[Electronics-Talk] Electronics-Talk Digest, Vol 144, Issue 10

Tue Apr 10 15:48:37 UTC 2018

Hi Ron,

I agree with your position. I tried to weigh in on this earlier, but my
response didn't post to the list somehow. I personally identify that I do
have a dog. There are some airlines that ask if you are travelling with a
service dog, and I always tell them I am.

I also tell taxi companies that I am blind, and that I have a dog. If the
driver doesn't know that you are blind, they may be expecting you to use
vision to locate the vehicle. - Uber lets passengers know the make of the
car, but as I can't see the car, this information is not helpful, so I let
uber drivers know that I am blind and that I have a dog. - There is an uber
Ex option, that I will use to signify that there is something extra about my
ride.

I like your point about other passengers having an allergy, especially if
people are using the car pool option. On a bus the person with an allergy
would be able to get farther away from the dog, and it would be less of a
problem than in a car.

I got my dog in August, and I also noticed in the last few months how many
people are afraid of dogs. Once when getting on an elevator there was a
child about 8 or ten years old who was starting to freak out because he was
afraid of dogs, so I took the next elevator. On public transit, I have
noticed a number of people, some of them in their twenties,or older  having
a strong reaction to my guide dog, even though she is the most peaceful
quiet dog one could ever imagine. Just the site of the dog makes some people
very nervous, and these people need to be accommodated as well.

I think that if we want to be granted accommodations then we should be
willing to consider the positions of other people. Everyone has a right to a
work environment that is free of harassment. If a driver identifies as
someone who does not want to transport a dog then the company can exclude
them from the pool of drivers chosen to transport a passenger with a dog.
Then if the ap had a place to indicate if you have a dog, the company could
match people with drivers that are fine with dogs.

There was also some talk about drivers being able to give low ratings to
passengers, and some speculation as to how this could be used to
discriminate against dog users. Personally I have not had trouble using
uber, and I don't think I have negative reviews, but maybe this is because
of how respectful I have been in proactively communicating my guide dog to
drivers before they come to pick me up. I would be interested if anyone had
some evidence that guide dog users are being given low ratings by drivers
with uber.

Also, my dog stays on the floor of the car, but I am wondering if anyone is
allowing their dog to go on the seat of the vehicle. I can understand
drivers being upset about the hair, and dirt that could come off a dog's
paws, if they are on the seat.

When it comes to employment, I and many other blind people that I know, have
difficulty in obtaining employment. We don't want to be discriminated
against, but there are certain jobs we cannot do. I for one cannot work for
Uber as a driver, as much as I would like to, It is just something I am not
capable of. However, there are many other things that I could do, but many
employers don't want to hire me because they focus on what I can't do,
rather than working with what I can do. Getting people fired because they
don't want to transport a dog, is just another form of discrimination. The
person is quite able to transport people without dogs, so the driver should
have the chance to transport people, and to retain his job. Getting fired
because there is one aspect of the job that you cannot do seems very unfair
to me. I was dismissed from a job for not being able to read the order
screen, even though I could do everything else and I was pretty good at it,
- rest assured I got a settlement from human rights over the wrongfull
dismissal, but that is quite off topic for this thread.

This thread is for electronics, so I would like to focus the conversation
towards a system where dog users can self identify, and be matched to
drivers that will take dogs without a problem. 

Respectfully yours,
Ben Fulton

From: "Ronald Smith" <ronsmith131 at gmail.com>
To: "Discussion of accessible home electronics and appliances"
	<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] New Way to Use Uber and Lyft Without a
	Smartphone
Message-ID: <CAE4761B8FDC460095FF91AC14E7FCF9 at RomSmith>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
	reply-type=response

I disagree with Tracy's position and a few others below!
I'm blind, but not a dog user.

If a driver is indeed allergic to dogs, a blind person should have the
curtosy to inform Uber or Lyft that they have a dog guide.
This may influence the size of vehicle if there are several people traveling
with or without dogs and especially if one selects a pool trip.
You could have a pool passenger who is allergic to dogs as well. Now, I
don't know how one would handle this sticky situation.
But 99&44 100% people on Uber I'm sure don't ride with dogs. So why penalize
one driver who can pick up many more non dog users than dog users?
To me, having a dog guide is like adding a second passenger or PCA
equivalent, thus should be required to declare itwhen booking a trip with
above or even Access or train and air as well...

Just my opinion.
ronsmith131 at gmail.com

From: "cheez" <cheez at cox.net>
Sent: Monday, April 09, 2018 7:14 PM

Long live the golden rule.
Wow!

Vince

From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2018 6:44 AM

I do not say I have a service dog when I call for Uber.  If someone is
allergic, then they shouldn't be driving for the public.  Harsh?  Maybe, but
it's excuse #1, and most of the time it's just that, an excuse not to do
something.
Tracy

On Behalf Of Carol Feazell via Electronics-Talk
Sent: Friday, April 06, 2018 6:05 PM

As a point of curiosity and personally not a service dog user, do you
identify the fact that you have a dog when calling for a ride? I'm  thinking
that what if a person was legitimately allergic to dogs. I realize that this
is not the reason most would not want them in their cars. Understand, I do
appreciate anyone getting a raw deal with a dog and I personally am a
doglover, just don't have a dog of any type currently. Still think of the
ones from the past, however. Oh well, so much for that. Do take care and
hope for good rides for all.

Carol Jean

From: Gerald Levy <bwaylimited at verizon.net>
Sent: Friday, April 06, 2018 3:55 PM

Well, if this driver admitted directly to you that he was allergic to  dogs,
he wasn't very bright.  I suppose he could have given you a low rating
instead to protect himself, and then you would have had no way of knowing
why you were being denied service in the future.

