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<p class="MsoNormal">Hi all. A Thanksgiving rideshare discrimination experience is something nobody needs and I know I’m stating the obvious here. At the risk of also sounding like a broken record, I want to strongly encourage everybody to continue filing complaints
with the Department of Justice whether it’s a denial or an illegal cleaning fee. You can do this at:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.ada.gov/file-a-complaint/">File a Complaint | ADA.gov</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You would file with the Civil Rights Division. I have reason to believe they are paying attention. Does this mean the rideshare issues are getting better right now in this moment? No. But they need to keep hearing from us. I also respect
that those who have experienced a lot of rideshare denials may get sick of doing the emotional labor of filing complaints on top of the pain and frustration caused by the discrimination. Thanks for persevering and again Rick and others I’m sorry to hear about
your recent experiences.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Brush Script MT";color:#006666;mso-ligatures:none">Melissa</span></b><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_7" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="The Seeing Eye logo" style='position:absolute;margin-left:39.4pt;margin-top:0;width:90.6pt;height:58.2pt;z-index:251659264;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:7.2pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:7.2pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:right;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:line;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:page;mso-height-relative:page' o:allowoverlap="f">
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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width="121" height="77" style="width:1.2569in;height:.8055in" src="cid:image002.jpg@01DA210F.CD073A80" align="right" hspace="10" alt="The Seeing Eye logo" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_7"><![endif]><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#006666;mso-ligatures:none">Melissa Allman<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#006666;mso-ligatures:none">Senior Specialist, Advocacy and Government Relations
</span><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#006666;mso-ligatures:none">The Seeing Eye
</span><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#006666;mso-ligatures:none">P.O. Box 375, Morristown, NJ 07963-0375 (mail)</span><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#006666;mso-ligatures:none">1 Seeing Eye Way, Morristown, NJ 07960-3378 (deliveries)</span><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#006666;mso-ligatures:none">973-539-4425 ext. x1724 | mallman@seeingeye.org | </span><u><span style="color:#006666;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="http://www.SeeingEye.org"><span style="color:#006666">www.SeeingEye.org</span></a></span></u><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#006666;mso-ligatures:none">Your support helps us create extraordinary teams.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">
</span><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><a href="http://www.seeingeye.org/donate"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#006666">Please help The Seeing Eye by making a donation today</span></a></span><u><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#006666;mso-ligatures:none">.</span></u><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#006666;mso-ligatures:none">
</span><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">From:</span></b><span style="mso-ligatures:none"> NJAGDU <njagdu-bounces@nfbnet.org>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Tracy Carcione via NJAGDU<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Saturday, November 25, 2023 7:43 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> 'New Jersey Association of Guide Dog Users' <njagdu@nfbnet.org><br>
<b>Cc:</b> carcione@access.net<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [NJAGDU] I was charged a cleaning fee on a Thanksgiving day ride with my service dog<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hi Rick.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m sorry that happened, but I’m glad you got it resolved. <o:p>
</o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Some time last year, I reported to Uber that I was charged a cencellation fee because a driver didn’t want to take my service dog. I got a robot response too, but unlike you, no human intervened, and, after a few tries, I gave up. I HATE
the robot response. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But more recently I reported the same issue through the Safety section and got right through to a human, so it ws better.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tracy<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">From:</span></b><span style="mso-ligatures:none"> NJAGDU <<a href="mailto:njagdu-bounces@nfbnet.org">njagdu-bounces@nfbnet.org</a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Rick Fox via NJAGDU<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, November 24, 2023 9:00 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> New Jersey Association of Guide Dog Users <<a href="mailto:njagdu@nfbnet.org">njagdu@nfbnet.org</a>><br>
<b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:richardfox1@comcast.net">richardfox1@comcast.net</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [NJAGDU] I was charged a cleaning fee on a Thanksgiving day ride with my service dog<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">Hello listers,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">Yesterday, my wife Debbie, my Seeing Eye® dog, Flash and I traveled from our Bloomfield home to Debbie’s niece in Monmouth County via Uber. The driver, Michael, was as courteous and friendly as can be, and made
no fuss concerning Flash. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">When I examined the Uber receipt a few hours later, I discovered that Michael had reported that I had made a mess, and Uber charged me a cleaning fee. Flash did not make a mess, and he was well groomed.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">I reported the incident via the Uber Accessibility section, and described the problem in detail. The response I got from Uber seemed to be generated by a computer, explaining why cleaning fees are necessary,
etc. I responded, saying I was shocked and surprise that Uber was going against Federal and State law, not to mention its own policy. I guess a human must have intervened, because Uber’s immediate response was that the cleaning fee was being refunded.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">I hope all of you had a blessed and happy Thanksgiving.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Rick Fox<br>
973-641-5067<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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