Update 19/06/2024 15:31 CET: A Tottenham Hotspur Stadium spokesperson said that the venue has carried out a full investigation of the incident, clarifying that the stadium does not permit guests to stand in stairways or access ways for safety reasons.
“The safety and security of all event attendees remains our utmost priority, and for this reason, guests in seated areas are always asked to remain in their seats,” the spokesperson told Bored Panda in an email.
- Vanessa Vasey and her son Jesse, who has Down syndrome, were escorted out of a Pink concert after he struggled with staying seated.
- Vanessa paid £630 ($802) for lounge access tickets, hoping the special area would accommodate Jesse's sensory processing challenges.
- Approximately 49% of individuals with Down syndrome face sensory processing challenges, leading to increased anxiety and frustration.
In addition to safety concerns, the stadium’s representative highlighted other people’s views being obstructed by other guests standing in stairways.
“On this particular evening, we did receive complaints from other guests that Ms Vasey and her party’s position on the stairway was obstructing their view,” the spokesperson said.
The representatives acknowledged Jesse’s condition, affirming that the stadium’s Safeguarding & Welfare team offered to provide access to the stadium’s Sensory Suite.
“This room is a respite area which provides a comfortable and calming experience for guests with sensory impairment conditions,” the spokesperson explained.
They further stated: “Our investigations indicate that this option was declined.
“Regrettably, it would not have been an option to watch the concert from inside the hospitality area as the blinds were required to remain closed for this event, which our event staff endeavored to explain on the night.”
The spokesperson concluded: “All offers of assistance were made with the intention of providing Jesse with as comfortable and enjoyable an experience as possible.
“Although Ms Vasey was not asked to leave the venue at any stage, we understand she did choose to leave, and we very much regret that Ms Vasey, Jesse, and Kirsty were unable to enjoy the evening as intended.”
Vanessa Vasey and her seven-year-old son, Jesse, who has Down syndrome, were brutally escorted out of a Pink concert
Image credits: FrontOfStage
48-year-old Vanessa Vasey and her seven-year-old son, Jesse, who has Down syndrome, were brutally escorted out of a Pink concert after paying £630 ($802) for lounge access tickets. The mother claims the poor treatment came as a result of her little boy being accused of not staying seated in his assigned space.
Vanessa and Jesse were attending the P!NK Summer Carnival Tour 2024 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, on Saturday (Jun 15).
Jesse reportedly struggled with his sensory processing and, therefore, refused to rest on his seat. Along with her friend Kirsty, Vanessa brought her son to stand near the seating area and let him dance on the side instead.
Approximately 49% of individuals with Down syndrome experience sensory processing challenges, compared to about 5-16% of the general population, the Down Syndrome Ressource Foundation explains.
Image credits: FrontOfStage
Among different symptoms, children with sensory processing challenges may experience increased levels of anxiety, increased levels of frustration, and difficulties with self-regulation.
Vanessa, who is a mother of four, reportedly said: “Jesse and I love Pink – I’d booked the tickets in November and made sure I paid £630 ($802) for hospitality tickets as that gave us lounge access and I knew Jesse wouldn’t be able to sit for that long as he has Down syndrome and other developmental, sensory and neurodivergent needs.”
However, Jesse’s dance was cut short when a group of at least six security guards gave the concert-goers an ultimatum to go or take a seat.
The 49-year-old mom paid £630 ($802) for lounge access tickets
View this post on Instagram
Image credits: Vanessa Marie Vasey
The stunned mom from Belton, Great Yarmouth, England, recalled: “We couldn’t wait as it was going to be such a special moment for us to experience together.
“On the day, I didn’t take his disability buggy as the ticket said there was no storage.
“But when it came to sitting in our seats, Jesse didn’t want to.”
Vanessa claims the poor treatment came as a result of Jesse being accused of not staying seated in his assigned space
Image credits: Vanessa Marie Vasey
Image credits: Vanessa Marie Vasey
“And in the lounge area, the blinds had been pulled down.
“So we stood up by our seats and Jesse was dancing.
