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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Do you think festival should have helped me?

258 replies

MyAppleTree · 28/07/2019 15:49

Not really a big deal, but home and musing. Went to a festival this weekend, on my own. Had an ok time.

For context my stuff was really heavy, 8 man tent huge heavy, only one I could borrow and obviously had to bring it back.

The night before I’ve left my asthma inhaler ran out, and I’ve started bleeding and cramping from a minor procedure I had done last week. I had an asthma attack about a week ago too.

Anyway the car was absolutely miles away, through mud and hills. Sincerely worried I could not physically make it. So I thought I was sensible going to camp welfare and asking if there was any way to hire a buggy to take the stuff to the car. They said no but sent me to first aid to see if I could get an inhaler to manage the asthma doing the drag.

First aid wouldn’t give me a spare inhaler unless I was having an actual attack, not just feeling wheezy. No help available obviously for the cramping as I need a gp to assess that.

So basically no help.

Now I did make it to the car. Very very breathless and in pain, car got stuck in the mud and had to be towed. Stupid gear and I fell down a few hills too!

Hence not a big deal because while breathless I have made it home (2hr drive) and have my inhalers. And yes it’s my own fault for not picking up my spare!!

So just a hypothetical really, were they unreasonable not to help me when I asked? It could have ended differently.

OP posts:
OtraCosaMariposa · 28/07/2019 16:14

But this is entirely of your own making.

You let your inhaler run out and weren't organised enough to get another one. (I use a blue inhaler, you can tell when it's almost done).

You chose to go to the festival even though you'd had a minor procedure.

You took a tent which was way too big and heavy for your needs.

Passthecherrycoke · 28/07/2019 16:17

I don’t think they can be expected to help people in your situations tbh. Also they did help you, thinking if they sent you to the first aid tent all would be sorted

SkydivingKittyCat · 28/07/2019 16:17

YABU to not be prepared to sufficiently manage your asthma, particularly following a recent attack

Roussette · 28/07/2019 16:18

You were poorly, why on earth did you go?

And taking an 8 man tent? Totally bonkers decision.

You honestly cannot expect busy festival staff to pick up the pieces when you make such daft decisions

BlueMoonRising · 28/07/2019 16:21

Well, yes. Hindsight's a wonderful thing!

As is foresight, and there is nothing here that wasn't preventable with better planning. This wasn't some unpredictable series of events!

TheFairyCaravan · 28/07/2019 16:21

You shouldn't have gone in the first place. You knew you were unwell, you knew you had had an asthma attack last week and you knew you didn't have a spare inhaler. It was a completely irresponsible decision on your part.

IHateUncleJamie · 28/07/2019 16:22

Heh?

You went alone.

You went after a surgical procedure.

You didn’t take a spare inhaler.

You took an eight man tent for one person.

YABU. You made all those choices.

mussolini9 · 28/07/2019 16:26

I doubt they would have had staff to help you carry the tent.

OP didnt ask for help to carry her tent.
She asked to borrow a cart to do it herself. The festival staff refused.

OP - YANBU. A lot of people seem to feel it's ok to minimise your asthma - including the festival staff.

mussolini9 · 28/07/2019 16:27

You honestly cannot expect busy festival staff to pick up the pieces when you make such daft decisions

She didn't. She asked to borrow a cart.

BrokenWing · 28/07/2019 16:27

It could have ended differently.

It really could have, and the responsibility would have been entirely yours for your poor decisions.

countrygirl99 · 28/07/2019 16:27

If you go again places like Decathlon and Go Outdoors have cheap small tents.

Cannyhandleit · 28/07/2019 16:27

I think you were ridiculous to put yourself in this position!

SagAloojah · 28/07/2019 16:29

I’m impressed you did all that!

How on earth did you drag a huge 8-man tent and presumably other baggage for ‘absolutely miles’, with the threat of asthma and bleeding from minor surgery?!

