I don't like getting up on a soapbox here on Inkbunny. I usually save that for LiveJournal. But this is directed right at furs who attend cons (since those are the only cons I usually attend).
First of all, you selfish bastards, why do you have to have booze at a con at all? Do you realize that the biggest problem that security at cons has to deal with are drunken furs? Do you REALLY have to get yourself into an alcoholic stupor in order to have fun? Really? Do you really think it's okay to offer booze to an underage fur? Really??
The subject of alcohol abuse is quite a touchstone for me, since my 25 year old daughter is an alcoholic. She has been one since her late teens, and she still had not come to the conclusion that she is not in control of it, even after three arrests for drunk driving. Pardon me for being sensitive to this.
But then, to top it off, you have to have it chilled in a fridge? You couldn't just shell out a couple of bucks for a styrofoam cooler and stick the booze in there, with ice? The ice is free, ya know. No hotel I know of charges for ice, and they all have them. What, afraid the labels will get wet? Can't shell out another buck for plastic bags?
But then, to add insult to injury, you lied to get one for free instead of paying for a mini-fridge. Gods, you make me sick! As is typical of those who get things for free, you assume that there will still be plenty for those that need it. Well, in this case, there wasn't. So, you cost a fur a lot of money in spoiled medication, caused them to go through excruciating pain, may have even endangered a fur's LIFE, because you simply could not stand to drink warm booze.
Back at AnthroCon 2008, the last con I attended, I reserved a room and a fridge six months before the con. I specified that the fridge was so my roommate could keep his insulin cold. The hotel said that priority was given to people with disabilities, so there would be no problem. Well, you guessed it. When we arrived, not only was there no fridge in the room, but we could not get one. We even showed the guy at the front desk the insulin, and all they could say was that there were none left for us. I can all but guarantee that everyone who was holding a beer party had at least one of them, if not two or more in their rooms, because one isn't enough to keep enough beer cold at a time! I filed a complaint with the hotel over it, because it was for a medical need. Worse yet, the ice machine in our floor wasn't working.
I agree with you 100 percent, that alcohol has no place at a convention. It is one on the reasons I stopped going to cons. Over 16 years ago, when I attended my first furry cons, drinking really wasn't a big thing for people. One could go to events and not see it at all. Now, it is very hard to avoid those who are commode-hugging drunk. I go to cons to have fun doing things that I can't easily do at home. That includes spending time with friends. Drunks appear to go to cons to party and forget it by the next morning. They can do that at home - unless they are underage, and their parents won't allow it! In the process, they are quite happy to ruin a con for all those who don't have to rely on booze to make it through a day.
Don't expect it to improve. Drinking is all but worshipped at AnthroCon. What can be expected when even the main person running it can't go a few hours without getting himself buzzed. I still attempt to go to smaller fur gatherings, where drinking is discouraged or not allowed.
Back at AnthroCon 2008, the last con I attended, I reserved a room and a fridge six months before th
Well, when the perennial con chair is never seen without his glass of wine...
Part of the problem is that most reservation systems don't have the ability to reserve things like mini-fridges or rollaways.
At MFF the person who reserved the room researved a double queen, and asked if he could also reserve a rollaway. He was told that rollaways were on a first come, first serve basis. That's fine, but when we got there, yes, rollaways were still available....
However, a double queen cannot accomodate a rollaway. Why could they not tell us that at the time the room was reserved?
Hotels need better reservation software.
Well, when the perennial con chair is never seen without his glass of wine... Part of the problem i
Whether the software can handle it or not, why did they a fridge needed for medicine for my room, if they weren't sure that they'd be able to provide one? I would have had no problem at all if they told me up front that it was first-come, first-serve, after arrival. At least it would have been honest, and we would have brought a cooler. Instead, they outright lied and said that they entered the medical need into their computer, and that we would have one for sure.
So, there were two problems. The hotel promising something that they knew they might not be able to provide, and all those who falsely claimed a medical need for one so they could have their cold booze.
Whether the software can handle it or not, why did they a fridge needed for medicine for my room, if
I assume you are asking why they promised a fridge if they didn't know they could provide one? Because the person who takes the reservation is rarely the person doing the check-in. At the time of the reservation, they know that mini-fridges are available. They don't know how many, they don't know if anyone else has already reserved a room and requested one. All they know is the caller is asking, and yes, they are available.
Now, if the software would allow them to reserve mini-fidges and rollaways and the like, then those who know they will need it can reserve it at the time of the reservation, and be assured it will be available.
Now, having already detailed where the hotel dropped the ball, and taken liars to task, it would also be noted that if you are a traveller with medication that requires refrigeration, you had better be prepared to provide that yourself. Even a ziploc bag that you can put your medicine in, place in the ice bucket, and cover with ice would suffice in a pinch.
I assume you are asking why they promised a fridge if they didn't know they could provide one? Becau
That is exactly what the reservation guy said, that one was reserved in my name, and that it would be in the room upon our arrival. He had the option to be honest and say that he could not guarantee one, but chose to lie instead. I guess some people actually think that lying is easier and they make it a habit. In a worst case scenario, we would have gone to a store to buy ice. Luckily there was a working ice machine on the floor below ours, and one of the fursuit bins we had served as a makeshift cooler. It worked pretty well.
