A Mississippi woman who is legally blind says she and her family were turned away from a restaurant because she had her service dog with her.
Carlyn White is legally blind and relies on her service dog, Kuzco, to help her navigate the world. Last week, she says she encountered a first when her family was told they couldn’t enter a restaurant in the Pine Belt region with her dog, WDAM reports.
Lot of latitude in being "legally" blind.
ReplyDeleteMy wife has macular degeneration and is legally blind. She can see shapes up to a few feet away, but no details. She hasn't had a driver's license in 14 years. She can't read and if she's watching a video on her tablet, she has to hold it about 6 inches from her nose.
DeleteNot according to the law.
DeleteThis restauranter is a moron, and should go out of business. If he doesn't abide by the ADA laws what condition is his kitchen in?
I finally went to the eye doctor for my cataracts a few years ago. He examined me, said I was legally blind and shouldn't be driving. I asked If he could get me a handicap parking tag, he laughed, told me to get out.
DeleteDaryl
I have always been against the government telling us what we can and cannot do, so I will side with the restaurant owner on this one. I am sure the business he will lose after this story goes viral (and it will), will be more than enough to dwarf the measly $500 fine imposed. It's Mississippi for God's sake! They will probably be closing their doors permanently very soon.
ReplyDeleteGood. If they can't be smart enough to know this very basic law about service animals, they have no business running a business for the public.
DeleteHer last name is "White" so does that make it racist too?
ReplyDeleteAfter the lawsuit she'll split the money with her friends who went there with their emotional support chihuahuas destroying the place.
ReplyDeleteThere is a difference between a certified service dog and 'emotional support' animal.
DeleteYup, first one is real, the second one is delusional fantasy.
DeleteNot according to my local grocery store. Saw some assholes bring in a dog once and they let it roam freely in the producs department. Sadly, the store did not have one fuck to give.
DeleteThat's on your store, not the people that need service dogs.
DeleteOur Walmart ignores animals in the store but our Piggly Wiggly won't allow anything other than a certified (key word there) service animals.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as 'certified'. No government agency, or recognized third party. Make your own certifications in paint!
DeleteTrue service animals have some sort of certification or certificate to demonstrate the extensive they have gone through.
DeleteWhile it is true that a lot of jerks try to pass off their pets as service animals, that in no way means that true service animals and their owners can be discriminated against. You want to gamble? Fine. This restaurant lost. Bigly.
ADA does not require any certification or documentation. You are only allowed to ask two questions to accertain if it is a Service Animal: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform.
DeleteLet me get this straight. Her family is with her and she still needs a service dog? What, to read the menu for her? Nah, toss her out! The only way I see it as legit is if the person is by themselves and actually needs help. Otherwise, no dogs!
ReplyDeleteOh, for fuck's sake. What an asshole.
DeleteReally. wirecutter's right. You are an asshole. Let's hope you try that sometime it gets you sued.
DeleteLet's hope that was tongue in cheek..
DeleteIgnorant people have destroyed the whole Service Dog thing. Most of them are just pets. It does not say it was a Seeing Eye dog only that it is a Service Dog, there is a difference. Past experience with out of control dogs, customers and staff with allergies and government over-reach all play a part in this. The establishment should be able to make the call, don't like it? Take your money else-where.
ReplyDeleteA seeing Eye dog is considered a service animal. Also, the article states that the young woman is legally blind. It doesn't take much to put two and two together.
DeleteI do agree that the service dog thing has been taken advantage of, especially with the 'emotional support' dogs, but the simple fact of the matter is, the ADA says Seeing Eye dogs are allowed.
No. The restaurant deserves to get sued. Hard.
Delete"No. The restaurant deserves to get sued. Hard."
DeleteDoggy Style
-lg
I'd rather have dogs in the restaurant and not people just saying .....service dogs or mutts much better then people.
ReplyDeleteAhhhh...Kim Jong Dong's Korean restaurant welcomes all service dogs. A frat brother has been a practicing vet since 1978 in Columbia.
ReplyDeleteI eat most of my meals at home and, over the years, I’ve been accompanied by 1-3 dogs. Never had any problem.
ReplyDeleteI mostly don't believe anything I read in the news these days. They lie about the damndest things and and they never manage to summon up all the facts.
ReplyDeleteCouple of observations/opinions. 1, that restaurant is screwed. They gonna have to pay, either in fines or review bombing. 2, All the support animals aside, (except for emotional support llamas, screw the llamas) who defines a service dog? What about a vet with PTSD and his support dog? What about someone prone to seizures and their dog?
ReplyDeleteYou know what? Fuck em. Bring you dog into the diner with you. I'd rather eat with a few dogs roaming at my feet than 90% of the people eating there.