After explaining Jesse’s condition, Vanessa claimed four more staff members arrived and escorted them off the premises just as Pink came onto the stage.
Jesse reportedly struggled with his sensory processing and, therefore, refused to rest on his seat
Image credits: Vanessa Marie Vasey
Image credits: Vanessa Marie Vasey
The stunned mom said: “We weren’t causing any problems – Jesse is 3 feet tall (91.44 centimeters) and was entertaining everyone.
“Then six security guards showed up telling us we had to move.
“When I explained about Jesse’s disabilities, they said there was nothing they could do – we either had to sit in the seats or leave.”
Approximately 49% of individuals with Down syndrome experience sensory processing challenges
Image credits: Vanessa Marie Vasey
Vanessa further explained to: “It was absolutely horrific.
“I argued our case and the only thing they offered us was to sit in the soundproof sensory room where Jesse wouldn’t have heard any of the act and instead, would watch it on a screen, take our seats, or leave.
“I got quite cross with them and was furious we were missing Pink. Jesse was upset.”
Image credits: Bored Panda
“We were intimidated and by the time we decided to go, there were 10 of them around us – including security guards, people in suits, other employees and they literally escorted us out of the building like criminals.
“All Jesse has now is memories of me crying, being upset and angry and the whole intimidation and people being unkind to us.
“I think Pink would be disgusted if she found out.”
Children with sensory processing challenges may experience increased levels of anxiety
Image credits: Bored Panda
Image credits: Bored Panda
Feeling like they had no choice, Vanessa, Jesse, and Kirsty left the show at 8.45 pm, missing the entire concert.
Vanessa wrote on Facebook that the whole trip to go see Pink, which took “a great deal of planning,” cost close to £1,000 ($1,273).
In a new update on Facebook, the disappointed mom revealed that she had fought back against online trolls who had attacked her initial social media post.
“Let’s start including,” Vanessa exclaimed. “That means adapting, understanding, supporting and most importantly; changing the way we deliver these privileges so that they are privileges for all of us, and not just some of us.”
Vanessa’s testimony left many readers divided
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What makes people think concerts like this are suitable for 7 year olds, let alone 7 year olds with sensory processing disorders?!
Very good question. Also, how exactly were they "brutally" ejected?
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Hospitality tickets are over £300 each. Which mean that this child was disrupting other fans who paid through the nose to be there, not to be dealing with a child running about and causing disruption. Asking for understanding and support is fine, but there's a time and a place and this isn't it. Better to have left the child at home and used the £300 that his ticket cost to hire a decent babysitter.
Exactly, yeah. I see the mother assumed that buying tickets for a premium area would mean there was enough room for her kid to move around, but she should have contacted the venue and *asked* about the options they have to accommodate Jesse's needs. Based on the last picture above (assuming it's a real one of this incident), she ended up in the section for people who were paying extra *not* to have other people milling around during the performance, and I don't blame them for wanting to get what they paid for. (I do wonder whether it might've been an option to this family switch to the area below where people are standing, but maybe that section was full. Or maybe by that point the mother was being obnoxious enough that they didn't want to inflict her on another group of guests.)
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I actually made the effort to read and see exactly how the security guards "brutally" ejected them. They did not. They were just asked to sit down or leave.
They were even offered to experience the concert from a special sensory room, such brutality!
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Any person that disturbs and annoys other people has to face the consequences, no matter the age or the condition. No exceptions.
I work private security, occasionally I'm asked to run venues such as the drilled Ford amphitheater in Vail Co, Red rocks amphitheater and lost colonious. Their rules are all just about the same of where anybody can stand versus sit.. it's not the venue making up these rules it is the fire marshal and they need to be enforced because the fire marshal will shut the show down if the rules are not being enforced. I deal with entitlement in one shape or another at every one of these places for someone having a "reason" why the rules don't apply to them. I'm sympathetic occasionally but still at the end of the day I have a job to do and I'd rather not let down the thousands of other guests because of one person.
This is 100% Mom's fault. How could she think that her neuro-divergent son was going to sit through a concert? I think this is a case of Mommy wanting to see Pink and not having anyone to watch her son.
