This Hardly Seems Fair

It’s the fair season in my county again, after the fair being closed for a season due to the health crisis. I just found out this morning that, back in 2019, I apparently got myself permanently banned from the county fair. Here’s what happened.

The first thing I have to mention is that I have epilepsy. It’s not severe; I can still drive, but certain noises and flashing lights can be triggering, and while I don’t have grand mal seizures, the ones I do have are not fun. So, when I went to the fair (as part of a group), I was very careful to avoid rides that had strobe lights.

There was this ride: the demented tea cups. (No, that’s not what it’s called; that’s just what it is.) I stood in line with my group for not one, not two, but FIVE times that this thing filled up. FIVE times it went around. Not once, not ONCE during any of those five times were there strobe lights or high-pitched sounds. The music was standard music for a fair ride. My group, including me, got on the ride.

Halfway through the ride, they suddenly turned on strobe lights, turned off the music, and blasted a fake siren.

I wasn’t too happy about it. When I got off the ride — which took a moment as I had to wait the worst of it out — I went to talk to the conductor of the ride about what had happened.

Conductor: “It’s because of the time; we switch it over to the new look and sound after dark.

My group had gotten there in full daylight.

Me: “That’s fine, but you need a warning sign about the strobe lights and the siren.”

He laughed it off.

I went looking for the person in charge of the fair. I explained (politely — always politely) what the situation was and requested that they put up a warning sign on the ride. I know I’m not the only person in the county that suffers from epilepsy, and there are at least three people who went to the same clinic I used to for treatment who have grand mal seizures. I can’t swear to it, but I can’t imagine that having a full-body seizure during a ride where you’re being pressed into your seat by G-forces is good for your health.

I was laughed off.

I was PISSED.

I called the county offices and informed them of the issue. And when it looked like they were going to brush it off, I pointed out that the county is legally responsible for any injuries that occur at the fair. The next time I went to work, someone told me they’d seen a sign put up on that ride.

And I found out today, when I went to order tickets, that I’ve been permanently blacklisted.