Climatologist and Chappell Roan superfan Sadie Mulder was forced to plead her case with staff at the Boiled Alive Music Festival when the tools she uses to manage her dysautonomia were held up at the security checkpoint.
BAMF’s guidelines state that “all bags must be clear and too small for the newest iPhone” and that “cooler bags are prohibited, but we sell a chips-and-dip combo for only $29!” However, medical bags and disability equipment are supposed to be an exception to these rules. Enforcement is up to individual guards’ own discretion, a thrilling power abuse opportunity for Police Academy dropout Mason Edgar.
Said Mulder, “Listen, we both wish I didn’t need to bring gallons of water, pounds of electrolyte tablets, extra compression garments, painkillers, ice packs, cooling towels, an around-the-neck fan, a blood pressure cuff, extra batteries, a collapsible stool and my six-inch-thick medical history binder. I tired myself out just packing the bag!
“But for me, it’s a Dysautonominon! My body can’t handle high temperatures, standing in long lines and changing positions. Trust me, it is NOT hot when I’m going through that hell. Well, technically it is hot, because my nervous system sucks at keeping me from overheating. Even if I don’t snap and clap and touch my toes with the rest of the crowd, I might end up knee-deep in an ambulance seat if you confiscate this bag.”
Thankfully, her argument was persuasive, though the astonished Edgar did ask Mulder, “Are you sure you don’t need those shock paddle things? On TV they use them whenever your heart rate is above 100bpm.”
Mulder refused his offer of unnecessary defibrillation but decided to find the medical tent before the show so she could be as prepared as possible. Commenting on the volume of attendees seeking assistance, volunteer paramedic Kayleigh Stern said, “We thought moving BAMF to autumn instead of summer would prevent most heatstroke cases, but I guess climate change is catching up to us.”
Mulder, who studies the impact of extreme climate on disability, replied, “You’re standing face to face with ‘I told you so.’”