[nagdu] Trying to understand: denial of access bad allergies

[Debby Phillips]

Hi Louise, but then people would have to tell the dispatch person 
that they have a service dog, which I personally don't have a 
problem with.  You know folks, if you are calling a cab to go 
somewhere, it's true the law is on our side, they're supposed to 
take us.  And many of you think it's a terrible thing to disclose 
that you have a dog.  But wouldn't it be fairer to the cab 
company to let them know so that they can send someone who does 
not have allergies, or the driver is so terrified of our dog that 
he or she can hardly drive for fear of the dog getting too close? 
Sometimes we need to use some common sense.  It's true I have the 
right not to disclose.  But if the cab arrives and the driver is 
truly allergic to dogs, I have wasted his or her time, and am 
wasting mine as the cab company has to send someone else.  Or 
Uber, or Lyft.

I once had a doctor who had severe allergies to dogs.  The first 
time I saw her, I had my dog with me.  She opened the door, saw 
him, and it was the one and only time she acted in an 
unprofessional manner.  She rushed out shouting, "Why is there a 
dog in my room?" She apologized and said that she had to ask me 
not to bring the dog into her exam room again.  Having gone 
through dog allergies myself, I totally understood where she was 
coming from, and either left my dog home, or left him in the 
waiting room with my husband or a friend for the remainder of the 
time she was my primary care physician.  We have rights, but we 
also have a responsibility, in my opinion, to care about other 
people.  Many of you don't know what it's like to have your 
throat be scratchy all the time, nose running, not able to 
breathe well because of an allergy to dog.  And some allergy 
relief meds make people sleepy.  So maybe when calling a cab, 
telling them isn't such a bad idea.  Just my opinion.

It's a different matter when you're hailing a taxi on the city 
street.  I do think it's rude and inconsiderate for a taxi to 
just pull away.  I personally think if they can't or won't pick 
someone up, they should at least have the courtesy to pull up and 
tell the person that they're calling another cab.     Debby and 
Nova