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from the my-emotional-support-is-a-lion dept.
The young, perfectly healthy looking guy ahead of me in Panera Bread walked his fifty lb. dog to the front of the line - I can't tell you the breed since I don't know dogs - and was immediately told that the dog had to go. "Um, I have an anxiety disorder", he replied. The cashier turned around to consult with the manager, but people were still waiting to order, and soon it was conceded that the customer and his service dog/best friend could stay for lunch. And they did.
The Chicago Tribune reports that similar incidents are cropping up on airlines. Passengers dread having their pets locked up in a kennel in the cargo section, and airlines charge hefty fees for the service, so some of them are taking advantage of a legal loophole allowing service dogs of disabled people to ride in the passenger cabin free of charge; but in these cases the disability is "emotional distress" rather than, say, blindness. Many of these passengers pay a licensed therapist for the certificate of need required by airline gate attendants, and for an expensive vest for their "service animals".
From the Tribune story:
"It's definitely gotten carried away to the point where people are taking advantage of the system," [Atlanta flight attendant] Williams said. "It's hard when someone is following protocol and they're not allowed to take the animal out of the cage, but others use the loophole to have an animal sit on their lap."
The story mentions that some fellow passengers and advocates for the (real) disabled are annoyed with the game-playing and lax enforcement. However, others perhaps side with the late Harry Nilsson, who famously sang "I'd take my puppy everywhere, la-la-la I wouldn't care. We'll stay away from crowds, signs that said 'No friends allowed'".
(Score: 0, Troll) by Francis on Thursday November 17 2016, @03:10PM
Not really, some of us are very allergic to some types of animals. I used to break out in a rash if I came into contact with dogs, which was better than when I was around rabbits and my face would swell up and I'd have a hard time breathing because my throat was swelling shut.
Also, that ignores the many people who can't be bothered to properly train their animals and insist that their dog doesn't bite. Which is always true up until the first time they do it.
Bottom line is that some of us prefer not to have to eat in the same restaurant as dogs do, service animals are a bit different in that they're always properly trained and the person with the animal usually needs to have the animal with them rather than at home or outside.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday November 17 2016, @03:34PM
Okay, now *those* are actual reasons. GP basically said "I have a dog phobia."
I'm allergic to cats, but only the really sheddy ones so far. But there's not really such a thing as support cats I guess :)
I still think the "we lost most of our customers due to a single incident" thing is petty on the part of the customers. Fuck second chances, eh? Never coming back!
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2016, @04:19AM
Okay, now *those* are actual reasons. GP basically said "I have a dog phobia."
And does Francis' comment amount to anything more? He just doubles down with the rabbit phobia. But I did once meet a Wizard whom some call "Tim", and he did warn of rabbits with nasty, biting teeth. Just look at the bones! He'll do you! So, to recap. Cat allergy, real thing. Dog allergy, not so much. Rabbit allergy? Unheard of! Why do you think they torture rabbits with make-up to test it for human use? Because rabbits are hypo-allergenic! Once again, Francis has things he does not know, and not knowing them, thinks he knows other things that are not only unknown, but wrong, false, untrue, and a slander upon on lepusidae everywhere. Be prepared for the further doubling down of the Francis. It is what he does.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 17 2016, @04:13PM
All 'allergies' are psychosomatic. It's a bullshit nervous reaction caused by irrational fear. Just stay home and eat your can of beans in front of the TV, if you're not 'allergic' to electricity...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 17 2016, @04:29PM
I guess you've never heard of the immune system.
Also, keep in mind that just because something is psychosomatic, it doesn't mean there isn't a real effect. Seasickness is entirely psychosomatic as with the body's rejection response to food it perceives as poison.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 17 2016, @05:45PM
The immune system is also psychologically controlled. It's all in your head. Calm down and live longer
(Score: 1) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Thursday November 17 2016, @06:27PM
If that is true, then how was I able to detect the presence of a cat within about 30 minutes of entering an new space without seeing, hearing, smelling or touching it?
Holding an opinion with conviction does not make it true.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 17 2016, @07:23PM
If that is true, then how was I able to detect the presence of a cat within about 30 minutes of entering an new space without seeing, hearing, smelling or touching it?
You don't. It's subconscious. You actually are 'smelling' it. The dander is in the air, and your psyche reacts. Otherwise you would be 'allergic' to cats that are half way around the world. Proximity wouldn't make a difference. Allergies are a direct function of tensed up hysteria, a quest for sympathy.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Friday November 18 2016, @03:50AM
-1, Flunked first-year biochemistry
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 3, Informative) by frojack on Friday November 18 2016, @12:42AM
service animals are a bit different in that they're always properly trained
That's the key point right there.
You internet certificates and dog vests mean nothing. Literally $15 bucks gets you both.
As a shop owner, you can ask what specific things the animal has been trained for. (You can't ask the animals owner what medical condition requires the animal be present - that's against the law).
Proprietors can ask two questions:
1) Is the animal required because of a disability?
2) What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?
If they can not list one or more of a set of training that animal has received you can kick them out. In Florida the situation got so bad they passed a law criminalizing fake service animals with a 60 day jail term upon conviction.
There is also a list of fake certificate issuers that I have seen posted in some places,
http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content/node/509 [servicedogcentral.org]
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 1) by Francis on Saturday November 19 2016, @05:01PM
One of the side effects of them being trained is that they don't jump around spreading their allergens all over the place the way a lot of those ill-mannered pets do. I'm still allergic to service dogs, but because they don't jump around all over the place, I'm exposed to somewhat less of it.