[nagdu] Social Security guard faces arrest in fracas over guide dog

[Tami Kinney]

Well, that's for sure. Also, they are breathtakingly unobservant. Sounds
to me, from the description, that the security guard had more than that
going on. Asking is one thing. His described behavior, though, doesn't
seem to involve any asking, just a good old-fashioned power trip. With
some heavy duty aggression. Ugh. Those are the types I worry about
encountering. Well, already have, in our VR agency. Still paying medical
bills for treatment and having to limit my activities because of similar
injuries to those the woman in this story ended up with. Only for me,
they're bilateral, so that's just neat. And within the headquarters of
our agency, not one but three people inflicted similar injuries... What
was I doing at the time? First time, I was attempting to ask a question
which was not answered. Second time, I was asked to feel differences in
the surfaces on a wall... So I did that. Third time, I was asked to feel
the difference between the carpet and linoleum with my cane... So I did
that. In other words, the culture there and thus a significant number of
the staff are more interested in control than in teaching. Of course,
they don't even face one head on. It's from the rear or the side. Other
minor or major incidents I've witnessed are similar. Shocking. But
informative. This is a possibility I now know I need to be aware of. So
when I started getting healthy, I beefed up my self-defense moves for
those sorts of things. Just for going in there.

So the security guard here, as it seems from the report, was of that
ilk. Cooperation appears to have escalated the aggression on his part.
Well, cooperation in the sense that the woman followed the proscribed
procedure for an access challenge and communicated and informed. And she
was within her rights. Unless there's something else that wasn't in the
report, of course. Wasn't there, can't know that. Still, that is my most
nightmare scenario. /shudder/

As for the run of the mill minor challenge or questions, I'm practiced
enough by now to breeze past them with The Look and a smile (don't ask;
it seems to work for me) leaving someone the wiser -- or more
well-informed. Touches of minor hostility by someone who will insist
have so far succumbed to the look, minus the smile. Or a smaller smile.
When someone's being rude to you and you respond as if you're just
having a nice talk on an academic level, they get too confused to get
themselves worked up. I think of it as a practical application of the
Turn the Other Cheek rule. /lol/ So the access challenges with minor
hostility in tone and phrasing set off alarm bells for me, but so far
the matters have been resolved satisfactorily. Well, as close as can be.
Then their are the weird yet friendly ones... Well, one in particular
that just confused the heck out of me. It ended in a compromise and
everybody trying to out-friendly everybody, so... Why can't people do
these things by the book? /lol/ Well, in that case it was an immigrant
businessman, so some minor language and cultural barriers getting in the
way. Anyway, that one still makes me laugh because I was just so
clueless about the "right" way to handle it.

Here in Oregon, there was an education campaign, especially in food
service, about the legally appropriate way to verify that a dog coming
into your store or restaurant is a service dog. So then, of course,
employees were trained and very diligent about applying their training.
This was good, and I was happy to answer politely and informatively with
an encouraging smile to reinforce good behavior. /lol/ Also, I wanted to
just roll on the floor laughing because, well, honestly... What does it
*look* like she does? Does that give you a hint about whether or not I
have disability? /lol/ But for the most part, these were earnest
employees or managers or whoever stopped at the door to make sure they
were handling the situation correctly. That, I approve of. I just think
it's funny.

Of course, the two permissible questions can, by a determined restaurant
manager, be given all sorts of undertones with posturing in the approach
to ask the questions. I was proud of DD in that case for just staring at
her and letting me handle it. From the jingle of her keys and sounds of
her footsteps, she was not terribly satisfied when she had no choice but
to give it up and head back to her office. /lol/ The week before that,
we'd been in a restaurant in Eugene late at night with DD's daughter,
and the manager came to our table to chat and admire the dog and make
friendly and all, slipping in the questions in the course of
conversation very deftly. Very slick, very pleasant for all. I was so
impressed I could hardly stand it. /smile/If We hadn't known what she
was really doing, I probably would never have noticed. That sort of
thing just tickles me all sorts of pink. /smile/

Of course, by now, my sense of the absurd nearly gets the best of me
when someone who has just watched me come up to the door, guided by my
dog. My first impulse is to stare at them in overly dramatic shock and
blurt out, "What? Are you *blind*?" Or to giggle. Sigh. I am a bad, bad
girl. /smile/