Anyone arguing that the mom and kid were right in any reason needs their head checked. They are at a lounge concert, not a stadium. And the kid is running around and disrupting other people. Having special needs foes not give you any right to trouble or disrupt others just because. Thats putting your problems onto another person.
If you take someone with disabilities to a concert you have to make sure accommodations can be made. And since you’d be there with hundreds of other who also paid for a seat taking someone who hasn’t the capability to conform to social and safety situations you can’t expect everybody else to accommodate you. Maybe in a few years concerts will be places he can be part of after he grows up a little. Personally I have some sensory issues and I prepare for any attacks or burn outs by taking medication with me and, if possible, getting seats with easy exits.
Apparently, they offered to let her and her son go to a special area set aside for people with sensory issues, which was designed to be sound proof so the sounds of the crowd wouldn't create a sensory overload... and she refused to go there.
Load More Replies... "If Pink knew that she would be discussed" is actually my favourite comment... :-)
Could you change the misleading and sensationalistic headline to more accurately sum up the story? "Child with Downs 'brutally' kicked out of concert" isn't what happened here
It's a shame what happened, but I have been to dozens of live shows where security had to keep people from dancing/standing in the isles. It's just a basic safety concern.
I'm om the fence. On one hand, yes, taking a child with sensory processing difficulties to a concert doesn't sound like a good match. On the other hand, you want to take your special needs child on a day out, like every other parent out there wants their kid to have a nice day. But on the OTHER other hand, a lounge area doesn't seem like a proper accommodation for someone with special needs like this, as far as I can judge. On the OTHER OTHER other hand, if a kid can't jump and dance or walk around, how would anyone else? On the OTHER OTHER OTHER other hand, if you KNOW the lounge area doesn't have proper accommodation for his buggy, then? Conclusion: I have a headache.
I have a daughter who did not have sensory problems growing up but I would never have taken her to a pink concert when she was 7. I took her to a "wiggles" concert when she was 4. All the kids were rocking out and jumping around and flailing about or having a tantrum.There are just so many better other options. Not just the wiggles. :)
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It drives me nuts when parents think the rules don't apply to their child. His disability means mom needs to be more aware of his surroundings and how he's feeling, not that she gets to put that burden on someone else or just ignore it.
If the venue doesn't keep the aisles clear the fire.Marshall will shut down the entire show. The mother should have learned what the rules were before taking a disabled child who could not be accommodated. I can't do lasers and strobe lights due to chronic migraine, so I don't go to those concerts that have them.
I'm all for making things more accessible and if concerts can do it, they should, but the rules are there for safety and especially because he is so small and has special needs, for this boy's safety! I'm guessing a different type of room or viewing area is needed for kids like this. It's unfortunate how she reacted, because it' could be teaching him to disregard rules that are there to protect him. And she needs to recognize his limitations- it's great if he can go to a concert but if it's not safe for him then she needs to wait. My 10yo son has trouble sitting too and I would not take him somewhere I couldn't keep him safe, knowing it would be a problem.
I wish concert venues were as strict with adults who insist on standing up in the seated area, therefore blocking the view or forcing everyone behind them to stand up as well. This has happened to me loads of times: I had a seat and then a lot of people in front decided they’d rather stand. There has never been any security stopping them from doing that.
It wasn't because he was standing up. It was because he was in the aisle. I do agree with you that people standing up for the fun of it and causing everyone behind them all to stand up in the section should be addressed by security. I can't stand for long periods at a time. I'm not qualified as disabled, so I can't do disabled seating. But I've sat with friends who are and the seating is usually awful and can't see the moment the row right in front stands up. I just can't go to these anymore for that simple reason.
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A Pink concert is probably the last place where sitting should be mandatory.
Exactly! Everyone was mostly standing when, I saw Bowie live back in 2004 in Wellington, NZ on his Reality Tour.
Load More Replies... 7yr old, downs syndrome or not, likely shouldn't be at a multi hour music concert. Also, in this specific case, there was no brutality.
