<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Here's the summary I promised.  People use a variety of tactics to get
their safe food into sports arenas and movie theaters.  Many use a
variation on the doctor's note or celiac association card.  But these don't
always work, and some people are turned away.

I asked the question because I know that it is becoming a serious problem,
and I knew that people who keep kosher already have experience with this
issue.  At some stadiums, there are police-like staff who confiscate food
brought in by customers with a vigor equal to a drug bust.  No questions
asked, no reasons accepted.  More and more sports venues are moving to this
tactic, since if people can't bring in their own food, they'll have to eat
the sports company's $9 hot dogs and $3 soft drinks, and hence be a good
source of revenue.  [There are also claims made about safety and protection
of the players and spectators from broken containers and bottles used as
missiles, but these claims don't always hold up on close examination.]

The venues that pioneered this have been the ones which were built in the
last decade with public money and with major concessions given to the
corporate team owners, and it is spreading.  There was an article in the
newspaper about a month ago about Yankee Stadium, which is thinking
seriously about adopting the aggressive tactics (Yesterday they even
discussed selling the rights to "name" the stadium.).

This might be an issue for the national celiac groups to address.

Anyway, here's the summary.

Sue

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I bring my own stuff anyways - and when (rarely) I am questioned, I state my
dietary requirements, complete with a grusome description of what can happen
if I ingest gluten, and then ask if they have any suggestions from the menu
being offered.  No problems after that!

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Hi - I always carry a copy of a letter from my doctor stating that I am on
a lifelong, medically necessary gluten free diet. Between that letter and
my 3 or 4 restaurant cards, I'm sure I can convince virtually anyone that
they're better off not forcing me to give up my food. The Americans with
Disabilities Act might cover me if they do. :)

I've never had a problem, but I'm pretty discreet when I sneak yogurt or
whatever into a movie theater.

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I tell the attendant that I am on a medically necessitated diet and i whip out
a letter from my doctor to show the startled person at the gate. It makes the
people behind you irritated but I always get to bring my GF food in so far (in
Atlanta, the sports fanatical capital of the world). Good luck! PS Sometimes
they have to get the mgr. over which doesn't make my husband too happy with
all of the commotion but at least I get to eat something while everyone else
chows down on their gluten-filled foods.

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I do take a BIG purse into the movie theater with me, but I also carry a
CSA membership card and a restaurant card with me in case I get busted
by the food police. Once I explain that they cannot provide an
appropriate alternative they do mind. A friend told me he used to work
in a movie theater and that bringing popcorn isn't a big deal. He has
stopped people with coolers of beer and buckets of chicken.HA!

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Hi, I've not had a direct problem because I usually try tp be pretty
discrete so as to avoid the problem but with myself and three kids
eating gluten and dairy free it will come up and I will say  "When you
can provide me food that I can eat then I will be happy to buy it"  I
guess they may kick me out but we will deal with it when we have to.

We also keep kosher and do sometime s have a problems at the synagogue,
you can't take in home cooked foods but fortunately there are so many
more products( and that are kosher) now for us (compared to six years
ago) that we usually can find something to take in that is safe and
certified kosher.

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My daughter was diagnosed at 2 1/2 years old.  When she was about 3, my
husband's company held their annual company picnic at the local baseball
stadium.  Not giving it a second thought, we packed a cooler with foods
that my daughter could eat --yogurts, drinks, peanut butter, crackers,
cheese, carrot sticks, and raisins.  When we got to the stadium, they
refused to let us bring in the food, I requested to speak to a manager so
that I could explain my child's dietary situation - and the attendant
refused.  Since the game was a late afternoon game, and our home was an
hour away, my husband and I opted to forego the company picnic because we
did not think our daughter would be able to last several hours without
snacking on something that we knew was safe for her.

