[nagdu] Hooters Denies Access To Service Animals

[Larry D. Keeler]

Well, Rhonda, unfortunately predjudice and ignorance along with just plain 
meanness still exist.  They shouldn't but they do!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "rhonda cruz" <rhondaprincess at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2012 8:53 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Hooters Denies Access To Service Animals


> honestly i don't know what to say. i  feel like this   doesn't make any 
> sense.
>  people with disilbiltys. have the same rights. like anyone. else.
> i don't go to these kinds of places.
>
> but that's how i deal.
>  i don't have time to deal with angry. kinds. of people.
> i feel like the person. needs to learn the law. and that's how i feel.
>
>
> On Aug 4, 2012, at 4:56 PM, Marion Gwizdala wrote:
>
>> Though this incident is really upsetting and I am Hopeful Hooters will 
>> make it right. However, for an advocate and a para legal, this person 
>> doesn't have a full understanding of the law. Her comments that her 
>> service dog has more rights than humans and that service dogs cannot be 
>> turned away are inaccurate. Service dogs don't have any rights under the 
>> ADADisabled individuals have the rights specified under the ADA, 
>> including the right to be accompanied by a service dog. I also think that 
>> such a rant compromises the integrity and credibility of the person. 
>> Again, I am not condoning the incident, only the approach used.
>>
>> Fraternally yours,
>> Marion Gwizdala
>>
>>
>> . The rights are afforded to the individualof
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Criminal Justice Major" 
>> <orleans24 at comcast.net>
>> To: <Undisclosed-Recipient:;>
>> Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2012 7:28 PM
>> Subject: [nagdu] Hooters Denies Access To Service Animals
>>
>>
>>> WARNING...
>>> Be aware that the posting I'm putting on the list is intensed, so if you 
>>> aren't able to handle reading it, feel free to delete.
>>> After reading this, I feel like I'm going to violently throw up upon the 
>>> feeling that I get when I know I'm going to have a seizure.
>>> The left hand side of my head is throbbing and it probably looks as if 
>>> I'm angry.
>>> I thought I had some anger management issues, but I think the manager of 
>>> this place seriously has problems and definitely needs to be arrested 
>>> for not only violating the ADA but penal codes in California all 
>>> together.
>>> I plan on sending this to the attorney general's office undet the US 
>>> Department of Justice.
>>> I do hope I can find an email link on the ADA.Gov's web site as well.
>>> Definitely gives me flashback of how Greyhound treated Odie and I badly 
>>> four years ago.
>>> Bibi, husband Dale and son Odie
>>> Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2012 4:53 AM
>>> Subject: Hooters Denies Access To Service Animals
>>> website
>>> dogheirs.com
>>> Encounter was between Beverly (Person with a
>>> disability) and Keesmo (Hooter's Employee).
>>> Hooters Denies Access To Service Animals
>>> <http://www.dogheirs.com/bevykona/posts/1564-hoote
>>> rs-denies-access-to-service-animals>
>>> http://www.dogheirs.com/bevykona/posts/1564-hooter
>>> s-denies-access-to-service-animals
>>> THIS IS THE LETTER I SENT TO HOOTERS. IT WILL EXPLAIN WHAT THEY DID TO 
>>> ME JUNE 23, 2012. BOYCOTT HOOTERS!
>>> HOOTERS,
>>> 3541 Truxel Rd,
>>> Sacramento, CA 95834
>>> 916-929-9464
>>> MGR name: Keesmo
>>> This is Beverly, the person with disability (PWD)
>>> who experienced the appalling incident with "Keesmo" at your truxel 
>>> location. started raising his voice saying NEED YOUR PAPERS.
>>> Of course, since this isn't nazi germany, I had no idea to what he was 
>>> referring. So I asked him.. "pardon
>>> me?" he then raised his voice more and appeared to be angry and said "I 
>>> NEED TO SEE YOUR PAPERS FOR YOUR DOG".
>>> I said, "I don't have to show you any papers and it's against the law to 
>>> ask."
>>> He then proceeded to tell me that anyone can put a vest on a dog and 
>>> accuse me of being fraudulent with my service dog.