They were "brutally" booted out? Really? Were they stuffed in hessian sacks and thrown out of the venue's windows? Or perhaps they were beaten within an inch of their lives and then tossed off the roof? Oh, neither of those things happened, and they weren't actually "booted out" from the venue at all, with the mother choosing to leave rather than accept any of the accomodations that the venue offered her. Btw, what kind of idiot takes someone with severe sensory issues to a live concert? that's like taking someone with epilepsy to a rave.
I'm not commenting on this post but on the fact that 51% of people in the poll DON'T think venues should improve accessibility and inclusivity. Have you ever tried attending an event in a wheelchair? Or going with someone who is? You can't use stairs & 90% of the time elevators are so far out of the way you waste a ridiculous amount of time going back and forth. Other concert goers assume it's ok to use accessible bathrooms when someone in a wheelchair needs one, & lemme tell you, emptying a bag is impossible in a regular stall. Your seating options are limited. You're at a disadvantage because venues are built for the typically abled. Before you downvote, consider this... Why should people with different needs not be afforded the same access that typical people are? Why is it OK to discriminate based on ability? There have definitely been improvements in the last 10 years but there's a long way to go. We're not asking for special treatment, just equal treatment.
Pink is not for 7 year olds. There was an option, she chose a victim blame instead. She is weaponising her child.
Another Instagram mom trying to get attention. This time using her disabled kid. Pretty gross behavior. Seems like she took her kid to an age inappropriate show so she could see Pink, didn't follow the rules, refused the accommodations, continued to f**k around, then complained when she found out.
You keep using this word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Why exactly would you take a SEVEN year old to a concert starting at 8:45 PM, let alone one with sensory issues? I have sensory issues and I know I would not enjoy a concert even if it was Pink, who's my favorite singer. Also I love her but she's not really for small children.
"Brutally ejected"? How so? The Mom is an idiot for taking a SEVEN YEAR OLD with sensory processing disorder to a loud concert, most likely with strobe lights. Seriously, what TF is wrong with you? Also, I want to point out that security at any venue is hired by the venue and has nothing whatsoever to do with the artist. Pink probably didn't know anything about it for days, if she was even told.
basic entitlement, as many others are saying, why would anyone bring a child with sensory processing issues to a concert? those things are already a challenge to process for a good proportion of people without those issues. I can't believe that this child was taken to this event without any due diligence.
so knowing her son had a sensory disorder she took him to somewhere that would quite obviously not be suitable was offered to go in a room for people with sensory issues but decided to leave instead why
I have a child who is easily overwhelmed by sounds and sensations. Think I should take him to a sold out stadium concert. Smdh
Those blaming the singer people were paying to watch and listen to need to get some understanding. P!NK shouldn't have even been brought up in this story. If your kid, regardless of age or abilities or sensory issues, isn't going to stay in the seat and is disrupting many people's enjoyment of the performer they paid to see, then the adults and kids at fault SHOULD be removed. I paid to see the singer not your kids.
Unfortunately the who situation sucks but they have to follow fire code in places like that. I hate that this little boy missed the concert. I guess maybe I would have gone to the room they offered but I don't know for sure.
What makes people think concerts like this are suitable for 7 year olds, let alone 7 year olds with sensory processing disorders?!
Very good question. Also, how exactly were they "brutally" ejected?
Load More Replies... Hospitality tickets are over £300 each. Which mean that this child was disrupting other fans who paid through the nose to be there, not to be dealing with a child running about and causing disruption. Asking for understanding and support is fine, but there's a time and a place and this isn't it. Better to have left the child at home and used the £300 that his ticket cost to hire a decent babysitter.
Exactly, yeah. I see the mother assumed that buying tickets for a premium area would mean there was enough room for her kid to move around, but she should have contacted the venue and *asked* about the options they have to accommodate Jesse's needs. Based on the last picture above (assuming it's a real one of this incident), she ended up in the section for people who were paying extra *not* to have other people milling around during the performance, and I don't blame them for wanting to get what they paid for. (I do wonder whether it might've been an option to this family switch to the area below where people are standing, but maybe that section was full. Or maybe by that point the mother was being obnoxious enough that they didn't want to inflict her on another group of guests.)
