Big fuss about a tickle in the throat
23rd May, 2008
A woman at Byron Bingo centre was not given water when she told the person behind the tea counter that her friend was choking.
Valerie Hickling and Linda Dames were at the bingo centre with their friend Betty Baton when Betty began to feel a tickle in her throat. She apparently began gasping for breath, and it was obvious she needed water.
“Betty started to choke, despite not having anything to eat or drink. It was clear she needed water so Linda, who has a bad knee, ran up to the tea counter,” said Valerie Hickling, friend of Betty. “She asked for a drop of water because her friend was choking but the person behind the counter told her she couldn’t have any and she would have to go to the bingo-book point at the bottom of the hall to buy a bottle.”
“We couldn’t believe that in an emergency, they refused water like that. It could have been very dangerous. I can understand why they want to make money on selling bottled water but to refuse a drop of water when someone was choking is ridiculous. Even pond water would have been fine.”
However, the spokespersons from Byron Bingo offer a different picture of the story all together.
“All our customers know that the first point of call for water is the bingo book point, even in an emergency,” said a spokesman for Byron Bingo. “The water at the tea counter is not drinking water. It would have been quicker for the lady to go to the book point because it was closer to her table. I remember the three ladies but I didn’t see anyone choking.
“We would not refuse anyone a drink if they were choking,” said another spokesman. “We are here to provide a service to our customers. But having spoken to several members of staff, they said that the lady had nothing more than a tickle in her throat. If this woman was choking, it would have stopped the bingo. But our caller who always sees everything didn’t notice anything wrong.”
Betty, the woman who was apparently choking, recovered after her friend Linda paid the £1 for a bottle of water.
By Michael