Whilst I admire your gumption, it does seem a bit of a foolhardy mission!

I’m guessing the camp are just not equipped to deal all the requests for help they get.

hellodarkness · 28/07/2019 16:29

I expect that if word got around that they'd give you a hand moving your tent if you didn't feel very well, 80% of people there suddenly wouldn't feel very well.

And presumably they have a finite number of emergency inhalers, used for people who are actually having an attack.

And of course their first aiders are not trained in sorting out your particular medical procedure.

So, whilst I can see why you felt quite sorry for yourself and would've loved a bit of help, I don't think they were unreasonable in refusing to do more than they did.

Bearbehind · 28/07/2019 16:29

She didn't. She asked to borrow a cart.

Why would Festival organisers provide carts to anyone? They’d never get them back for a start.

As others have said, you can’t blame the festival for your poor choices.

hellodarkness · 28/07/2019 16:30

"OP didnt ask for help to carry her tent.
She asked to borrow a cart to do it herself."

At the festivals I've attended, you can hire these. Not surprised they wouldn't give one up for free tbh.

Sooverthemill · 28/07/2019 16:31

I wasn't minimising asthma ( I have it) but I'm astonished that someone with asthma that isnt controlled ( and she had recently had an attack) would go anywhere without an inhaler, and expect others to give her one. I think OP is minimising her asthma in her own mind to justify going but then when feeling wheezy relying on others to bail her out. Maybe next time OP will realise she could do things differently

colourlessgreenidea · 28/07/2019 16:31

A lot of people seem to feel it's ok to minimise your asthma - including the festival staff.

And including the OP.

Roussette · 28/07/2019 16:33

She didn't. She asked to borrow a cart

Imagine thousands of people wanting to do this. They just would not have the staff to cope with people who can't carry their stuff. And who don't bring the carts back. And who don't actually need them.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 28/07/2019 16:33

Even if you are having an asthma attack in a pharmacy they will not let you have an inhaler

I’m not sure that’s true anymore. I’m guessing the issue with the OP is that as a festival first aid tent they don’t have a lot of spare inhalers. They can’t really just go giving away the ones they do have to someone who isn’t having an asthma attack.

YABU. The festival could perhaps have helped you more, but you haven’t really done anything at all to help yourself.

pictish · 28/07/2019 16:33

Most of the staff and stewards floating about at festivals are there working for their ticket...ie, they volunteer and get in for free. There certainly isn’t likely to be anyone available to help you carry your stuff. Everyone just accept that what they bring in, they’re taking back out...and that the car is always miles away. I like a festival but the camping is a complete pain in the arse owing to the transportation of gear. Can’t believe you took an eight man tent!!!

So sorry - yabu. The festival staff were under no obligation to help you.

Bluntness100 · 28/07/2019 16:34

Seriously? You took an eight man tent after an op, for just you, didn't bring your inhaler, didn't read the festival info on what was available ie trolleys, and it's someone else's fault?

Bring your own medication. A tent you can manage. Read the festival info in advance, or ask the question on the contact us page, and take some personal responsibility in future.

BlueMoonRising · 28/07/2019 16:34

A lot of people seem to feel it's ok to minimise your asthma - including the festival staff

And including the op. She was the one to not take adequate medication with her.

I say that as an asthmatic. I know how serious it can be.

Itsyersel · 28/07/2019 16:35

UABU
Hahahaha is this for real?
All your fault, All poor decisions and you think other people should be running about after you, once they put you tent up, did you ant them to maybe go get you dinner aswell?!
HONESTLY SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST ME ME ME

thecatsthecats · 28/07/2019 16:36

For the mere fact of being one of THOSE people who takes a collosal tent to a festival, YABU.

It's so bloody selfish to take up that much room, especially when most festivals are dangerously crowded anyway.

A tent can be bought for as little as 20 quid. If you can afford to go to a festival,you can afford that.