Tami

On Wed, 2011-09-21 at 21:21 -0400, Larry D. Keeler wrote: 
> Well, folks are sure uneducated Tami!  Watch any guide dog team for only a 
> minute and you know what job the dog is doing!  For this man to be that 
> uneducated and also that aggressive is just unacceptable!
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Tami Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 2:41 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Social Security guard faces arrest in fracas over guide 
> dog
> 
> 
> > Marion and Larry,
> >
> > Okay, I'll admit, when I think there even might be an overdrawn
> > challenge, a small and absurd part of my imagination does turn my small
> > poodle guide in to a ginormous guard poodle...  with a taste for bully
> > flesh! This somehow helps what I like to call my mind deal with the
> > emotional responses to the challenge and my awareness of my
> > vulnerability if this is the person who's going to go too far... While
> > the rational and social parts of my mind are just communicating and
> > educating like there is no tomorrow! /lol/ Knowing that the possibility
> > exists that this will be the one I can't just talk my way through is
> > very motivating for me. The fact that it is happening at all is
> > absolutely infuriating, so... That overactive imagination of mine just
> > hangs out in the background throwing big aggressive poodles at the
> > person, generally while I am performing some pretty amazingly effective
> > ninja moves of my own! /lol/ I shouldn't admit to that, should I? All
> > the graciousness and courtesy I may appear to be using at the time as if
> > I am just that kin of girl is nothing but facade, I assure you. So it's
> > probably a good thing I was born into a middling sized female body
> > instead of a big strong manly won.
> > I'd get myself into trouble every time I turned around!
> >
> > Just kidding. If I were truly the sort to use strength and violence for
> > conflict resolution with something I'm really mad at, my small poodle
> > would not be the calm, happy personality and guide she is. She would be
> > a neurotic, snotty poodle who would throw me under the bus the first
> > chance she got, I'm sure. /smile/ Owner-training, I discovered, is very
> > good practice for staying calm and cool when your scared and angry to
> > within an inch of your life. Well, we all know that even the best of
> > working guides can inspire that special feeling every now and then. I'm
> > sure this is good for us in a deeper spiritual sense. /grin/
> >
> > Tami
> >
> > On Wed, 2011-09-21 at 10:47 -0400, Marion Gwizdala wrote:
> >> Larry,
> >>     Unfortunately, this power-hungry control freak had a gun! What would 
> >> he
> >> have done with it if the dog had attacked him?
> >>
> >> Fraternally yours,
> >> Marion
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message ----- 
> >> From: "Larry D. Keeler" <lkeeler at comcast.net>
> >> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> >> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> >> Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 10:36 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Social Security guard faces arrest in fracas over 
> >> guide
> >> dog
> >>
> >>
> >> > Like I told the other list, its a shame are dogs don't bite!  That's 
> >> > just
> >> > nuts!
> >> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> >> > From: "Ginger Kutsch" <GingerKutsch at yahoo.com>
> >> > To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> >> > <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> >> > Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 9:53 AM
> >> > Subject: [nagdu] Social Security guard faces arrest in fracas over 
> >> > guide
> >> > dog
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >> Social Security guard faces arrest in fracas over guide dog
> >> >>
> >> >> By David Ibata
> >> >>
> >> >> The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
> >> >>
> >> >> http://www.ajc.com/news/social-security-guard-faces-1185244.html
> >> >>
> >> >> Melissa McMann, who is visually impaired, recalls minor incidents in
> >> >> which
> >> >> people challenged her about her guide dog, but nothing like what 
> >> >> happened
> >> >> last week with a security guard at a Social Security Administration
> >> >> office
> >> >> in Winder.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> "Usually, once we educate people and explain the purpose of the dog,
> >> >> that's
> >> >> all it takes to get people to understand why the dog is there and he's
> >> >> not
> >> >> just a regular, run-of-the-mill dog," the Winder resident said of 
> >> >> Hurbie,
> >> >> her 5-year-old yellow Labrador.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> "We have never run into an incident like this where it escalated so
> >> >> quickly," she said in a telephone interview with the AJC. "My arm is
> >> >> still
> >> >> bruised, and I still have pain to my shoulder, but otherwise I'm doing
> >> >> OK."
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> The guard, Leroy Huff, faces a charge of simple battery after he
