[nagdu] issues with Super 8

Sat Jul 11 22:21:12 UTC 2009

Chasity,
    Thanks for letting us know how this issue was resolved. Also, please let 
Nick know I am proud of him for his thoughtful resolution!

Fraternally,
Marion


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chasity Jackson" <chasityvanda at charter.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2009 11:00 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] issues with Super 8


> Hi everyone,
>
> Thanks to Nick Whitney, the president of our guide dog division here in 
> Missouri, the issue has been resolved. Nick and I called the hotel 
> together, where he patiently tried to explain the law to the manager. She 
> kept shreaking and getting carried away, stating and interrupting him to 
> keep saying, "We don't allow pets in our king size bedrooms. We have only 
> certain rooms designated for pets." He explained it wasn't a pet, and she 
> continued that  the dog still had dog hair and would contaminate her 
> rooms, and even if it was just sitting in that room, no one else could 
> rent the room afterward until the hotel had a very expensive thorough 
> cleaning done. LOL. Nick said apparently you aren't familiar with state 
> and federal laws, and she kept insisting she couldn't do it. Then she said 
> she'd talk to her boss and to call back. Nick said we'd call back but that 
> we would also pursue this and the local authority would be informed. We 
> then called the corporate office. I had tried calling the corporate office 
> earlier on my own, but the person I spoke with just said it would be a 
> week or so before anything could be done while they investigated. This 
> lady we spoke with this time when Nick and I called together was very 
> helpful and understood immediately that a guide dog was not a pet. She 
> called the local hotel and explained this to the manager who had 
> previously said no. She explained that it was not like a pet, but like 
> medical equipment, and gave her the scenario that if someone in a 
> wheelchair came in, you wouldn't tell them they couldn't have a certain 
> room, etc. So the lady returned and said the manager apologized and said 
> there would be no problem whatsoever. The lady gave me her extension in 
> the event something does arise. I was glad to reach a successful outcome, 
> and thanks again to Nick.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Julie J" <julielj at windstream.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2009 8:51 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] issues with Super 8
>
>
>> Is the issue that you can't stay at the hotel or that  they won't give 
>> you the room with the king size bed?
>>
>> Either way you should still be able to stay in the room you want, but it 
>> might make a difference in how you go about it.  The way I understand 
>> things, hotels are required to make a certain number of rooms accessible 
>> in each style of room.  I don't remember what the exact number of rooms 
>> or percentages are, but there should be at least one room of every type 
>> available to people with various disabilities.
>>
>> I like Marion's advice and the only thing I'd add is to be sure to 
>> explain the king size bed issue to the police when you contact them.
>>
>> HTH
>> Julie
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Marion & Martin" <swampfox1833 at verizon.net>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2009 7:11 AM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] issues with Super 8
>>
>>
>>> Chasity,
>>>    First of all, let me say that Illinois has very good access 
>>> legislation protecting the rights of service animal users making it a 
>>> misdemeanor to deny access! Secondly, I will say that the police 
>>> department should - and I stress "should" - be well informed of the law! 
>>> In April of last year I participated in two workshops sponsored by the 
>>> Illinois Attorney General's office to educate State's Attorneys and law 
>>> enforcement officials. This being said, this is what i suggest: If 
>>> someone from the hotel contacts you and you are told you cannot stay 
>>> even after you explain the law, tell them you will not bring your guide 
>>> dog, but do so anyway. Then, contact the local law enforcement agency 
>>> and explain the issue to them and make sure they understand the law and 
>>> will have someone available to assist you at the time you arrive. Feel 
>>> free to get in touch with me and I will help you out, if you wish. You 
>>> may call me at 813-626-2789.
>>>
>>> Fraternally,
>>> Marion
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Chasity Jackson" <chasityvanda at charter.net>
>>> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2009 6:56 AM
>>> Subject: [nagdu] issues with Super 8
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hey everyone,
>>>>
>>>> I am going to Chicago tomorrow and was intending to stay Sunday night 
>>>> at a Super 8. I called this morning and confirmed my reservation. I 
>>>> know there are mixed opinions on whether or not to notify someone ahead 
>>>> of time that you will be accompanied by a guide dog, but when I am in 
>>>> an area that I don't know all that well, I like to notify them ahead of 
>>>> time so if there are going to be any problems, I can deal with them 
>>>> before I get there, and not have to deal with trying to find another 
>>>> hotel if they persist in not letting me stay. So I told the guy that I 
>>>> wanted a king size bed and before I hung up, told him that I'd be 
>>>> accompanied by a guide dog. He said, "Oh, that will be a problem, 
>>>> because we don't allow dogs in the rooms with king sized beds." I said, 
>>>> "Well, this is a service animal, a guide dog, not a pet," and he said, 
>>>> "I don't care, it's still a dog nonetheless." I persisted and he 
>>>> eventually said I'd have to call back and talk to his boss, but that it 
>>>> was her who said that dogs
>>>> are not allowed in rooms with king sized beds. He said the reason was 
>>>> because there were only 3 of them, whatever that means. I am supposed 
>>>> to call back at 8 and talk to the manager. Who knows, she may be 
>>>> educated and I may not have an issue with it, but I'm concerned what to 
>>>> do if she is as uneducated as he was and says that they don't allow 
>>>> dogs in those particular rooms. Sure, I can fax her a copy of the law, 
>>>> etc. but as we know from a lot of people's past experiences, sometimes 
>>>> that doesn't work. Staying at this hotel is my only option because it 
>>>> is the only one that is in the vacinity of where I need to go. I am not 
>>>> staying directly in Chicago, but in a suburb of Chicago, Tinley Park. 
>>>> The other hotels around that area are either sold out or way out of my 
>>>> price range that I'm willing to pay. What should be done if she is as 
>>>> uninformed as he was?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Chasity
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
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>
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