[nagdu] questions I get from my bus driver that is not an accessible bus just regular bus

Wed Dec 8 22:57:58 UTC 2010

Cheryl, 

All the bus driver can ask are the two questions specified by the DOJ. 

Is that a service animal to assist with your disability? 
What tasks does that animal perform? 

If the dog is disruptive and has a history of being so on buses, then it can
be banned from the buses all together. The person cannot be banned but the
dog can, so if she leaves the dog at home, she can still ride. 

If a dog gets on the bus with someone and that person says it's a service
animal and the dog doesn't bother anyone, then there's nothing to be done.  
Jenine Stanley
jeninems at wowway.com

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of cheryl echevarria
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2010 5:38 PM
To: nagdu
Subject: [nagdu] questions I get from my bus driver that is not an
accessible bus just regular bus

As many of you know I live out in Long Island, NY not to far from GDF.

And there has been a person, who swears that there dog is a guide dog,
meaning a pit bull.

I don't know if Jeanine knows about this issue.  But here on Long Island, I
believe every year the Suffolk County Bus Company for there drivers that is
called sensitivity training.

I wish they would allow me to come as well as being part of NAGDU, and have
a representative from GDF as well as the other service animal schools in the
area.

One day, I was a passenger on the bus when this person tried to pass off
there dog as a service animal, again this dog is a pit bull.

I was sitting there and the driver said that we are stopping and the person
has a dog and has tried to get on the bus before the driver side to me, they
don't carry a card with them, but they carry the print out of the ADA law
with them.

I will tell you what happened, and then I will put what the driver's
question is.

First when the driver stopped and the woman tried to get on the bus, now
mind you I sit in the front because I like to talk to my driver as well.
Nice guy, many years he has been the driver, anyway she tries to get on but
her dog starts to growl and bark at my dog.  Maxx moved closer to me not
wanting anything to do with this dog.

I asked her what type of dog is that, she said a pit bull, no I said meaning
what kind of service animal is it.  She said he was just a service animal
and that she has the paperwork to prove it. I said what job does the dog do
for you, I didn't say what disability she has.  She said he is her comfort
animal.  I said 1, Comfort animals are not considered Service Animals and
fall under the ADA. 2. In the State of NY, especially Suffolk County NY, and
some other parts of NY to even have a pit bull, and that I am blind and a
graduate of GDF I said which school, and I pulled out my ID from GDF, I do
not need to carry paperwork around with me and never should she. From my
searching I have found that especially in the state of NY there is no
service animal training schools that train pit bulls. I asked her where she
got her dog, she said NY.

The driver asked her to please leave if she could not control her dog.

A few months later she tried to get on another bus and the driver let her
on.

The driver and I spoke the other day since I had to go somewhere, that she
tried to get on again on his bus, and he said he wouldn't allow the dog on
the bus.

The driver wants to know how far are they allowed to go to stop this.

To many people are trying this in Suffolk County.

Yes we get IDs and I don't know what the big deal is about giving ID, I
think that helps a lot, especially in the case that it is not always obvious
to lets say in this situation to tell if someone is disabled and needs a
dog, I mean if a person is blind it is not always noticeable, not everyone
uses dark glasses, or has a dog with a harness with the schools name on it,
or a person in a wheelchair, and with more children and adult with seizures
or autism or other disabilities how is one to know.  You can't ask what the
disability you have, you can't force a person to show ID.  What is the
answer?

The biggest compliment you can pay me is to recommend my services!

Cheryl Echevarria 
http://Echevarriatravel.com<http://echevarriatravel.com/>
1-866-580-5574
Reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:Reservations at echevarriatravel.com>

Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel CST-1018299-10
Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise and Travel Inc.

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