[nagdu] A Cab incident with a positive outcome

[Chasity Jackson]

Thanks Marilyn. I'm glad about it too.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <t21114 at optonline.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2011 6:09 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] A Cab incident with a positive outcome


> Hi Chasity,
> I am glad you stood up for your rights with the cab company. I don't think 
> the breed of your dog has anything to do with the driver not wanting to 
> take you to the store. As far as allergies goes most people do have them 
> and take something . I do . I remember my Doctor asking me to give up my 
> guide dog and I told him never. Nor would i give up my pet dog.
> I am glad yours was a positive out comes.
> Marilyn and Anna
>
>
>> On Sep 4, 2011, at 1:02 PM, Chasity Jackson wrote:
>>
>> > Hi folks. I wanted to come out here and talk about an incident
>> that I recently had with a cab company back in July. It got
>> resolved in late July early August, but I had a lot of unforseen
>> worry at that time and did not come out here and discuss it as
>> early as I would have liked. I had a friend in the hospital for
>> a while who was gravely ill at that time, and couldn't get my
>> mind wrapped around writing this through and getting it out
>> here. But it is a very good story, with a positive ending. We
>> have recently been discussing access issues again as they
>> pertain to cab companies, and I thought it would be a good time
>> to tell this experience.
>> >
>> > Around July 14, I was going to take a cab up to the store to
>> get a few things. When the cab came, the driver immmediately
>> said he couldn't transport us because he had an alergic reaction
>> to dogs. I explained very quickly that unless the allergy rises
>> to the level of a disability, he does not have the right to deny
>> us access to his cab. He chose to, however, before pulling up
>> all the way, he pulled out, said there would be another cab on
>> the way and left.
>> >
>> > I notified the cab company. The supervisor agreed with the
>> driver in question and said that if he truly had an allergy, it
>> would be hazardous to both of us.
>> >
>> > I then contacted the Metropolitan Taxi Cab Commission here in
>> St. Louis, where the drivers get licensed. At that same time, I
>> contacted Marion to ask if I was taking the proper course of
>> action, or if I should have done anything differently. He said I
>> was taking the right approach. I spoke with a woman at the
>> commission who asked me several questions about the incident.
>> One question, however, had me a bit perplexed. She asked me how
>> much my dog weighed, and how big my dog was. She said, "It's not
>> a German Shepherd or anything like that is it?" I thought this
>> question was irrelevent and wondered if she would consider the
>> driver's fear legitimate if my dog was a bigger dog, such as a
>> German Shepherd.
>> >
>> > I talked to Marion about this and he called her. We found out
>> that she wanted this information as identifying information...It
>> was to be used in case the driver took the fact that they gave
>> him a citation to court. If the driver later said, "No, this
>> wasn't the same dog," they had that identifying information and
>> could say that it was.
>> >
>> > The lady who worked on this particular case only worked there
>> part time. She worked full time, however, as a police officer.
>> She had never dealt with laws concerning guide dogs. She
>> researched them and took the necessary action in giving the
>> driver a citation that was accompanied by a fine.
>> >
>> > I thought this was an experience with a positive outcome. Not
>> only did the driver become educated by getting a citation, but
>> the woman, in her work as an agent for the commission, learned
>> about guide dog laws, and can now use them in her line of work
>> as a police officer.
>> >
>> > Just thought I would relay to you a story with a very good outcome.
>> > Chasity
>> >
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