Needless to say, on the hour drive home I began to steam, and by the time I
got home I was ready to blow my top.  I immediately called the stadium, and
when the receptionist answered, I politely asked to speak to the manager.
She replied that he was in the stands watching the game.  I said how nice
that was, and that I, too, would have liked to have attended the game.  And
that if her boss did not want to see a rather stinging report in the next
day's newspaper about how a 3 year child with severe food intolerances was
not admitted into the park because she was not allowed to bring in food and
drink that was safe for her to eat, then he better get to the phone
immediately.  She sympathized with our situation and said she would do what
she could to have someone get back to us within 15 minutes.

About a half hour later, we received a call from the manager, who profusely
apologized but strongly supported his employees for not allowing us to bring
the food into the park.  He quoted the "Eastern League Rule, Artile XX, Sec.
19" which states "In the interest of public safety, no cans, bottles, food or
containers may be brought into the Eastern League Parks."  However, he told
me that if we contacted him at least a couple of weeks in advance of
attending a game, he would see what he could do about allowing us to bring in
food that was safe for our child and was sure that some accommodations could
be made.

My daughter is now  7, and since then, I have personally boycotted this
facility! If the rule can broken with two weeks notice, then it only tells
me that the rule is only there to benefit the profit margin of the
concession stands!  And if I could contact him two weeks ahead of time,
then why couldn't I contact someone with that same authority on the day of
the game?  And why couldn't they issue a special card to those people who
have legitimate food concerns which would allow them to bring in food?

This is still a very much an emotional issue for me.  I will not bring my
child up to "sneak" food into any facility.  I encourage her to be honest
about why she needs to have special foods.   As far as I am concerned, she
should be able to carry with her  safe food and drink just as much as a
blind person is allowed to have a seeing eye dog accompany him/her into
facilities that do not allow pets!

We really have not had any other incidents anywhere else.  But if we do in
the future, I stand ready to assert that she has every right to bring along
her own safe food - without being dishonest and sneaking it in!  What a
shameful thing to be teaching our celiac children to be sneaky and dishonest!

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Carry a note from your doctor and rabbi explaining your dietary restrictions.
If you doctor uses words like deathly ill, keel over dead, etc., you should
have no problem even in Charlotte.  Works for me. They still prefer for my
food to be hidden, so that others don't get the idea to bring their own. They
don't like you to bring your own Coke when they sell the identical item in
their concessions stands.

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I'm not sure how much this info will help, but this is how my family
handles our diets.  (FYI, we all eat the celiac diet + each of us has our
own allergies to add to the celiac diet)

When going into zoos, baseball games, theme parks (Disney World, etc.) we
usually carry a couple of backpacks with coolers with our food in them in the
bottom of the backpack.  On the top we put raingear, jackets, warm clothes or
something of the like so that it appears we are just being prepared if we
are asked what is inside the bags.  Usually the people letting you in don't
care, cause you are just another person in a LONG line. . . .  when we want
to eat we usually find a spot that gives us some protection from prying
eyes (ie a corner of an eating area) and usually buy drinks or something so
they can't complain that we aren't buying anything.

At other places (like six flags) we just leave a big cooler in the car and go
out to the parking lot to eat.  At six flags Gurnee (in illinois) a good deal
of the customers do this anyhow because they charge so much for the food.
(not to mention they charge for parking and then for you to get in, it's
rediculous!)  A picnic is really nice anyhow :^)

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Yes, I have had this problem at a sports stadium.  They would not let me
bring in my food, even though I explained my problem to the manager.  I had
to leave my food in his office and when I wanted it, I had to come and get it
and eat my food out of the stadium.  Isn't this a bummer?  The next time I
went to the stadium, I just carried my food in my purse.  No problem at all!
No one payed attention to me when I ate.

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Just bring your restauranat card which you can get from CSA/USA, Inc., P. O.
Box 31700 Omaha,NE 68131.  It costs five cents, but states "I am a celiac on
a restricted diet and must have the following".  this stops anyone cold who
questions why you are bringing your own food.

If you are now familiar with CSA/USA - ask them to send you a Materials Order
form.  Their Commercial Products Listing for $8.00 lists BRAND NAMES of
commercial products.

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