Load More Replies... I actually made the effort to read and see exactly how the security guards "brutally" ejected them. They did not. They were just asked to sit down or leave.
They were even offered to experience the concert from a special sensory room, such brutality!
Load More Replies... Any person that disturbs and annoys other people has to face the consequences, no matter the age or the condition. No exceptions.
I work private security, occasionally I'm asked to run venues such as the drilled Ford amphitheater in Vail Co, Red rocks amphitheater and lost colonious. Their rules are all just about the same of where anybody can stand versus sit.. it's not the venue making up these rules it is the fire marshal and they need to be enforced because the fire marshal will shut the show down if the rules are not being enforced. I deal with entitlement in one shape or another at every one of these places for someone having a "reason" why the rules don't apply to them. I'm sympathetic occasionally but still at the end of the day I have a job to do and I'd rather not let down the thousands of other guests because of one person.
This is 100% Mom's fault. How could she think that her neuro-divergent son was going to sit through a concert? I think this is a case of Mommy wanting to see Pink and not having anyone to watch her son.
Anyone arguing that the mom and kid were right in any reason needs their head checked. They are at a lounge concert, not a stadium. And the kid is running around and disrupting other people. Having special needs foes not give you any right to trouble or disrupt others just because. Thats putting your problems onto another person.
If you take someone with disabilities to a concert you have to make sure accommodations can be made. And since you’d be there with hundreds of other who also paid for a seat taking someone who hasn’t the capability to conform to social and safety situations you can’t expect everybody else to accommodate you. Maybe in a few years concerts will be places he can be part of after he grows up a little. Personally I have some sensory issues and I prepare for any attacks or burn outs by taking medication with me and, if possible, getting seats with easy exits.
Apparently, they offered to let her and her son go to a special area set aside for people with sensory issues, which was designed to be sound proof so the sounds of the crowd wouldn't create a sensory overload... and she refused to go there.
Load More Replies... "If Pink knew that she would be discussed" is actually my favourite comment... :-)
Could you change the misleading and sensationalistic headline to more accurately sum up the story? "Child with Downs 'brutally' kicked out of concert" isn't what happened here
It's a shame what happened, but I have been to dozens of live shows where security had to keep people from dancing/standing in the isles. It's just a basic safety concern.
I'm om the fence. On one hand, yes, taking a child with sensory processing difficulties to a concert doesn't sound like a good match. On the other hand, you want to take your special needs child on a day out, like every other parent out there wants their kid to have a nice day. But on the OTHER other hand, a lounge area doesn't seem like a proper accommodation for someone with special needs like this, as far as I can judge. On the OTHER OTHER other hand, if a kid can't jump and dance or walk around, how would anyone else? On the OTHER OTHER OTHER other hand, if you KNOW the lounge area doesn't have proper accommodation for his buggy, then? Conclusion: I have a headache.
I have a daughter who did not have sensory problems growing up but I would never have taken her to a pink concert when she was 7. I took her to a "wiggles" concert when she was 4. All the kids were rocking out and jumping around and flailing about or having a tantrum.There are just so many better other options. Not just the wiggles. :)
Load More Replies... It drives me nuts when parents think the rules don't apply to their child. His disability means mom needs to be more aware of his surroundings and how he's feeling, not that she gets to put that burden on someone else or just ignore it.
If the venue doesn't keep the aisles clear the fire.Marshall will shut down the entire show. The mother should have learned what the rules were before taking a disabled child who could not be accommodated. I can't do lasers and strobe lights due to chronic migraine, so I don't go to those concerts that have them.
I'm all for making things more accessible and if concerts can do it, they should, but the rules are there for safety and especially because he is so small and has special needs, for this boy's safety! I'm guessing a different type of room or viewing area is needed for kids like this. It's unfortunate how she reacted, because it' could be teaching him to disregard rules that are there to protect him. And she needs to recognize his limitations- it's great if he can go to a concert but if it's not safe for him then she needs to wait. My 10yo son has trouble sitting too and I would not take him somewhere I couldn't keep him safe, knowing it would be a problem.
