[nagdu] Re Guide Dog and taxis

Sat Jul 30 03:23:06 UTC 2011

Marion,

I have had that result, too. Sigh. It's super frustrating because even
if you know darn well what's going on there that you had to wait so
long, there's no way you can really even start an argument over it
because you have no clear indication and they can just claim they
weren't doing any such thing. Grr! 

With the cab company I used wen I was closer to downtown, I didn't
notice much difference when I went from being just me and my white cane
to  me and my poodle. /smile/ For that company, Radio Cab, the cabby's
own their own cars for the most part, and they also own the company
collectively. So I could count on good service and great cabby's, which
was nice. They would always get someone out to me quickly when I was
using them regularly. I got spoiled. So it was no skin off my nose with
that company to let them know I would be bringing the dog along as a
courtesy to them for their courteous service and all that quid pro quo
stuff. I like having a good relationship with the companies that provide
the local services I use frequently, and it generally works out well for
me.

Out here, though, I skip the mention of the guide dog, since I have to
wait a lot longer no matter which cab company I call. There's not really
a local company, or there wasn't last time I used a cab a couple of
years back, so that's frustrating. when I have to get to an appointment.
Even calling way ahead without mentioning anything that might resemble a
dog does not guarantee a cab will show up in time because I guess no one
wants to drive all the way out here for only one fare. Rains on my
parade, that does. So I'm not going to take chances. So I guess it
depends a lot on where you live and how the cab companies are there. The
other major Portland cab company I never did like as well, and the
drivers do appear to be more likely to be persnickety about the dog.
I've never been refused service, but riding from one end of the Portland
metro area all the way out the other during rush hour with a driver who
is cheesed off about your dog in their precious cab is not my idea of a
fun ride. Also, that guy, who had an accent that indicated he might be
having religious concerns about the dog in the back seat floor,
sometimes appeared to be pretty busy paying attention to what the dog
might be up to than what traffic might be up to. . /lol/ The dog was
lying on the floor as she should, but I was starting to get twitchy
about the whole thing, so then I would start to fidget too much, and she
would move and her bells and tags would jingle, so he would throw a his
head around and stare so hard I could feel it, so then I would get more
uptight, so more jingling, so... /lol/ That ride got really, really
long, I assure you.

Anyway, if I were traveling , say, and called a cab from a hotel in a
strange city, I wouldn't mention that I had a service dog, since I do
wouldn't know the company or the drivers. Now that I think about it, I
would be tempted to use the company the hotel uses and have them call
for me without stopping to think they might bring that up. Except that
just now I thought of it. Probably my comfort level with using their
service would depend a lot on the vibes I picked up from them...Anyway,
I'm personally not stuck on doing it one way or the other but prefer to
make that judgment call situationally. I suppose that even staying in a
hotel for travel and calling a cab to, say, go out for a nice dinner
where I had reservations, I would weigh my overall time schedule with
the possibility of having an extra wait because I mentioned the dog
versus the possibility of missing my reservation because I was having an
unscheduled fight with a cabby over discrimination. Sigh.

I do think that if someone were to ask me what they should do about
notification for cabs and other such services, I would give them your
advice and simply explain the pros and cons as I know them so that the
person could make his/her own choice in the matter. The law does say
that we are not required to let the cab company or driver know ahead of
time about our guide dogs. That information is irrelevant to whether
they come to pick us up, as it is irrelevant as to whether they allow us
into their cab so that we can pay them to drive us somewhere. Too bad
this doesn't always happen. /smile/

