I’m sure we’ve all read the story about a cabbie refusing to take a woman and her guide dog and groceries. I have to ask, what in hell is wrong when, apparently, the person who called on behalf of the blind lady informed the cab company that the fare would have a guide dog.
I realize that this happened in Dartmouth, which seems to have a different version of reality than the rest of us suckers living in Shawshank, but still, a guide dog? —Blind Pew
This article appears in Mar 28 – Apr 3, 2013.
Good points all, Bazzer. I’d like very much to know if the cabbie came from a culture that considers dogs to be somehow “unclean” and therefore his “cultural sensitivity” trumps another person’s “need”.
I’m pretty sure a cabbie can techincally refuse a fare for any reason, but that doesn’t make the situation any less shitty.
I suspect the driver is Islamic (though nothing has been reported on that for some reason) and they consider dogs as being filthy. However, that being said, drivers need to be informed that they must take the dogs or at the very least stay until another driver shows up.
Cabbie probably didn’t want scratches on his mint 1990 Crown Victoria.
No need to slag on Dartmouth, ffs.
Can I punch these people that refuse guide dogs in the head? I’ll do it for free! I’m hoping it will knock them back to the year 2013 from whatever paleolithic time they’re living in.
CBC did a story on this the day it happened. They confirmed with a Halifax Muslim Imam that there is nothing in any Islamic teachings that states that dogs are to be considered dirty, unholy or should otherwise be avoided. So, that’s not the reason.
Next, they talked to one of the supervisors of a cab company, (I can’t remember if it was the same company that this cabbie worked for), and he said that a cabbie CAN refuse guide dogs and other service animals for allergy reasons but they would have had to have documented medical justification from their doctor on file before this would be allowed to happen. So, that’s not the reason either.
So, that leaves plain ole’ bullshit uncaring ignorance. And it’s illegal.
http://nslegislature.ca/legc/statutes/blin…
Yeah Tim – I read the imam’s quote, too.
“Jamal Badawi, a Halifax Imam and religious studies professor emeritus at St. Mary’s University, said there is nothing in the Qur’an or Muslim teachings that says dogs are to be avoided.
“This is not a universal interpretation of this so I think what is needed here and that’s what I’m proposing is perhaps proper education,” said Badawi.”
It doesn’t quite make clear exactly “who” needs the “education”. Hopefully, he meant Muslim immigrants being taught the importance of dogs as both pets and service animals in the Western World.
I think the “dergs is drrrrrrty”/Islam thing is a *cultural* deal and not a Koran thing.
And legally, my wheelchair, their dog, etc are all assistive devices, an extension of the person, and ILLEGAL to deny service because of.
There is a cab driver who had a back surgery and can’t lift anything. When I try to flag him down he shows me his handicapped parking permit and I get it right away. There is one driver, however, sits across from the big hotel near my apartment. Every time I flag him, he literally drives over, asks me where I’m going, and no matter what I say he says “I just got a call” and drives away. It’s been 4 times in the last year. I never get his roof light, because I’m always pissed off and forget to.
Someone who denies someone access to a service based on their fucked up opinions of their “icky poo” disability needs a kick to the balls.
p
And now some tool has stolen a braille reader from a woman in hospital, society sucks hairy armpits some days.
Do you suppose he’ll return it once it sinks in that he can’t play G.T.A. on it. Or will he just smoke some blunts and smash it.
John Bullshit’s motion is seconded and passed.
as a person with multiple disabilities, including being legally blind & in an electric wheelchair, also having lived in Toronto & Hamilton ontario, I’ve seen this B.S from ‘Muslims’ constantly, its one of the biggest reasons I moved toi Dartmouth last june, in Toronto, its so rampant that you dont even hear it in the news anymore, & CNIB does nothing about it…
I have a lot of Muslim friends, some are also blind, they dont act this way,. nor do they expect Canada to change laws just for them, (( RE: Sharia Law in Ontario), the ones that do this crap & expect Canada to cater to them, need to be shipped right back to where they came from. ( I might sound racist, I’m NOT, just sick & tired of being treated like sh*t & fed up with our country’s policy of letting anything in that cries REFUGEE!)
in Toronto metro housing, there are people, who have 10-15 people living in a 1 bedroom apartment, I know this as I lived in metro subsidized housing there… witnessed it way too often, same people wont allow management to spray for bugs, I got bed bugs 3 different time from the laundry room in the place I lived, also they treat blind people like crap, spray dog repellent at us & our Guide dogs, mace, shut elevator doors in our faces, scream at us, spit, throw feces on our balconies ( yes, I had a bunch living 2 floors above me), just disgusting B.S….
If that driver is scared of dogs (guaranteed that’s what’s going on here..) he shouldn’t have taken the fare. And should inform his company of his fear of dogs so he isn’t asked to pick up people clearly stating they’re riding with one.
Blindcane you’d sound racist if you said “all brown people do this because they’re brown” not “some immigrants come here entitled as all shit.” So don’t worry.