[nagdu] Discrimination; What Do I Do Next?

[Ben Humphreys]

Suzy,

What I am about to say should not be condoned as acceptance of this 
kind of discrimination and I'm going to try to say it in as 
politically correct a way I know how.

Certain kinds of business owners or employees, such as those running 
Asian restaurants and  some foreigners driving New York city taxicabs 
are notorious for their lack of acceptance of guide dogs, despite all 
please to the contrary.

It's a cultural thing -- in the countries they come from, dogs are 
just viewed differently, and these business owners are apt to use the 
laws they're aware of, such as health laws prohibiting animals in 
their restaurants, as reasons for denying you access.

Beyond a certain point, you're wasting your breath trying to convince 
them with facts.

One relatively quick remedy which does not involve the hassle of a 
lawsuit or getting the media involved is to simply call the 
cops.  One time, I had a NYC taxi driver who wouldn't move his car 
until my dog and I got out.  We called 9-1-1 and a NYC police officer 
showed up within minutes and read him the riot act (and threatened to 
give him a ticket on an unrelated matter). After that, he couldn't 
apologize enough.  In fact, he would not accept the fare for the ride.

Discrimination in Asian sorts of restaurants and taxicabs is 
encountered by all of us routinely, and even discussed by the 
instructors at the guide dog school I attended.

I know it's hard not to take it personally...

Try and remain calm and just call the police on your cell phone.

Ben

At 06:53 PM 7/11/2013, you wrote:
>I am so furious right now, Izzy and I were going into a local 
>Chinese Buffet restaurant about an hour ago and were denied access 
>despite telling them that Izzy is a guide dog and it's against the 
>law to deny us. What do I do now and how do I go about filing a 
>discrimination claim?
>
>Thank you.
>
>Suzy Wilson & Izzy
>
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