>>> Let me tell you something. I have had this dog for 5 years. He has saved 
>>> my life time after time and I do NOT have to explain ANYTHING to your 
>>> company nor your employee. PERIOD. I told him that I volunteer as a 
>>> service dog advocate in my county
>>> and gave him a card with the ADA service dog laws and their 800 number 
>>> and he wadded it up and THREW iT! Really? THIS is who you want 
>>> representing your company? Because I have a phone call in to several 
>>> local tv stations who are interested in covering this ridiculous 
>>> behavior. The only way to stop it, is to expose the violators of my 
>>> civil rights. And, since mr. Keesmo liked to brag to me how he NEVER 
>>> lets service dogs in because people don't have "their papers", I realize 
>>> that this is NOT the first incident at this store And I am led to 
>>> believe any if not all of your stores, as well.
>>> This man is a bigot. He is prejudiced against PWDs and is only too happy 
>>> to brag about it.
>>> That is shameful and breaks California penal code 365.5 through 365.7 as 
>>> well as the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Your first fine 
>>> through the DEPT OF JUSTICE will be 55,000.00 if Hooters has never been 
>>> cited for violating the ADA before. your second fine is 110,000.00 and 
>>> so on. Then there are punitive damages, bad publicity, court ordered 
>>> training for your staff, company wide and so on.
>>> Since I tried to explain the law to him and he belittled me over and 
>>> over and even called attention to me and tried to get the people at the 
>>> table nearest the hostess stand involved, I will be filing a federal 
>>> complaint.
>>> I had called 911 because I was so afraid. he was so aggressive, that 
>>> even when my husband, who was clearly upset at being called a liar, went 
>>> outside, Keesmo got a large black man to come with him and then he hit 
>>> (Keesmo hit) the door so hard, running after my husband, that he broke 
>>> the security bar on your door and it hit the ground.
>>> He then had the audacity to scream YOU BROKE MY DOOR, when my husband 
>>> was 15 feet away from the door.
>>> Really? You hire ex cons or felons or simply gang members to manage your 
>>> stores? His bringing this large man was clearly racially motivated and 
>>> shows his intent to possibly harm my husband.
>>> Because once he went outside, he kept sarcastically saying "You're a 
>>> real nice guy" to my husband, trying to goad him on.
>>> I was still indoors, on the phone with the police and I couldn't hear 
>>> the 911 operator because Keesmo was yelling so loud.
>>> seriously. This is how you train your employees? And it is HOOTERS 
>>> responsibility to train him properly. This is why you will be fined and 
>>> not him.
>>> By the way. I can still have him arrested under California penal code 
>>> for violating my civil
>>> rights under the statutes I referred to previously. They will come to 
>>> his work, arrest him and he will be taken before a judge and have to pay 
>>> a fine and possibly serve jail time.
>>> The ONLY reason I didn't stay and wait for the police (you can find my 
>>> phone calls to 911 and the the non emergency police number on record) is 
>>> because I was sick. Too sick to go through this ridiculous 
>>> interrogation, aggression and accusations.
>>> I was humiliated to the point of panic. by the time I left, I was in 
>>> tears and it takes a lot to make me cry.
>>> a huge concern I have was his body language and gang speak. He 
>>> repeatedly accused me of
>>> "disrespecting" him. i asked him how so? and his reply was because you 
>>> told me you don't have to
>>> show me any papers. well......... I don't.
>>> He broke the law and if he's so overly concerned with
>>> being "disrespected" perhaps he should not be working with the public. 
>>> He repeated it over and
>>> over with gang type language and then when he burst out the door with 
>>> the large man and was
>>> screaming to my husband, "you disrespected me" i was afraid. I mean it.
>>> In my head I was thinking "omg, he's going to shoot or otherwise harm my 
>>> husband". Especially with his "body guard" standing watch.
>>> Seriously? this is how Hooters  trains its MANAGERS to act?
>>> My husband asked the other man if he even knew why he was out there and 
>>> he said no. He seemed to be soft spoken and confused as to what was 
>>> going
>>> on....So the "disrespect" and possible altercation was in Keesmo's head.
