[nagdu] A true allergy case

Tamara Smith-Kinney tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Fri Aug 13 17:51:51 UTC 2010


Chastity,

Oh, my!  I would probably do exactly what you did, since I have encountered
the fake allergies before ad nauseum.  Well, and in times when unemployment
was less rampant, I would also kinda think that if someone is that sensitive
to what's in the air, perhaps they should find another line of work?  I
tried not to let that attitude get the best f me, because who am I to judge,
but the thought was there.These days, I don't even bother to think it. Sigh.

Anyway, I've thought a lot about what I would do in a situation like the one
you describe, where my choice of adaptive tool causes someone else genuine
physical illness...  That's tricky, and I have so far only come to the
conclusion that it will depend...  

I feel bad for you -- and for the driver -- and it sounds like you managed
the situation very well once you were in it.  Kudos!

I think we've had some discussions on the list before about the legal
approaches to the conflict between people with dog guides and people with
severe dog allergies when we're all mixing together out in public where we
all have a perfect right to be and expect to be safe...

With nothing useful to offer on that one, I leave it to better minds than
mine.  /smile/

Thanks for sharing.

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Chasity Jackson
Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2010 6:46 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nagdu] A true allergy case

Hi listers. I feel real bad tonight. I have taken a few cabs today. I took
one from my allergist's office to Walmart, and another from Walmart back
home. When it came to taking a cab from the allergist's office to Walmart, I
waited quite a while. I kept calling and inquiring about the status on the
cab, and they kept giving me numbers and saying, "Cab 1154 is on the way,"
and then, "Cab 1066 is on the way." Neither of them ever showed. I thought I
remembered those numbers from earlier trips and I thought they were numbers
of cabs where the driver gave me a hard time about my dog. I had no proof
though that either of them came and drove off when they saw my dog. So I
finally got a cab to Walmart. The driver and I were discussing how it was
against the law for drivers to refuse someone with a guide dog because they
were scared. The driver said, "Next time someone does that to you, put the
fear of God into them." And he gave me the name of the president of the cab
company, and he said that when every driver and every cab company gets their
license, they are handed a letter that specifically states that if they
refuse a blind person with a guide dog, they will be fired and possibly have
their license revoked. The driver said in addition to threatening to call
the president on the driver, also threaten to call the Metropolitan Taxi Cab
Commission. He said these two combined would put the fear of God into every
driver and make them change their mind faster than you'll believe. Then,
when it was time to come home, my friend Terry and I went outside...And sure
enough, I got to put my new knowledge into practice immediately. The driver
said, "I'm gonna have to call you another cab. I don't take dogs." I have
gotten this off and on a lot with this company...And when I insist that the
driver take me, I have to hear him complain the whole way home. So I said,
"Oh yes you do. If you don't take me, I'll call the police, and then I'll
call so and so, who is the president of the cab company and I'll call the
Metropolitan Taxi Cab Commission and take measures to get your license
revoked." And then he immediately stuttered and said, "Okay, let me ask my
dispatcher." So less than a minute later, he came out of the cab and said,
"Okay, I'm so sorry. I've never heard this before. But could you please sit
on the door nearest the passenger's side, because I'm terribly allergic to
dogs." So I thought it was the same old song and dance, just another person
scared of dogs trying to lie and get their way out of it. I've heard that
line before for so many years. I've even had cab drivers say they're going
to lie and say they're allergic to dogs so they don't have to transport me.
But the whole way home, he sneezed, coughed, and literally sounded like he
was going to puke. I know when someone is exaggerating and trying to put on,
and this guy was truly having an allergic reaction. Now I know that the law
states that unless the allergy rises to the level of a disability, that the
driver still has to transport the dog and passenger. But I can guarantee you
that anyone with half a heart would have felt bad hearing this guy. Even
though it was the law, and I had every right, even though he was allergic to
my dog, I felt so bad. I even apologized afterwards. I said that I was sorry
to have been so firm about it, but I've heard the same old song and dance
for years. He said he didn't blame me, and said not to feel bad. He said he
was sorry too that he was so ignorant of the law. I know that some might say
I didn't owe that guy an apology, but I just felt terrible after seeing him
carry on so bad. I must have talked to him for 5 minutes when I got home
about all the drivers who have tried to refuse me over the years, and that I
have never had a legitimate situation arise. He said, "Oh, no I was honestly
not trying to do that. Your dog is beautiful and looks totally harmless. I
am truly allergic to dogs." In the end, it was all good, but I still felt
bad even though technically by the law, I was in the right. Has anyone ever
experienced a true case where someone was allergic to your dog and you felt
bad after they had to be around you for a given period of time?
Chasity
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