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OnlinePoker

(5,731 posts)
Thu May 9, 2024, 06:55 PM May 9

Blind Man and His Service Dog Kicked Out of Restaurant: 'You Don't Look Blind'

A legally blind man and his service dog were threatened with arrest when they tried to go into a Seattle restaurant

A legally blind TikToker has shared that he and his guide dog were kicked out of a Seattle restaurant when a staff member didn’t believe he was blind.

“I walked in with my guide dog, Mr. Maple, and immediately somebody rushed up to me and said, ‘No pets allowed, only service dogs,'” said Paul, who chronicles his adventures with his partner on the popular TikTok account MatthewandPaul, which has more than 2.1 million followers.

In his TikTok, posted yesterday, Paul said he explained, “‘It's OK, he's a service dog.’ He looked at me, he looked at Maple, he said, ‘Emotional support dog?’ ‘No, like a guide dog for the blind.’”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/blind-man-dog-kicked-restaurant-184426844.html

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Grounds for a lawsuit under the ADA?

13 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Blind Man and His Service Dog Kicked Out of Restaurant: 'You Don't Look Blind' (Original Post) OnlinePoker May 9 OP
The staff member is to blame Zeitghost May 9 #1
Yes, a lot of people do try to get away with... Think. Again. May 9 #2
I think they contributed a lot. They're hurting people in a lot of ways. Scrivener7 May 9 #5
When I've seen guide dogs Retrograde May 9 #13
How does a blind man know: "He looked at me, he looked at Maple,"? Hermit-The-Prog May 9 #3
He is legally blind, which isn't the same as completely unable to see. LisaL May 9 #7
Thank you. Hermit-The-Prog May 9 #9
He has some very, very limited vision Sympthsical May 9 #8
Thank you. Hermit-The-Prog May 9 #10
The ignorant and cruel are our new overlords. malaise May 9 #4
They kicked out Mr. Maple?! Sympthsical May 9 #6
Man, I'm curious as to this restaurant GenThePerservering May 9 #11
That certainly sounds like grounds for a lawsuit sakabatou May 9 #12

Think. Again.

(9,088 posts)
2. Yes, a lot of people do try to get away with...
Thu May 9, 2024, 07:25 PM
May 9

..."fake" service animals (hint: it's more than just a printed harness)

Luckily, having a properly registered service animal will win any lawsuit in this situation.

Retrograde

(10,202 posts)
13. When I've seen guide dogs
Thu May 9, 2024, 11:32 PM
May 9

they've had a distinctive harness, unlike the "service dogs" who wear those bibs or similar order off the net with no supporting documentation. And it is illegal to deny entry to people with actual guide dogs in the US.

Real service animals are amazing! I was on a crowded bus in San Francisco once when the driver told a person with a white cane that they were at his stop. The guide dog, who had been lying quietly under the seat, immediately jumped up and went back to its work, leading the man down the steps and out onto the sidewalk and then across a busy street. These dogs know that when the harness is off they're free to be dogs, but when it's on they're focused on their person and their job.

Sympthsical

(9,208 posts)
6. They kicked out Mr. Maple?!
Thu May 9, 2024, 07:51 PM
May 9

How dare they.

Matthew!!!!!

(I'm subscribed to their channel. They're so much fun. And Paul does a lot of educating about disabilities)

GenThePerservering

(1,915 posts)
11. Man, I'm curious as to this restaurant
Thu May 9, 2024, 10:32 PM
May 9

most people in Seattle are pretty mellow and understanding about these kinds of things.

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