Banner Sponsors
For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Posts: 3,540My friend Dean has sent me this email and recounting this morning. The more I read, the madder, and more indignant I got! 
I simply cannot believe this is happening in the 21st century!!! Who on earth hasn't heard of a Guide or Service dog???
This past weekend we were to have a meeting with Patti's rep for Social Security. The man is legally blind, and uses a service/guide dog. Both the dog and man have been trained to work together in daily situations. It has become a common sight to see service animals of all sorts helping folks all over our country.
We got a brief call saying something had come up and they had to cancel and would explain later. Last evening they called. What they told us was shocking. The man and his wife are in their late 50's. Both are well educated professionals. The gentleman his wife are always polite and well dressed.
They had decided to drive down the North Oregon Coast. About half way down the coast, they stopped for the night and got a lovely ocean view room, then decided to eat at one of the finest restaurants on the coast. They dressed appropriately for dinner, and walked to the restaurant.
As can be expected in a tourist area, there was a bit of a wait in the entry of the restaurant. This place was quite posh and had come highly recommended. When they got ready to give their names etc. to the hostess, she took one look at the dog, and left abruptly with out a word to them.
Upon her return with the manager, she informed them that they and their dog would have to leave NOW! and, they would not be seated even if they came back without the dog! The man tried to explain that the dog was a service animal. He even had a state issued license saying the animal was specially trained and was allowed by state and federal law in ANY establishment open to the public.
The poor little 18 yr. old who was to seat them was almost in tears while the manager dressed them down. Try as he might, the people in charge would not give in. A side note here, both he and his wife are diabetic. They had traveled long past when they should have stopped for food. Fortunately, other restaurants were close by, but were fast food joints, and they were at least able to get something to eat. During the conversation, with the manager, he had asked to speak to the owner but was informed she would not be there till the next day.
The next morning the couple again with his service dog went to the restaurant. Again a different hostess refused to seat them. When he asked to speak with the owner, she came out and made a huge scene. The gentleman and his wife remained cool, and tried again to defuse the situation.
He showed her his state issued card, which she proceeded to tell him in a loud voice was fake and that he was a liar. She dressed him down and told him to leave or she would call the cops! Both incidents occurred in front of a crowd of diners. Several folks protested and left.
When he informed her that state and federal law dictated the rules for service animals, she told him that was not her problem. After exhausting all avenues, he gave up and they left. Both of them were so upset they canceled all appointments and went back home. He immediately contacted both state and federal authorities.
As everyone knows, I am on forearm crutches, and for the past year Patti has been on a walker. I have had several incidents over the years of people being extraordinarily rude, to the point of yelling at me and one even threatened me. I might add, in that case it was a bad judgment call on his part!
Please tell everyone you know about this. People with disabilities are just like everyone else, they just need to make a few adjustments in order to lead life. An occurrence like this in the 21st century is outrageous. Patti and I were amazed at this business owners actions.
Those actions will come back to haunt her. The couple talked with both an attorney and also the appropriate state and federal offices. Charges are being drawn up, and the man has hired an attorney to sue her on a civil liberties basis. I am shocked a business owner would be so uncaring and cause a scene in a tourist business.
Perhaps this will teach her that All people in this country are assured equal rights under the law.
Waggle BearsUnbelievable! They should have let her call the police and let her explain to them why she wouldn't seat the couple. But they'd probably had quite enough of her attitude. Good for them in reporting this to the authorities.
BrisbaneI cannot believe that people can still be so ignorant when it comes to guide dogs and such. Good on them for reporting this restaurant, they should have known better.
Matilda Huggington-beare It makes my blood boil this kind of selfish ignorance
I hope the restuarant owner looses her business over this . I know that is really mean and nasty of me but sometimes these type of cretins deserve the worst thrown at them for being so ignorantly arrogant.
ggggrrrrr.....I'm cross
Sophie Z'OursThat's totally unfair!
By the way, i happened a few time to cross the way of people with guide dogs and the doggies were the nicest and cleverest dogs ever.
Beary hugs,
Sophie.
DoodlebearsI hope they throw the book at the restaurant owner. She should loose her licence for they way she treated those people. I hope she gets shown up to the public for her disgraceful behavior.
Hugs Jane.
How unbelivably cruel, that should never happen in this day and age, I hope the owner's get what is coming to them.
Pauline
Chaska, MinnesotaThat is in deed shocking! I still amazes me on how many people out there are uninformed about service animals and the law. I bet when this is all done, the manager and owner of the restaurant will get a good dose of reality.
I hope they follow this through right to the point where this restaurant owner is prosecuted. It makes me so angry reading something like this. The more I see of life, the more I realise the world is full of completely ignorant people. Only by fighting will these people be put in their place. Good luck to your firend and his wife. :hug:
Posts: 3,540I seriously want to 'name and shame' but Dean said he didn't get the name of the restuarant from his friends. Given that its gone to state, federal and civil lawsuits, I half suspect they won't name the place until the red tape is finished. However, I'm TRULY pleased if this was going to happen that it happened to him ~ only because he's a lawyer and will hit them as hard as he can.
This attitude, though, that somehow disabled people or their service animals are not fit for public ~ ooooh!!! It really got me mad!!! How DARE they??? Grrrrrrrr....
Posts: 2,203 That dog had a right to be there. People make me so mad!