I wish concert venues were as strict with adults who insist on standing up in the seated area, therefore blocking the view or forcing everyone behind them to stand up as well. This has happened to me loads of times: I had a seat and then a lot of people in front decided they’d rather stand. There has never been any security stopping them from doing that.
It wasn't because he was standing up. It was because he was in the aisle. I do agree with you that people standing up for the fun of it and causing everyone behind them all to stand up in the section should be addressed by security. I can't stand for long periods at a time. I'm not qualified as disabled, so I can't do disabled seating. But I've sat with friends who are and the seating is usually awful and can't see the moment the row right in front stands up. I just can't go to these anymore for that simple reason.
Load More Replies... A Pink concert is probably the last place where sitting should be mandatory.
Exactly! Everyone was mostly standing when, I saw Bowie live back in 2004 in Wellington, NZ on his Reality Tour.
Load More Replies... 7yr old, downs syndrome or not, likely shouldn't be at a multi hour music concert. Also, in this specific case, there was no brutality.
They were "brutally" booted out? Really? Were they stuffed in hessian sacks and thrown out of the venue's windows? Or perhaps they were beaten within an inch of their lives and then tossed off the roof? Oh, neither of those things happened, and they weren't actually "booted out" from the venue at all, with the mother choosing to leave rather than accept any of the accomodations that the venue offered her. Btw, what kind of idiot takes someone with severe sensory issues to a live concert? that's like taking someone with epilepsy to a rave.
I'm not commenting on this post but on the fact that 51% of people in the poll DON'T think venues should improve accessibility and inclusivity. Have you ever tried attending an event in a wheelchair? Or going with someone who is? You can't use stairs & 90% of the time elevators are so far out of the way you waste a ridiculous amount of time going back and forth. Other concert goers assume it's ok to use accessible bathrooms when someone in a wheelchair needs one, & lemme tell you, emptying a bag is impossible in a regular stall. Your seating options are limited. You're at a disadvantage because venues are built for the typically abled. Before you downvote, consider this... Why should people with different needs not be afforded the same access that typical people are? Why is it OK to discriminate based on ability? There have definitely been improvements in the last 10 years but there's a long way to go. We're not asking for special treatment, just equal treatment.
Pink is not for 7 year olds. There was an option, she chose a victim blame instead. She is weaponising her child.
Another Instagram mom trying to get attention. This time using her disabled kid. Pretty gross behavior. Seems like she took her kid to an age inappropriate show so she could see Pink, didn't follow the rules, refused the accommodations, continued to f**k around, then complained when she found out.
You keep using this word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Why exactly would you take a SEVEN year old to a concert starting at 8:45 PM, let alone one with sensory issues? I have sensory issues and I know I would not enjoy a concert even if it was Pink, who's my favorite singer. Also I love her but she's not really for small children.
"Brutally ejected"? How so? The Mom is an idiot for taking a SEVEN YEAR OLD with sensory processing disorder to a loud concert, most likely with strobe lights. Seriously, what TF is wrong with you? Also, I want to point out that security at any venue is hired by the venue and has nothing whatsoever to do with the artist. Pink probably didn't know anything about it for days, if she was even told.
basic entitlement, as many others are saying, why would anyone bring a child with sensory processing issues to a concert? those things are already a challenge to process for a good proportion of people without those issues. I can't believe that this child was taken to this event without any due diligence.
so knowing her son had a sensory disorder she took him to somewhere that would quite obviously not be suitable was offered to go in a room for people with sensory issues but decided to leave instead why
I have a child who is easily overwhelmed by sounds and sensations. Think I should take him to a sold out stadium concert. Smdh
Those blaming the singer people were paying to watch and listen to need to get some understanding. P!NK shouldn't have even been brought up in this story. If your kid, regardless of age or abilities or sensory issues, isn't going to stay in the seat and is disrupting many people's enjoyment of the performer they paid to see, then the adults and kids at fault SHOULD be removed. I paid to see the singer not your kids.
Unfortunately the who situation sucks but they have to follow fire code in places like that. I hate that this little boy missed the concert. I guess maybe I would have gone to the room they offered but I don't know for sure.
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