Tami

On Fri, 2011-07-29 at 19:05 -0400, Marion Gwizdala wrote: 
> Gary and all,
>     I generally advise that one not give advance notice that we will be 
> traveling with a guide dog. The presence of the service dog is irrelevant to 
> whether or not they transport you. If the dispatcher broadcasts, "I'm 
> looking for someone willing to take a fare with a dog!" you may wait longer 
> for a ride than if they didn't know. This sets you up for the type of 
> discrimination known as an unequal benefit. I have dealt with several people 
> who gave advance notice and regretted it because of the long wait times. 
> JMHO!
> 
> Fraternally yours,
> Marion
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "GARY STEEVES" <rainshadowmusic at shaw.ca>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, July 29, 2011 6:13 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Re Guide Dog and taxis
> 
> 
> >
> > Hi:
> >
> > Generally, I don't have a problem just telling the company I have a dog 
> > since, if there is the potential for an issue this should remove it. The 
> > issue I have and am going to talk to my current cab company about is that 
> > they have one letter symbols for things. I learned this two weeks ago when 
> > three trips in a row I got a van cab. I found out that my file had a V for 
> > van and A for animal. I think they need to add another symbol that 
> > represents service dogs since an animal is a bit vague. I got cabs who 
> > don't mind dogs but sometimes I think they believe it is a pet, especially 
> > cuz it's a poodle which they never see as guide dogs. Also, being that we 
> > are getting picked up right in front of my house and I've usually just 
> > been walking bogart around the block for his morning relief, he is often 
> > not in harness. the harness is in  my hand. However, why I use the same 
> > company all the time is so that many drivers get to know me and often show 
> > up with the front passenger seat put way forward to
> > give Bogart more room and cute things like that.
> >
> > Gary
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Tami Kinney <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
> > Date: Friday, July 29, 2011 2:34 pm
> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] Re Guide Dog Forced to Ride in Trunk
> > To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> >
> >> Lyn,
> >>
> >> Well said. When I lived nearer to downtown, I would just tell the
> >> dispatcher about the dog, although it seems they do have a note about
> >> her attached to my number. This actually worked in my favor
> >> there, where
> >> you couldn't swing a cat without hitting one of their cabs. Now I'm
> >> still in the Portland Metro area, but apparently this does not prevent
> >> me living in the boonies as far as the cab companies are
> >> concerned. So
> >> I've learned to just fail to mention anything at all about a dog or
> >> being blind or anything because that does seem to increase the
> >> odds a
> >> cab will get out here eventually. I've tried a couple of other
> >> companiesthat supposedly serve this area, but... Sigh. Anyway,
> >> if they want to
> >> drive all the way out here and then refuse to take my dog, I
> >> guess I'll
> >> be putting up a big fuss about that, won't I? /evil grin/
> >>
> >> Then again, what with having a private driver and on-demand car
> >> serviceright here, I guess I won't be giving many cabby's an
> >> opportunity to
> >> refuse me a ride because of my dog.  Ain't that just too
> >> bad for
> >> me. /lol/
> >>
> >> Either way, with cabs or hotel reservations or whatever, I tend
> >> to do
> >> what I believe is most likely to achieve the best results when
> >> it comes
> >> to deciding whether to mention the dog beforehand or not. Which
> >> does not
> >> mean I always make the right guess, but I have had few hassles, so
> >> that's what matters to me. /smile/
> >>
> >> Tami
> >>
> >> On Thu, 2011-07-28 at 12:42 -0700, Lyn Gwizdak wrote:
> >> > I agree with you, Bibi.  I will tell the cab dispach that
> >> I have a guide dog
> >> > and to just send a driver who has no problem with a dog.
> >> this way, I get my
> >> > cab and no BSing with the driver.  People do what you
> >> feel is best for you.
> >> > There's no right or wrong in this matter.
> >> >
> >> > Lyn and Landon
> >> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> >> > From: "Criminal Justice Major Extraordinaire"
> >> <orleans24 at comcast.net>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National
> >> Association of Guide Dog Users"
> >> > <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> >> > Sent: Saturday, July 23, 2011 5:54 PM
> >> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] Re Guide Dog Forced to Ride in Trunk
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > > Hi, Brenda,
> >> > > I remember when attending a couple of guide dog schools and
> >> not hearing
> >> > > one word or thing mentioned about if being asked by a cab
> >> driver to put
> >> > > the dog in a trunk of the car.
> >> > > Thankfully, I've not had any experiences with that and
> >> hopefully with my
> >> > > fourth guide, that won't happen either.
> >> > > I know many people here won't agree with what I'm about to
> >> say here, but
> >> > > here it goes...
> >> > > There were times I'd just go ahead and let the cab company
> >> know that I
> >> > > have a guide dog and it did help and minimize a possible problem.
> >> > > In the same aspect, I'd get a cab quickly too.
> >> > > I only would do this during stressful situations to avoid
> >> getting
> >> > > frustrated around Odie.
> >> > > He is one sensitive boy who would pick up on my anxiety
> >> rather quickly.
> >> > > If I knew where that dog handler was living here in
> >> Colorado, I'd gladly
> >> > > help her out or at least be willing to give her some
> >> encouragement and
> >> > > advice on dealing with situations like that.
> >> > > unfortunately, I have no idea if she lives in Denver or
> >> another city close
> >> > > by to me.
> >> > > If someone told me to put Odie in the trunk, I'd happily say
> >> right on tthe
> >> > > spot, "Would you like it if I just rolled you up and stuck
> >> you in that
> >> > > area?"
> >> > > I know. I'm a tough person when it comes to stuff like that.
> >> > > *Smiles*
> >> > > Bibi and Odie
> >> > > the retired one
> >> > >
> >> > > _______________________________________________
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> >> >
> >> >
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