[nagdu] Just Sent To My Local Paper

[Buddy Brannan]

Just sent the following to our local paper. Hopefully where I sent it will get it to the right place. 

Today, I experienced something very unusual, more unusual because it happened twice in rapid succession. In fact, this is the first time I've had this experience during the 13 years I've lived in Erie. Frankly, it really surprised me; for the most part, Erieites are wonderful folks. Rare as this occurrence is, it seems like a good time to call it to the public's attention, since September is National Guide Dog Month.

Twice today, I was told that I was not allowed to enter a restaurant with my Seeing Eye® dog. On one occasion, the hostess or waitress actually went out of her way to inform me of this potential refusal. The second time, the "misunderstanding" was cleared up and I was able to have lunch, but it should never have happened in the first place. 

In my travels downtown, I went in search of lunch. I found myself first at Tandoori Hut. I ducked in, not knowing what the restaurant was, decided I didn't want to have lunch there, and left after less than a minute. While  I was tying my shoe outside the door, someone came out and told me that I couldn't bring my dog into the restaurant. I explained that yes, he was a Seeing Eye dog, and I was allowed to bring him into restaurants. She insisted I could not. I asked if they would like to discuss with the health department. Eventually, she left, and I didn't press the issue, since I didn't want to have lunch there anyway. 

I then went next door to 28 North Gastropub, which had, near as I could tell, just two customers at one table. I asked them where I was, and after they answered, a gentlemen, who turned out to be the waiter, asked if he could help me. I told him I was looking for somewhere to have lunch. He, also, told me I could not have my dog inside the restaurant. We had the same discussion, and he went off to discuss with, one supposes, his manager. He came back, told me to sit anywhere, there was no problem, he just didn't know, he "just works here". I told him that he clearly needed further training. While taking my order, he let me know that he didn't know, and "didn't intend to deny me access". One wonders what he calls what had just happened. 

In 13 years living in Erie, I've never had this happen. In one day, on one stretch of road, in fact in less than a hundred feet,  it happened twice. Guide dogs have been out and about with their blind owners for 86 years. Other service dogs assisting with other disabilities have been around a long time, too. If restaurant owners are not made aware of their responsibilities, and their rights, under the law regarding access to public places for people with disabilities and their service dogs, they should be. If they are made aware and don't pass this knowledge on to their staff, they are negligent in their duties. In brief, a person with a disability is allowed to be accompanied by a trained service dog in all public places. Service dogs are well trained and should not be disruptive. If it is unclear that a dog is a service animal (in my case, it was very clear), there are two questions that can be asked:

1) Is this a service dog needed to assist with a disability? If answered in the affirmative,

2) What tasks has your dog been trained to perform? 

You may not ask the nature of the disability. You may not ask for ID or certification, because there aren't any that are worth the paper they're printed on anyway. You may, however, have a disruptive, aggressive, or out of control dog removed from the premises whether or not it's a service dog. Parenthetically, I ask, please do ask, even insist, that such dogs be removed. Nobody likes growling, lunging, out of control dogs. For more information on this, please see this page:
http://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html

Finally, if you're one of those people who brings your untrained pet into public places, claiming it's a service dog, please don't. For one thing, you are by extension claiming you have a disability. For another, you're making my life more difficult, as well as the lives of all people with disabilities who legitimately need their service dogs. Your thoughtlessness, indeed your selfishness, could literally cause someone real injury. We don't have these dogs because they're cute (even though they are), and most of us would swap the need for a service dog for your not needing one if we could. 


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Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: 814-860-3194 
Mobile: 814-431-0962
Email: buddy at brannan.name