>>> My husband is an IT engineer for the largest medical non profit on the 
>>> west coast. We are not idiots nor are we gang bangers.
>>> We are educated, smart and easy going. But sadly, we live in an area 
>>> that has a lot of gang activity, so we recognize those qualities and 
>>> speech patterns when we see them.
>>> As a paralegal, I have seen more things than I ever wanted to in my 
>>> life. And since I have interviewed all kinds of
>>> people, I know how to calmly get my point across, which is what I did 
>>> with Keesmo. He was the angry
>>> one. I had an answer to each and everyone of his accusations and it 
>>> obviously "disrespected" him
>>> and made him angry. Too bad.
>>> All I did was point out the law and try to educate him on the ADA even 
>>> though that's your job, not mine. He wasn't having it.
>>> When I went back inside to get my cane, he was trash talking us to your 
>>> customers, the staff and
>>> so on. When he saw me he rushed back to the door to berate me some more 
>>> and this time he had an
>>> evil little smirk on his face. He then proceeded to point to the people 
>>> at the table nearest me and try to bring them in on this.
>>> I am disabled. It is a FEDERAL violation to draw attention to that or 
>>> belittle me because of it. Keesmo didn't care. All he wanted to do was 
>>> "win". How sad.
>>> Then he proceeded to say, "Well I believe your dog is a real service dog 
>>> because you didn't back down." Wait. This was a contest? To see if I 
>>> would stick to my guns before I could be seated?
>>> how appalling and insulting! Then he also bragged again about running 
>>> off PWD with dogs because they don't carry "their papers".
>>> He admitted that maybe i was right about not needing papers to carry 
>>> with us but insisted that "even though the law says I don't have to, HE 
>>> thinks I should and so should everyone else with a service dog" "to 
>>> avoid this problem in the future". I have to laugh.
>>> So all this hassle and me giving him the law and explaining to him how 
>>> he had broken it over and over meant nothing. Because in Keesmo's mind, 
>>> Keesmo can make up his own laws and isn't intimidated or can't be 
>>> bothered with the truth or actual laws.
>>> And during these last moments of our conversation, when I was trying to 
>>> explain to him how he was opening himself up to being arrested and fined 
>>> and costing your company a lot of money, he rolled his eyes, smirked and 
>>> said he could afford it.
>>> Ok then. So be it.
>>> He doesn't care if you get sued or he gets arrested as long as he gets 
>>> to run off disabled people.
>>> While I was talking, he kept screaming at me and interrupting me.
>>> I finally said, look, I have 6 children and you are probably young 
>>> enough to be one of mine. Will you please
>>> let me finish my sentence before you start talking?
>>> He rolled his eyes once again and smirked. He then stated he was 36 
>>> years old and knew a lot.
>>> I have no idea what that had to do with anything but I let him finish 
>>> his arrogant rant.
>>> When he was done, i said, may I speak now? so I explained to him that I 
>>> was actually trying to help him as well as other disabled people who may 
>>> try to come to Hooters with a service dog.
>>> All he did was interrupt me more and say "well last week someone came in 
>>> and I know it wasn't a service dog...blah blahblah blah"
>>> I told him "that has NOTHING to do with me and if you doubt they have a 
>>> service dog and that they are lying, call the police and report them." 
>>> There are stiff penalties for "fakers", too. And I have reported fakers 
>>> myself! It makes it difficult for those of us who need our dogs when 
>>> others lie.
>>> But i digress. To interrogate me for 30 minutes, berate and belittle me, 
>>> try to start a fight with my husband, humiliate me in front of staff and 
>>> the entire restaurant and cause me to have to wait too long to eat is 
>>> not only in violation of many laws, but just plain inhumane.
>>> Why would one human being want to treat another so poorly? Did he feel 
>>> like he was proving something to all those beautiful ladies? Or the 
>>> clientele?
>>> Did it make him feel big because he humiliated me in front of all those 
>>> people? Does being a bully come within his job description?
