet is not an ideal place at all. I would agree however, that some people can be extremely sensitive to the sight of an injection, although the modern pens are a lot less intimidating. I normally try to find a corner or a windowsill to do my business with my back to the audience! On many occasions I have done it at the table with no problems apart from an odd look. Often the staff are curious to know what you are doing and even ask question. It is quite satisfying to answer their questions with a professional flourish!
 
I would definitely changed the restaurant right away and reported to the local authorities to make a concern about an issue. I had an situation similar to do that in Peru when was refused to enter club with insulin inside of my bag. I reported it right away to city council and they apologised me for that situation and told me some legal action when made about it. My friend told me after that there are really sensitive about tourists there so if something happen like that again they can even close the club for ever.
Next day went to check again and they were extremely polite with me and ask me also if any help needed just to contact the stuff working there. So enjoy your holidays and don't think about it too much. If I need to inject myself I never care about it when sitting in restaurant or any public place.
 
Well i m a type 1 diabetic, and i think its disgusting for other people in the restaurant to have to watch you take blood and inject yourself, if i owned a restaurant i d throw you out.

Get a grip, and stop complaining, do as your asked or leave. Easy.
 
This is so bad. Toilets are the last place to inject. We diabetics are prone to UTIs so wcs are to be avoided. Apart from that, where to put the tester, the pen etc?
I always try to be discreet but usually do it at the table. Once or twice curious waiters ask, I say "just shooting up old chap. Hope you don't mind" That gets them off your back. Take care and next time stand up and say, "in the name of God, do you think I enjoy injecting myself 1500 times a year? I did not ask for this." Be strong you're not alone.
 
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