> >> >> allegedly
> >> >> grabbed the 38-year-old McMann and tried to remove her from the 
> >> >> office.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> The Athens man told Channel 2 Action News on Tuesday that he was aware 
> >> >> a
> >> >> warrant was pending for his arrest and would turn himself in. He said 
> >> >> he
> >> >> was
> >> >> following orders and his training, but did not want to comment further
> >> >> because of the continuing investigation.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Efforts were being made to reach a spokesman for Huff's employer, 
> >> >> Paragon
> >> >> Security Services. Paragon provides contract security to the Federal
> >> >> Protective Service of the Department of Homeland Security.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Patti Patterson, regional spokeswoman for the Social Security
> >> >> Administration, told Channel 2 in an email, "Service animals are 
> >> >> allowed
> >> >> in
> >> >> Social Security field offices. We have apologized to Ms. McMann for 
> >> >> the
> >> >> unfortunate incident that occurred with the contract security guard in
> >> >> our
> >> >> Winder field office."
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> The matter has been referred to the Federal Protective Service "for
> >> >> appropriate action," Patterson said.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> The incident began Thursday afternoon when McMann and her husband,
> >> >> Christopher, went to the Social Security office at 37 S. Center St. to
> >> >> complete some paperwork for their youngest daughter, who they adopted
> >> >> from
> >> >> Thailand.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> According to a Winder Police Department report, as the couple was 
> >> >> seated
> >> >> waiting to be called, Huff, an armed security guard, came up and told
> >> >> them
> >> >> dogs were not allowed in the facility.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> When the couple explained that the Labrador was a service dog and 
> >> >> legally
> >> >> allowed to there, the officer demanded to see papers to prove it - 
> >> >> even
> >> >> though the dog had a guide harness and a sign attached to the harness
> >> >> stating it was "a working dog for the blind," the police report said.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> The McManns said they did not have such paperwork and continued to
> >> >> protest
> >> >> that the dog was a permitted animal. At this point, the police report
> >> >> says,
> >> >> Huff "proceeded to grab (the woman) and attempted to forcefully remove
> >> >> her
> >> >> from the building." The husband objected and called the police on his
> >> >> cell
> >> >> phone.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Huff told a Winder police officer that the woman had failed to obey 
> >> >> him.
> >> >> He
> >> >> admitted she had not tried to resist him physically. When asked why he
> >> >> did
> >> >> not call the police, "Huff informed me that he did not have to call 
> >> >> the
> >> >> police. He told me he was a federal officer and was not required to
> >> >> involve
> >> >> the police," the officer wrote in his report.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> The officer contacted Paragon, which referred him to the Federal
> >> >> Protective
> >> >> Service. An official there said Huff was not a federal officer and in
> >> >> this
> >> >> situation should have called Winder police, his supervisor or the 
> >> >> federal
> >> >> agency.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> The McManns, meanwhile, went to their primary care physician and then 
> >> >> to
> >> >> a
> >> >> hospital emergency room, where a doctor treated her for a bruised 
> >> >> right
> >> >> arm
> >> >> and determined her shoulder may have been dislocated, police said.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Melissa McMann said she has retinitis pigmentosa or RP, a condition 
> >> >> that
> >> >> has
> >> >> left her with little functional sight. Hurbie is her second service 
> >> >> dog;
> >> >> she's had the animals for 10 years. They're trained by the 
> >> >> Florida-based
> >> >> Southeastern Guide Dogs.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> "It was something we were not expecting, especially in a federal
> >> >> building,"
> >> >> she said. "It was a frightening incident, and obviously we feel (Huff)
> >> >> went
> >> >> too far.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> "All that we're looking for at this point is for the security company
> >> >> that
> >> >> has the contract with Social Security to understand the importance of
> >> >> educating all of the people that work for them as to the laws 
> >> >> regarding
> >> >> service dogs and also with regard to not placing their hands on 
> >> >> people -
> >> >> you
> >> >> just can't go placing your hands on people."
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> _______________________________________________
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