>>> When he told me he "believed" my dog was "real" because I stood my 
>>> ground, it made me want to vomit. I told him, "How many people with 
>>> "real" service dogs do you think you have run off, simply because they 
>>> didn't want the confrontation and don't even know what you are talking 
>>> about when you ask for "papers"? He just smirked. I don't find it 
>>> remotely amusing, myself.
>>> And I told him the reason i did stick to my guns was because of all 
>>> those other disabled people out there that have PTSD, or have been 
>>> humiliated by him or simply don't have the health to put up with his 
>>> embarrassing behaviour.
>>> I reminded him that I am an advocate. I  don't even think he knows what 
>>> that means. I help people with access issues so how hypocritical would 
>>> it have been for me to simply walk away?
>>> The only reason I left is because my husband saw me getting sicker and 
>>> sicker and made me leave.
>>> I even told Keesmo, I was trying real hard not to pass out and if I did, 
>>> not to touch me. He didn't even offer me a glass of water. He didn't 
>>> even care that i was fading fast. THIS IS HOW YOU TRAIN YOUR PEOPLE? 
>>> Actions like what I experienced in your restaurant is why people with 
>>> disabilities (PWD) don't go anywhere very often. Would you?
>>> If you never knew if someone would attack you at a restaurant or 
>>> interrogate you, would you want to go anywhere?
>>> What if I was in a wheelchair (which I am many times because of an 
>>> illness) and he started to ask me for my papers to prove that I needed 
>>> that chair.
>>> Like he said anyone can put a vest on a dog "anyone can sit in a 
>>> wheelchair".
>>> My dog's vest is a service dog vest, but the law doesn't require him to 
>>> wear one. It's clearly
>>> marked as to avoid issues such as this. It was apparently a waste of 
>>> money.
>>> And just so you know, there are NO papers required of service dogs. I 
>>> suppose if you have a program trained dog, they have a little 
>>> certificate for you to hang on your wall, but there is no "paper" 
>>> required.
>>> I personally have my dog registered with my county and he has a service 
>>> dog tag. It cost me 55.00 and is not required on any level.
>>> My dog has to be licensed just like a pet. But service animals are NOT 
>>> pets. I don't have to pay a deposit when I rent a place to live, he 
>>> flies with me free of charge, the airlines have to seat me in bulkhead 
>>> to accommodate his size, I ride trains, buses, ferries, all for free.
>>> If someone kills or harms a service dog, it's a 10,000.00 fine, last 
>>> time I checked. So it's serious! My dog is allowed places where humans 
>>> can be turned away. He has federal rights that humans do not have. You 
>>> can tell a human to leave a business but not a service dog unless he's 
>>> acting up. Even if he barks in your establishment, and it's because he's 
>>> warning me that I am in trouble, you cannot make him leave. He must be 
>>> well trained and behave properly. He is. He is my lifeline.
>>> So just like you wouldn't turn away a wheelchair (I hope) or someone 
>>> using oxygen, you cannot turn away a service animal.
>>> Oh one more thing Keesmo said. he told me he's even turned away blind 
>>> people with fake canes. having him as an employee is going to get you 
>>> sued. He REALLY questions blind people as to if they are really needing 
>>> their white canes? And how does he know they aren't blind. Does he hold 
>>> up fingers and ask how  many? Why DOES HE WORK FOR YOU? When he said 
>>> that to me, I was speechless. honestly, I couldn't think of anything to 
>>> say in reply. Who does he think he is? Fake blind people.... Wow. I am 
>>> in a community for people with service animals and other disabled 
>>> people.
>>> I have already relayed my experience to them. Each of them has their own 
>>> community and this story will spread like wildfire.
>>> I also have other newsletters and accounts and will warn PWD not to 
>>> bother coming too hooters as they are not PWD friendly. And for my blind 
>>> friends... well, i guess they will have to have a note from their 
>>> physician if they want to come inside.
>>> I cannot explain to you how sick this makes me feel. It is a violation 
>>> of our civil rights and just as bad as any other hate crime. It's 
>>> bigoted and unacceptable.
>>> I intend to do everything in my power to make sure it never happens 
>>> again and I would hope you would, too.
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>>
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