DB
Darrena Strawder (Blu_Haze)
Jan 3, 2026
On January 3, 2026, I visited Taco Bell at 1351 St Nicholas Ave, Manhattan, NY 10033. I have epilepsy and was only there to order food. I had just pulled off the highway into NYC from North Carolina. I placed my order at the self-check screen and waited for it to be ready. When I received my order, I felt a bit lightheaded and needed to take my seizure medication.
I have two types of seizures: Grand Mal and absence seizures. Grand Mal seizures occur in different ways, while absence seizures make me blank and guide off. I asked the employee, Fabio, if I could have some water to take my medication. He aggressively told me that I had to pay $2.50 for a Taco Bell cup to get water from the faucet. I begged him, saying I just needed water to take my medicine.
By this time, I was experiencing an absence seizure, where I blanked out and guided off. Fabio was watching me but didn’t seem to care. When I came back to my senses, I asked again for water, not realizing I just had a seizure. He replied that I had to pay for an empty cup, which was the price of a regular drink.
I asked for a refund, and he gave it back quickly without any problem. I felt bad and disliked the experience. The NYC police were called, but they did nothing about the water. They only wanted me to pay more for an ambulance, even though my seizure had already passed.
My point is that as a tourist, I was allowed to have a seizure, buy a meal, and refuse to get a small amount of water. I hope Fabio loses his job and understands how important water was for me during my pre-seizure period. I would have been able to control the seizure episode with just a little water and my medication when I couldn’t take them. My husband was outside when he came in to receive the refund, he was upset I had a seizure and was denied water. This Taco Bell would have allowed me to choke and die before giving me water from the fountain. P.S they did not have bottled water for me to purchase only option Fabio gave me was to buy a cup. I believe the manager name was Ursula and she barely said anything until my husband came inside. @tacobell