[nagdu] access issue resolved!

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

You go, girl!  Love the 'tude.  What a pain, though.  Trying to educate some
humans just takes a lot of work, doesn't it?  /grin/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Julie J
Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2011 8:02 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] access issue resolved!

Heya all!

I was out of town for a business meeting Friday and Saturday.  I experienced
my first access issue at the hotel and wanted to share.

When I checked into the hotel, the lady at the desk asked for Monty's card.
I played stupid and asked what card? She insisted that Monty should have a
card stating that he is a service dog. I told her that no ID is necessary
and it is illegal for her to ask for it. she insisted that the last person
that had a service dog in their hotel had a card and told them that every
service dog has a card and the person must show it. *sigh* 

So I explained to her, ever so politely, that she was mistaken, that federal
law very clearly does not require any sort of ID for the dog. She mumbled
something about the laws must have changed. It was her way of saving face,
but I was pissed and having none of it. So I continue with my explaination
that the laws regarding service dogs and ID have been the same for the last
21 years. It then occurs to me that I might have copies of these laws buried
in my purse. I offer to show her the laws.

I think this was the turning point in the conversation. All the sudden she
was no longer interested in ID cards or discussions of actual laws. She
tried to tell me that she wouldn't need an ID card this time and that she
didn't need to see the laws. This made me even more irritated. I wasn't
going to leave this mess for the next person to deal with.

I didn't have copies of the laws in my purse, but I did have the cards from
Sit-Stay that give general information about service dogs and the DOJ toll
free phone number. I gave her one of those. She tried to tell me that this
card was fine. I told her that no, this is not an ID card, this is
informational only and that anyone can purchase these on the internet. She
then says that anyone can buy anything on the internet. AARGH! Why did she
even want to see any sort of card if she freely admits that anyone can get
one off the internet?

Anyway that was the end of that. The rest of my hotel stay was uneventful.
Later I asked the other guide dog user that was there if he had any problems
with the dog when he checked in. Nope, they didn't say a word about the dog.
So either I made a dent in their stupidity or the staff had changed at the
front desk.
This was the first time that I have had any sort of problem with access in
regard to my guide dogs.  I have had people ask the legal questions before,
but this was the first time someone acted inappropriately.  It worked out in
the end, so that was good.

Julie
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