This is such a first world problem, if I sound like a twat I wholeheartedly apologise in advance. I probably will sound like a twat but there’s the disclaimer. I know there are people in the world without electricity, let alone access to wanky art installations.
Got tickets to this interactive Van Gough exhibition thing in London on Friday. I don’t know what it involves, big starry night inspired instillations I guess, whatever. Anyway I booked two tickets when I was pregnant and then realised I’d have an eight week old baby when it came around, but thought oh that’ll be nice I’ll take him along, no problems. Luckily he actually loves being out and about and only kicks off when we are home to be honest so no drama there.
Anyway we are meeting a family friend to go to this exhibition on Friday, I live the other side of London but directly after this thing the baby and I are getting on a train to travel to another part of the country to see my parents. So I won’t be using the carrier (baby actually hates that anyway)
So I was just reading the FAQ’s. It says while the event is suitable for children of all ages, there’s no changing family available, and while it is accessible for wheelchairs, it is not accessible for prams and they won’t be permitted.
Which basically would mean we can’t fucking go. I honestly am not someone who hangs around and lingers looking at art for ages either so no changing facilities isn’t really a huge deal, it’s the fact that I can’t even go in with the baby.
I have emailed them but they just quoted the FAQ at me. I asked about a cloakroom (not to leave the baby in, I’ll carry him) but they’ve just not got back to me and I don’t think they have one, going by the FAQs.
Now I don’t want to spark a bit debate about wheelchairs vs pushchairs. I realise it’s entirely my choice to not only have a child but to push a buggy around and a disabled person does not have the same choices about using a wheelchair. For what it’s worth I always get off the bus for a wheelchair user, and I’m not a dick about it.
The event is in a huge space as well, I’m not saying I’d think it was okay to push the buggy around the John Soane’s. But if a space is accessible to a wheelchair am I right in thinking it’s also accessible for a buggy?! And if so, why can’t I take my buggy in there? Is it like a way of saying babies will ruin the ambiance? But surely small children in general would be capable of doing that?
Also when I booked the tickets it was over if those ‘location revealed at a later date’ hyped up wanky things so I had no way of checking.
I guess I’ll just have to push for a refund but it just seems a bit shit!