2 (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} 2_gryphon) wrote,@ 2008-10-26 13:32:00 |
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More details about last night.
So, now that I'm finally regaining my coherence, I'll start at the beginning. And I think this is something that everyone should pay attention to because it's something that is affecting the whole fur fandom...
I went to the furmeet in London, where I had a couple of beers. Afterwards, I went to the place the after party and my performance was to take place. I ordered another beer and drank it slowly, leaving it unattended on more than one occasion and coming back to it later.
At time for my performance, I felt coherant and ready for the show, pleasantly buzzed because of the beer. I started my material. Someone brought up two shots that other people had gotten for me and I drank them.
That is the last thing I remember about the evening. I don't remember doing my show, getting off stage, travelling back to my hotel or getting into bed. I went from being coherant to being nearly comatose in a span of twenty minutes.
My condition was apparently so obviously wrong that Rapido called the police and an ambulance from just observing me. The opinions of both departments was that I had been intentionally poisoned, possibly by a date rape drug or other kind of "roofie".
Some people have written to me, concerned that I looked a bit depressed or sad after the show I gave. They figure I was disappointed in the audience. The fact is, I have no idea. I simply don't remember. However, what you were probably seeing was the effects of the drug someone slipped me.
Now... this is the part I want to make clear.
Yes, whoever did this is a douchbag. But a good part of what happened is MY fault. *I* was being a dumbass. I was accepting drinks from people I didn't know and I was leaving my drinks unattended, open for anyone to do anything to them. I fell into the mistake of being too trusting to people I didn't know. This isn't the fandom that it used to be. It's a mistake to simply trust someone who calls themself a fur these days. Furries can be just as mean, hateful and cruel as anyone else. And I think this is an important thing to remember.
As it happens, today I also learned that there was a con in the US -- Oklacon -- where a friend of mine and another person also got roofied and dangerously ill. It happened on the same night it happened to me. There was also a similar incident at this past AnthroCon.
It's important to realize that if this can happen to me, it can happen to any of you. It's becoming a real problem in the fandom, and is probably a result of the gay and raver night club scenes converging into the fandom. It's a problem that I believe needs to be addressed by con staffs and kept in the mind of furries everywhere.
However, there is a simple solution. This kind of thing could never happen if you do the thing I DIDN'T do and just be sensible. Don't accept drinks from people you don't know. Be safe and use your head. If what happened to me has any value at all, it's a good example of what can happen to you if you're reckless and unsafe when at any event of this kind. Don't let this kind of thing ruin your good time. Be sensible and safe.
This has not caused me any bad feelings toward England or the Brit furs at all. What I said about not coming back again... I was just very angry at the time. I'll return if the furs want me here again.
In short, the the fact is I was being stupid and I had this coming. I was
practically asking for it. I'm so used to accepting drinks from people I don't know that it's a miracle this didn't happen to me a long time ago. So don't be angry with the person who did it. It was really my own lack of responsibility that caused it and it was a big wake up call for me.
However, I shall continue to go to cons and furmeets and entertain where I can. If I were to let this scare me into stopping, then the bastard would have won. I will have a few new rules about drinking at these events, but other than that, nothing will change.
So, now that I'm finally regaining my coherence, I'll start at the beginning. And I think this is something that everyone should pay attention to because it's something that is affecting the whole fur fandom...
I went to the furmeet in London, where I had a couple of beers. Afterwards, I went to the place the after party and my performance was to take place. I ordered another beer and drank it slowly, leaving it unattended on more than one occasion and coming back to it later.
At time for my performance, I felt coherant and ready for the show, pleasantly buzzed because of the beer. I started my material. Someone brought up two shots that other people had gotten for me and I drank them.
That is the last thing I remember about the evening. I don't remember doing my show, getting off stage, travelling back to my hotel or getting into bed. I went from being coherant to being nearly comatose in a span of twenty minutes.
My condition was apparently so obviously wrong that Rapido called the police and an ambulance from just observing me. The opinions of both departments was that I had been intentionally poisoned, possibly by a date rape drug or other kind of "roofie".
Some people have written to me, concerned that I looked a bit depressed or sad after the show I gave. They figure I was disappointed in the audience. The fact is, I have no idea. I simply don't remember. However, what you were probably seeing was the effects of the drug someone slipped me.
Now... this is the part I want to make clear.
Yes, whoever did this is a douchbag. But a good part of what happened is MY fault. *I* was being a dumbass. I was accepting drinks from people I didn't know and I was leaving my drinks unattended, open for anyone to do anything to them. I fell into the mistake of being too trusting to people I didn't know. This isn't the fandom that it used to be. It's a mistake to simply trust someone who calls themself a fur these days. Furries can be just as mean, hateful and cruel as anyone else. And I think this is an important thing to remember.
As it happens, today I also learned that there was a con in the US -- Oklacon -- where a friend of mine and another person also got roofied and dangerously ill. It happened on the same night it happened to me. There was also a similar incident at this past AnthroCon.
It's important to realize that if this can happen to me, it can happen to any of you. It's becoming a real problem in the fandom, and is probably a result of the gay and raver night club scenes converging into the fandom. It's a problem that I believe needs to be addressed by con staffs and kept in the mind of furries everywhere.
However, there is a simple solution. This kind of thing could never happen if you do the thing I DIDN'T do and just be sensible. Don't accept drinks from people you don't know. Be safe and use your head. If what happened to me has any value at all, it's a good example of what can happen to you if you're reckless and unsafe when at any event of this kind. Don't let this kind of thing ruin your good time. Be sensible and safe.
This has not caused me any bad feelings toward England or the Brit furs at all. What I said about not coming back again... I was just very angry at the time. I'll return if the furs want me here again.
In short, the the fact is I was being stupid and I had this coming. I was
practically asking for it. I'm so used to accepting drinks from people I don't know that it's a miracle this didn't happen to me a long time ago. So don't be angry with the person who did it. It was really my own lack of responsibility that caused it and it was a big wake up call for me.
However, I shall continue to go to cons and furmeets and entertain where I can. If I were to let this scare me into stopping, then the bastard would have won. I will have a few new rules about drinking at these events, but other than that, nothing will change.