Gerald

From: Mike via Electronics-Talk
Sent: Friday, April 06, 2018 3:34 PM

I just got a lyft driver permanently removed because he said he was allergic
to dogs. It was very easy & all done with in 1 hour. They even gave me  back
the money I payed another driver to go home & gave me a $5 credit. You can
call Lyft at 503-503-1748.
Mike

From: Andy Baracco  <wq6r at socal.rr.com>
Sent: Friday, April 6, 2018 2:39 PM

What you say can be true, but it also can be true for taxi and even
paratransit drivers.  Uber and lyft do have policies in place regarding
service animals, but that doesn't garantee that there won't be issues.
This is why it is important to be familiar with local, state, and Federal
antidiscrimination laws, especially those that pertain to people with
disabilities and service animals.

Andy

From: "Gerald Levy" <bwaylimited at verizon.net>
Sent: Friday, April 06, 2018 3:37 AM

Keep in mind that Uber and Lift may not be available in all areas.  In
general, if you live in a large city and your neighborhood is not well
served by yellow taxi cabs, it is not likely to be served by these
ride-sharing services, either.  That's because Uber and Lift drivers tend to
concentrate where the cabs are, because that's where the business is.
Taxi cabs tend to serve rich neighborhoods and avoid poor neighborhoods.
The same is true of Uber and Lift.  Another dirty little secret about these
services that many consumers are not aware of is that drivers actually rate
passengers, so that passengers that consistently receive negative ratings
from drivers bmay not be able to book rides in the future.  So a blind
passenger who travels with a guide dog may constantly receive negative
ratings from drivers who dislike dogs riding in their vehicles.  To me, this
is a blatant violation of privacy rights.

Gerald

From: Andy Baracco via Electronics-Talk
>>> Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2018 10:25 PM I believe that you set up 
>>> payment info when you sign up for Go Go. It is done with a credit 
>>> card, as Uber and Lyft drivers do not accept cash, even though I 
>>> believe that you can tip an Uber driver with cash.
>>>
>>> Andy
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Michael Russillo via Electronics-Talk"
>>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> To: "Drew Hunthausen via Electronics-Talk" 
>>> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> Cc: "Michael Russillo" <plrussillo at comcast.net>
>>> Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2018 6:57 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [Electronics-Talk] New Way to Use Uber and Lyft Without 
>>> a Smartphone
>>>
>>>
>>>> Ah, interesting. Good idea; I'm curious as to how one pays their 
>>>> driver; I understand with the smartphone app the rider sets up 
>>>> payment through PayPal or something so the Uber or Lyft driver can 
>>>> be paid; I'm curious if this'll work with this service, and how 
>>>> safe is it to give monetary info to Gogo if one goes through them 
>>>> to register? Meanwhile i'll take a gander at the site; thanks for 
>>>> that info; could be really helpful as I don't own any smartphone 
>>>> and I'm not of the tapping school, but old-school physical buttons.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Peter
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 4/5/2018 9:45 PM, Drew Hunthausen via Electronics-Talk wrote:
>>>>> So this service uses Uber and Lift drivers?
>>>>>
>>>>> Drew Hunthausen
>>>>> The No Excuses Blind Guy
>>>>> #1 Blind and Hearing Impaired Motivational Speaker, Triathlete,
>>>>> & International Best Selling Author
>>>>>
>>>>> Get my free guide, The Five Keys To Living A No Excuses Life Filled 
>>>>> With
>>>>> Joy, Peace, and Prosperity!
>>>>> http://DrewsInspirations.com
>>>>>
>>>>> To book Drew for your event go to
>>>>> http://bookdrew.com
>>>>> (714) 296-7111
>>>>>
>>>>> With an Attitude of Gratitude and no excuses, The Best Is Yet To Come!
>>>>> http://NoExcusesBlindGuy.com
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Electronics-Talk <electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf
>>>>> Of
>>>>> cheez via Electronics-Talk
>>>>> Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2018 6:31 PM
>>>>> To: Electronic Talks <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Cc: cheez <cheez at cox.net>
>>>>> Subject: [Electronics-Talk] New Way to Use Uber and Lyft Without a
>>>>> Smartphone
>>>>>
>>>>> New Way to Use Uber and Lyft Without a Smartphone:
>>>>> GoGo is an automated hotline that lets people use Uber and Lyft 
>>>>> without
>>>>> needing a smartphone.
>>>>>
>>>>> Uber and Lyft are available nationally; when you use GoGoGrandparent,
>>>>> we'll
>>>>> send you whichever one is cheapest at the time that you make your
>>>>> request
>>>>> for a ride. Their prices are typically up to 40 percent less than the
>>>>> cost
>>>>> of a cab.
>>>>>
>>>>> Using GoGo is simple: callers call from a number they have registered
>>>>> with
>>>>> us and hear a menu of options. They can press 1 for a car to be sent 
>>>>> to
>>>>> pick
>>>>> them up from their home, 2 for a car to be sent to pick them up where 
>>>>> we
>>>>> dropped them off last, or 0 to speak with an operator for a custom
>>>>> pickup
>>>>> location. Once the driver arrives, they tell the driver where they 
>>>>> want
>>>>> to
>>>>> go. When you make a request, a car shows up at your door within 
>>>>> fifteen
>>>>> minutes, typically less.
>>>>>
>>>>> To register free of charge, please call (855) 464-6872 or visit
>>>>> <gogograndparent.com/register>.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>   Vince