Diabetics have to queue?

Until I started reading this thread it never occurred to me that I could jump queues.
I still won't, but I do take advantage of my diabetes in other ways.
I take my own snacks and drinks into the cinema, despite insistance that no 'outside' food is allowed in.
I argue that as a diabetic I need certain types of snacks and drinks that they do not provide.
Namely peanuts and diet coke.
They do sell diet coke but it comes from a tap and they cannot guarantee it is DC.

A mate who worked in a pub said his boss used to dilute full fat coke syrup to about 50% and use that for DC.
It was cheaper and 'as there isn't as much syrup, it must be diet'.

But mainly I do it because its a lot cheaper

Gef,
That's not taking advantage to others detriment which is a whole different ball game.
I declined a slice of dodgy looking home made cake from a colleaugue yesterday, and when she said "Oh go on one slip off the diet won't hurt" i promptly blamed diabetes rather than tell the truth... (though it was to save someones feelings which must absolve me!).

RE; From the Chessington World of Adventure website:

RIDE ACCESS
Other documentation required can include a letter from a consultant or GP detailing the condition that may warrant the provision of a Ride Access Pass, and/or Blue Badge. Please note we no longer accept DWP/DLA letters as acceptable documentation.

:? I can never understand Why do so many places ask to see our blue badges when they know they have to be left in the car when parking in disabled bays???!!! :?

Hi

I would suggest that you have your blood monitor with you and something to raise it if it is low - why should we get preferential treatment? If you are an amputee or have poor sight then fair enough but diabetes is all about self management and taking responsibility - this means forward thinking.

Sorry if I sound harsh but I would be annoyed if you jumped in front of me - and I am diabetic too!! :shock:

I believe that type 1 children should be allowed queue jump.

My son has Aspergers syndrome, ADHD and a couple of other issues in the mix! We are given the privilege of the pass as he is unable to queue (he gets very panicky in queues and then starts to flap and has a complete meltdown - we might queue for an hour and get to the end and then he is so stressed he can't go on the ride) we are parents who have tried very hard to keep him as 'normal' as possible and to make him live in our world, however I feel that without this concession we would upset other people who are queueing as his behaviour can be quite upsetting.
We do however have a rule that he can only go on things once otherwise he will have to queue with everyone else (and he understands this) and we view this pass as a privilege not a right. Although as his disability is invisible I do find it hard with all the stares and comments I get from other people about queue jumping.
As far as my diabetes - never even considered that I was under the DDA except I get a couple of days extra a year before I have to see the Occ Health at work if I am poorly (as the illness might be diabetes related) and I am now more careful about making sure I don't go without food (today was a good example of me going too long! - hubby has now suggested keeping an emergency kit for me!)
I certainly wouldn't use my diabetes as a way of jumping queues - I would make sure I had my stuff with me and be more organised myself (but then I am a carry the kitchen sink kind of girl so would probably have loads of stuff with me for everyone anyway!)

Personally I'd be too embarrassed to queue jump, If I can't wait, I dont go, simples :?

ZACNEMMA said:

I believe that type 1 children should be allowed queue jump.

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Do you not think that would just teach them to use their diabetes as an excuse to gain advantages or make them feel different to other children?

My son is already different to other children and he knows this - in some ways I agree with you, it can make them stand out more, but in others I'm afraid I disagree as without this support we would not be able to go there at all. It would be too traumatic for us and him. He would then be very different at school when all the other children are talking about where they have been. (He is in a mainstream school!) I really think it depends on how you handle it.

squishychickfi said:

My son is already different to other children and he knows this - in some ways I agree with you, it can make them stand out more, but in others I'm afraid I disagree as without this support we would not be able to go there at all. It would be too traumatic for us and him. He would then be very different at school when all the other children are talking about where they have been. (He is in a mainstream school!) I really think it depends on how you handle it.

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Hello Fi,

I was questioning it more as a generalisation that 'all T1 children should jump the queue' obviously your lad has other conditions that make it difficult for him to stand in a queue for hours and he absolutely should be entitled to move to the front of the queue, however, I firmly believe that children who 'only' have diabetes should not be encouraged to use it to gain an unnessecary advantage

This is really simple - if you CAN stand and queue, you SHOULD stand and queue. If you CAN'T stand and queue, you should not be excluded from enjoying the things that require queing.

That is why queue jumping is there, and why it should only be used by those that genuinely require it.

I'd happily let a person on crutches/in a wheelchair/blind, etc... jump in front of me in a queue.

So sorry if I came across as defensive. I certainly didn't mean to
It has been something that I have struggled with over the years - before he was diagnosed I used to hate other people looking at us and tutting at what they thought was bad behaviour! I am a lot better now and I have to say I agree if someone can queue then they should and I think everyone should be an individual case as people with the same diagnoses do not necessarily have the same symptoms or severity of symptoms.

Hope that makes sense!

Squishy,

I think you have it spot on! I certainly would not begrudge your son his concession- these are for people like him who really can't queue with good reason. I think it's great that if he does want a second go, then he queues- it must be so difficult to strike a balance between concession for his illness and him learning that sometimes in life we have to wait and it sounds as if you have it right.

My three year old doesn't do waiting (he clearly shares my impaitient streak) so we havn't braved theme parks yet.... The day will come (and i'm saving the clubcards vouchers for it!).

Blimey, the o/p certainly started a debate!

Hahaha

and to think when I clicked on this link I thought this was going to be about waiting in the queue for the loo at a restaurant if you just wanted to inject in private!

In which case I would have said - it is kinda a disability, so use the disabled loo for the 20s it takes to shoot up!

But in the OP's Chessington queuing case, I really really don't think you need the pass in this case unless you've got some sort of crazy hypo-unawareness thing going on. Which is what pretty much everyone else has said anyway!

Although... when I was at school I did get a special lunch pass so I could go to lunch when I wanted rather than at the set time for my year group - they moved the lunch times for each year group around each day so one day your year might go in 1st at 1pm but the next day you could be going last at 2.10 and that could mess me up a bit so I guess that's me avoiding a queue because of my 'disability' too! But then again that was because someone else would have been imposing a rule on when I could eat whereas if you're at Chessington they tell you roughly how long the queue time is so you can decide not to queue for it if you think you'll need to eat.

Sorry, just realised my post was a bit too centred on the Chessington post rather than the general issue, I suppose there are some times that you do need a bit of a hand with things.

Would any of you think it's taking the p**s to use the disabled loo to get some privacy for an injection? I do usually inject in public by the way, but sometimes not, like if you're in a group with some people you really don't know or if you're wearing something that makes it difficult to get to a good injections site - like a ball gown or something!
Because it's not like you're using the loo itself so queueing with everyone else seems a bit silly especially as your food's going cold and people might be waiting for you before they all start eating and I'd only be using the disabled loo for about 20-30s to quickly do the injection. But still I'd feel like a total looser if I come out and someone in a wheelchair was waiting and I had to mumble 'yeah... sorry, Diabetic... injection'. Ok this happened once and they gave me an odd look and didn't really look like they bought it and I was really embarrassed.

Sorry, I'm slightly off topic again now maybe?!

Hmmm. I don't think you are taking the p using the disabled loo, but think it is s shame that you have to hide to take essential medication. I don't think I have ever seen a diabetic inject but from what I have read on here I gather that it can be done dicreetly.
Equally I can see that some people may stare which must be embarassing.
I really do still belive it is a question of using ones sense and asking ourselves what any ordinary person would consider reasonable allowances taking into account ones condition.
I do not consider myself disabled but I can see in some circumstances a diabetic can be.