Gonna Rip You A New One

Ok kids, today's post is two stories in one! Both with the same title... see above.


First story: This past weekend, Frankie and I went to Walmart. It was going to be our last shopping outing for about a week (see Story #2 for the reason why) and I wanted to just tool around Walmart with him.

Even before I got inside the store, I saw trouble a-comin'. It came in the form of a Walmart Greeter With A Walmart Smock. I was sitting in my chair in the entrance changing my sunglasses, when I saw out of the corner of my eye this Walmart Greeter With A Walmart Smock walking quickly and purposefully up to me. I sensed trouble, kemosabe.

Walmart Greeter With A Walmart Smock: "We only allow Seeing Eye Dogs in here. Is that a Seeing Eye Dog?"

WHAT?! Walmart is one of the few stores that has a big sign on the outside doors that says "Service Dogs Welcome", even though legally, they are "welcome" anywhere I'm "welcome".

Me: "No, this is a Service Dog."

Walmart Greeter With A Walmart Smock: "Well, then you cannot come in. We only allow Seeing Eye Dogs."

Me: "Who told you that?"

Walmart Greeter With A Walmart Smock: "My manager."

Me: "Ok, let's go talk to your manager."

Walmart Greeter With A Walmart Smock proceeds to quickly walk in towards an employee phone/intercom as I wheel with Frankie behind her. She turns her back to me and starts paging her manager.

Once she's done paging the manager, she keeps her back turned and will not look at me.

I, of course, proceed to engage her in conversation. In a manner where she cannot ignore me. I will not be ignored!

I begin talking about Service Dogs, the different types and the access laws regarding them. The whole time she has her arms crossed and says things like "well, I was told Seeing Eye Dogs only".

Then the manager shows up. He takes one look at me in my wheelchair, one look at Frankie, and then looks at Walmart Greeter With A Walmart Smock like "what's the problem, it's a Service Dog, big deal".

I immediately start talking first (of course!). I explain that his employee asked me an inappropriate question and was misinformed as to what the laws were regarding Service Dog access.

He, of course, agreed with me, apologized profusely and said he would talk with her immediately.

I didn't want to leave it at that. I decided to talk to her first. She was still standing there, but her arms were now uncrossed and she looked very embarrassed.

I took the time again to explain to her about the different types of Service Dogs and what question she really should have asked me ("Is that a Service Dog and does it assist you with a disability?"). She apologized very sincerely.

As I was wheeling away, I overheard her supervisor pretty much ripping her a new one. Not that he was yelling at her or ready to fire her, but more like he was telling her she could have gotten the store into a lot of trouble.

He's right, if I was a different kind of person, I could have made a pretty big stink. But that ain't me. I choose to educate rather than litigate.



Second story: Frankie's been at the vet since yesterday morning. He had to have his anal glands surgically removed. Ow. He'll be out of commission working-wise for 3-4 days and then he'll have stitches for about 2 weeks.

Barney stayed overnight at the vet with him. Not because Barney needed anything medically done, but he's there as moral support for his little brother. It was the vet's idea. I think they just all love Barney and would give any excuse to steal him from us!

Oy.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Workers free dog trapped in sewer pipe

MANKATO, Minn. (AP) -- The sound of barking underneath a street Tuesday led a team of city workers to a dog trapped in a narrow culvert - and you might say they used a backward approach to rescue the mutt. The sickly, scared dog was about 50 feet from the nearest entry point, but since the culvert was just 15 inches in diameter, the workers couldn't fit into it themselves. Not even offers of food could draw out the dog. "He was exhausted," said Tony Talamantez, a public works foreman. Then Talamantez and his colleagues had an idea. They rigged up a long video camera used to inspect drain pipes, and approached the dog from the back. They used the camera to nugdge the dog forward until he reached an entry point big enough for a person to pull him out. The camera recorded the rescue, showing the dog scampering ahead in fits and starts as the camera pokes him in the rear end. The dog wore no tags, only a worn collar. But Julia Gosen, animal control officer for the city, said ...
Read more

Crested Geckos - great pet for the disabled

Image
A few weekends ago at the Austin Reptile Expo, I had the opportunity to meet a really neat woman who breeds and sells Crested Geckos. Since I have lizards as pets and have written before about how great they are as pets for disabled folks, I thought I'd write about the Crested Gecko in particular. The woman I speak of is Kati of Kati's Crested's . She's here in Austin, TX. I had never held a crested gecko before this Expo, but I had seen them in a tank at a local reptile store. They are very kewl lizards! Soft to the touch, almost like suede. The one I held jumped from one hand to the other and held on with it's prehensile tail! The crested gecko originates from New Caledonia (an island east of Australia). Adults range from 6-9" in total length. In the wild, they are nocturnal, arboreal animals living in the forests. Most wild specimens are tail-less, presumably because they dropped their tails while escaping from a predator. All of Kati's cresteds are c...
Read more

Axe Me A Question

Go ahead and ask. Ask the questions you always wanted to ask someone in a wheelchair. Nothing is too embarrassing. You might as well ask me on this blog since you are somewhat anonymous and don't have to look me in the eye. What have you always wanted to ask someone in a wheelchair? Here, I'll start: Q: "Hi, my name is LaLaundria! I wanted to know how do you take a shower?" A: Well, LaLaundria, I sit down. On a shower chair. I have grab-bars installed in my shower/tub and my commode rooms to give me extra balance. A shower chair is a hard plastic chair made to fit in showers and tubs. I have a shower massage type shower head that helps get the water closer to my hair. Howze that? Ask away, no question is off limits! (Oh Jeez, what am I getting myself into!)
Read more