A South Australian man living with type 1 diabetes has slammed an Adelaide bar over how staff treated him when he tried to enter recently.
Harrison Cal feels he was discriminated against by Rocket Bar and Rooftop door staff, who he said had demanded sensitive information and gave him unreasonable conditions for entry.
The experience was “humiliating and appalling”, Cal told 7NEWS.com.au.
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The 23-year-old was carrying jelly beans and insulin while on a night out with friends and also wears a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) on his arm.
Cal said he was pulled aside when trying to enter the Hindley St venue and questioned over “possessing too many jellybeans”, claiming staff treated his condition with suspicion and told him he shouldn’t need that many.
He was carrying about 20 jellybeans which are necessary if he becomes either hypoglycaemic or hyperglycaemic (excessively low or high sugar levels) and can prevent him from requiring hospital treatment.
Cal said he has been questioned before when entering a venue, but this was different and he felt like he was being interrogated.
After Cal revealed the CGM on his arm, he said staff requested a medical letter to prove he was diabetic.
While he said he felt this was a violation of his privacy, he still showed them an email from his endocrinologist.
“I should not have to show any of these records, especially after showing my sensor and several of my friends vouching for me,” Cal said.
Cal was then told his insulin and needles “were a risk to patrons and the people in the venue” and he couldn’t bring them inside.
Cal said he offered to leave his insulin and needles behind the bar, where he could access them if needed, but this was rejected over concerns for staff safety.
Rocket Bar and Rooftop has issued a public statement in response, saying it “takes all medical conditions, whether visible or not, with the utmost of care and importance”.
The venue said the entry screening was normal, adding staff are trained in first aid.
“We respond to medical issues both internally and externally to our premises during the course of our trading hours,” it said.
The venue said it did not intend “to single out and ostracise” Cal and had since had “a conversation” with him involving the general manager and security supervisor.
It said staff had asked about his condition for “duty of care” reasons “in case of emergency within the premises, including what he was carrying and the severity of his condition”.
The venue added this occurred in “private” and Cal’s details were not made public.
However, Cal feels he should not have had to share any details with staff at all — and said he had never been required to do so before.
The venue claimed Cal had been cleared to enter with all his belongings but chose to leave, which Cal denies.
Cal said he did leave but only because he was told he could not enter with his insulin and needles.
“This discrimination against me was designed to paint me as a liar, a potential threat to those inside the venue and unreasonable, all based on my condition which I cannot control,” Cal said.
“A large venue should be more understanding to anyone with any condition and show more concern for their health and safety.
“How can I or anyone who require medication treat themselves if the condition is ‘you cannot bring the required medication on the premises’? It’s not just like Panadol that I’ve brought in.”
Cal said he felt staff had handled the situation poorly and abused their power, and hopes they do better in the future.
“I would hate for anyone else to go through what I went through,” Cal said.
Rocket Bar and Rooftop said it is “taking the necessary steps to fully educate (its) team further on this case, and diabetes in general, and encourage more venues to do the same to ensure this doesn’t happen again”.
Rocket Bar and Rooftop has been contacted for further comment.
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