I am seething mad.. UPDATE #3

[Deleted]

I just witnessed a horrible act of discrimination. I was on the rental car bus and there was a man on with a service dog and the driver was refusing to drive the bus with the dog on. The man was soo frustrated he started to cry. The other passengers started yelling at the driver and he finally drove us to the rental facility. I was found the facilities manager when I got off and raised hell with him. I'm still livid for this poor man. Blah.. What a horrible way to end the day.

UPDATE:

When I got to my hotel I went on the website for the airport, found an email address and emailed them. I asked them to follow up with me. I doubt they will but I feel better now.

UPDATE #2:

The airport's managing company emailed me back at 7:50AM and are taking this situation very seriously. I was absolutley floored that they responded so quickly to my email. They told me they are going to work with the drivers manager and will be getting back to me. I made it clear that what I was seeking was thorough training of their employees on ADA compliance and hopefully an apology to this man if they could track him down.

UPDATE #3 (For anyone still invested in this):

I'm impressed. I got back into the office and had a voicemail from their facilities manager who wanted to speak to with me directly. I called him back this morning and had a really nice conversation with him. He is taking this matter extremely seriously and will make sure this driver goes thru their ADA training again. He says it is not required but he makes sure all drivers receive it and complete it on a yearly basis. I only wish we could figure out who this guy was so they could get an apology to him.

[gretchenindisguise]

Oh man. That makes me want to cry.

[elleblue]

I'm sorry that happened, but I am glad you were there to report back to the facilities manager. 

[bonquiqui]

Aww that is terrible

[W.T.Faulkner]

I am glad that you and the other passengers stood up for the guy.

[pantsparty]

That's awful Good for you for sticking up for him! Poor man. Fuck those assholes!

[Deleted]

Omg

[aussiecrush]

That's awful. I'm so glad you guys stood up for him. Poor guy.

[zoidberg]

Mar 5, 2014 23:28:27 GMT -5 nicbreeful said:

I am so flabbergasted that in today's day and age when it is fully well known that service animals are exempt from those laws (so well known that even the passengers know!), that this shit still happens. Good for you for speaking to the manager.

Seriously. How on earth does this happen? Who are these people??

[sparkythelawyer]

What airport were you at?

[styme46]

I'm mind boggled that the bus driver wouldn't drive with the dog on the bus. Poor guy. I'm glad you and the other passengers stuck up for him. 

[ElizabethBennet]

[cbwm1]

Good for all of you for standing up to the driver!

What did the manager say??

[tdk2]

That's just crazy!
I'm glad everyone went to bat for him and that you spoke to the manager. That's crap!

[amberlyrose]

I'm so glad there were people like you around.

[Deleted]

Mar 5, 2014 23:34:02 GMT -5 cbwm1 said:

Good for all of you for standing up to the driver!

What did the manager say??

He said he would talk to the driver and make sure he is aware, blah, blah, blah. I feel like I want to follow up on this tomorrow. I'm just not satisfied but I'm not sure what else I could/should do.

[Champagne Supernova]

WTF?

I'm glad to hear you said something. OMFG.

[cbwm1]

Mar 5, 2014 23:38:36 GMT -5 tarzanswife said:

Mar 5, 2014 23:34:02 GMT -5 cbwm1 said:

Good for all of you for standing up to the driver!

What did the manager say??

He said he would talk to the driver and make sure he is aware, blah, blah, blah. I feel like I want to follow up on this tomorrow. I'm just not satisfied but I'm not sure what else I could/should do.

I would do the same thing

[5thofjuly]

Thank you for doing this! My brother has a service dog that he absolutely relies on to have any form of independence. He already feels disempowered because of his disability, so something like this would be crushing.

Was this a franchise? If so and if you were so inclined, perhaps you could email the national office (cc-ing the Better Business Bureau) as well as post on their Facebook page.

[winelady]

Good for you and the other passengers for sticking up for him. I would absolutely follow up with someone else tomorrow.

[polka]

That's awful

I'm so glad you said something.

[sugarbear]

Mar 5, 2014 23:42:20 GMT -5 5thofjuly said:

Was this a franchise? If so and if you were so inclined, perhaps you could email the national office (cc-ing the Better Business Bureau) as well as post on their Facebook page.

I think this is a great idea.

and, good for you for standing up for the guy. What was the driver's reason for refusal?

[lagom]

I'm pissed for you.

[sewpinkgal]

It's nice to know that you and the other passengers stood up for him, but what an awful situation. The crying would have just put me over the edge.

[Deleted]

Mar 5, 2014 23:57:21 GMT -5 sugarbear said:

Mar 5, 2014 23:42:20 GMT -5 5thofjuly said:

Was this a franchise? If so and if you were so inclined, perhaps you could email the national office (cc-ing the Better Business Bureau) as well as post on their Facebook page.

I think this is a great idea.

and, good for you for standing up for the guy. What was the driver's reason for refusal?

I really have no idea. He was obviously of middle eastern decent and refused to understand that the dog was allowed. Even when I gave him the whole ADA speech.

[WOT?*]

If you don't hear anything, contact the attorney general of the state in which it occurred to find out who you can report this to. If the company won't take action then the state should. They generally get a little antsy when discrimination laws and the ADA are misapplied or ignored.

[alzi]

Take it to twitter!!
That poor man.

[underwaterrhymes]

Mar 6, 2014 7:09:41 GMT -5 kevin arnold said:

Mar 6, 2014 0:28:59 GMT -5 tarzanswife said:

I really have no idea. He was obviously of middle eastern decent and refused to understand that the dog was allowed. Even when I gave him the whole ADA speech.

What does his being of middle eastern descent have to do with anything?

I was just getting ready to ask this too.

It sucks that this happened, but the driver's ethnicity had nothing to do with it.

[Kristinmo]

Mar 6, 2014 8:12:22 GMT -5 tators said:

I think maybe because she thought he wasn't aware of ADA policy and service animals. I don't think it was a racist blow.

Yeah. I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt and assuming she meant he was an immigrant from the Middle East not his ethnicity. 

[Saint Monica]

I'm not saying the driver is right b/c he is wrong but:

1. Maybe the driver is terrified of dogs ?

2. Maybe his religious views deem the dog as unclean ?

3. Maybe the driver is a giant flamingasshole ?