That is exactly what the reservation guy said, that one was reserved in my name, and that it would b
Well, the reservation person definitely lied. There is no way they can put a mini-fidge in a room before check-in. He made an assumption that was totally wrong.
Well, the reservation person definitely lied. There is no way they can put a mini-fidge in a room be
I agree that Furries should act unselfishly for the sake and safety of others especially at conventions. However, your stance on alcohol seems to be the one who blames the drink instead of realizing that any trouble that arises is a part of the trouble maker's personality and in time, would have shown itself in some other form even without the aid of mood altering substances.
I agree that Furries should act unselfishly for the sake and safety of others especially at conventi
I don't disagree with you on that, but if you show them how their actions in this regard endangered someone else, maybe they might think twice before cheating the systems in other regards.
I don't disagree with you on that, but if you show them how their actions in this regard endangered
I have always hoped that our kind would think about their actions long before doing them and in doing so discover the bigger picture. I still think the ones encountered by that person are a minority; many furries bring everything needed to conventions to such an extent that both congoers and hotel staff are shocked to see the difference between the regular hotel and the con setup.
I have always hoped that our kind would think about their actions long before doing them and in doin
Federal law requires that a minimum of 2% of all parking be reserved for the handicapped, despite the fact that handicapped vehicles and plates only account for 1% of the passenger vehicles. This means, on average, there are twice as many spots available than is needed.
Yet, we all know about people who park in them, because, in their words, "I was only going in for five seconds" or "I'm picking up prescriptions for my elderly mother, and took the wrong vehicle". It only takes 1 person out of 50 to do this to totally block the 1 person out of 100 who actually needs it.
So too, it only takes a very few furs lying to get something they don't need for free to cause those who really do need it a serious problem.
I'm talking to those few.
Again, I agree. But let me draw an analogy: Federal law requires that a minimum of 2% of all parkin
"I'm picking up prescriptions for my elderly mother, and took the wrong vehicle".
That isn't even an acceptable excuse, at least where I am in Pennsylvania. You can only legally park in a handicap space if someone with a handicap actually exits or enters the vehicle. An able-bodied person is not allowed to use someone's handicap placard or plates to go into a store for them. They have to park in a normal space in that case. Many people still do it though.
~~~ Quote: "I'm picking up prescriptions for my elderly mother, and took the wrong vehicle". ~~
Oh, none of the excuses I provide are acceptable to anyone but the person using it. And it isn't reserved for those who should not be parking in the spots. Even those who actually have the proper plates or placards can assume it gives them authority to:
1) park in fire lanes when they are visiting a pharmacy. 2) yell at people who are looking to see if a particular spot is reserved for the handicapped (this happened to me) 3) act like they have a right to park on the sidewalk.
Oh, none of the excuses I provide are acceptable to anyone but the person using it. And it isn't res
Don't forget those who enter a nearly empty parking lot, and decide to park their car directly in front of the only ramp onto the sidewalk so no one can use it. Then, if confronted, they say something stupid like, "I didn't know anyone would need to use it." I'd like to see someone plant a steel-toed boot up their butt, because they didn't happen to be using it at the moment!
Don't forget those who enter a nearly empty parking lot, and decide to park their car directly in fr
Maybe it's the pragmatist in me speaking, but the thing I take away from this story isn't that people can be crap sacks, that alcohol (over)indulgence is questionable at best, or that hotels should be more accommodating of people with medical concerns.
What I take away from this is that, ultimately, the fandom is amazing. To me, the actions of the people who helped Sparkynekomi, particularly the first aiders who helped with the compresses and meds to help her with the pain until the proper meds arrived, completely outweigh the (admittedly unintentional) wrong doing of the people who monopolized on the fridges. The care and compassion that we show to each other, simply by the bond of interest in animal people, never ceases to amaze me.
Maybe it's the pragmatist in me speaking, but the thing I take away from this story isn't that peopl
Unfortunately, that's a lot like saying that if people didn't go hiking/camping/kayaking/snowmobiling, we wouldn't nedt search and rescue services. People are gonna do what they do regardless. As someone who is struggling with someone in the family whose actions affect everyone, I'm quite sure you're aware of how futile guilt tactics really can be.
There's something everyone can learn from this, though: don't reserve fridges if you don't need them; if you require meds to be refrigerated safely in your hotel room, DO NOT take no for an answer from hotel staff; and take a first aid course. Taking a first aid course means that you can help save the life of someone you care about. About 80% of the time first aid is performed, it's on someone the first aider knows.
Unfortunately, that's a lot like saying that if people didn't go hiking/camping/kayaking/snowmobilin
I concur. If you are travelling with meds that require refrigeration, it is foolish to rely on anyone but yourself to provide such refrigeration. Even a small cooler with ice would suffice.
I concur. If you are travelling with meds that require refrigeration, it is foolish to rely on anyon
Yeah, but that is somehow an invasion of privacy. Go figure. You HAVE to tell them you need the fridge for medical purposes in order to not be charged, but somehow having to PROVE you need it for medical purposes is an invasion of privacy.
Yeah, but that is somehow an invasion of privacy. Go figure. You HAVE to tell them you need the frid
