[Cagdu] Fw: rejection

[Ken Volonte]

  To Whom It May Concern,

>
> On New year's eve, I wanted to try a new restaurant, with my daughter and 
> her dad!
>
> This would be normal if I were a sighted woman who drove a car.
>
> However, my way of physically being in the world, is without sight. the 
> ability to use a guide dog gives me physical independence to walk with 
> confidence, on the streets and enter public restaurants.
>
> Walking with a guide dog and acceptance, at a restaurant is almost 
> common-place for me. I take this acceptance for granted, in the same way 
> as a sighted woman driving a car, also takes for granted the freedom to go 
> to any public restaurant as a typical way of celebrating New Year's eve.
>
> However, this right to access was denied me, by the male owner and his 
> female servers at The Ocean Park pizza and Steak House restaurant in 
> Brookswood.
>
> As soon as I walked through the narrow door, of the restaurant, in front 
> my daughter and her dad, the manager said to me, "get that dog out of here
> Dogs aren't allowed in this restaurant!"
>
> I told him, this is a guide dog who is allowed to be here!"
>
>
>
> He repeatedly said he'd give us free food but we would have to leave the 
> premises. He told me he didn't want a dog, not any dog, in the restaurant 
> even if it was a guide dog.
>
> I told him he is breaking the law and I'd be calling the police.
>
> He guffawed when he heard this and told me to leave the restaurant, now!
>
> His wife also repeatedly asked me to leave the restaurant--echoing his 
> contempt, saying, get outta here!
>
> I kept standing, motionless, shocked, in the restaurant, my daughter not 
> wanting to leave me; with my guide dog at my side, repeatedly saying,
>
> to them "this is a guide dog and she is allowed to go in to any 
> restaurant".
>
> He kept asking me to leave and not make a scene.
>
> I continued to stand my ground, repeating this is a guide dog!
>
> He told me I was ruining his New Year's Eve for himself and his customers. 
> He said people made reservations, to a nice restaurant, and they didn't 
> want to have a dog and we had to leave!
>
> I continued repeating this is a guide dog and I'm not leaving his 
> restaurant!
>
> The owner said, in front of me, to my daughter's dad, "If she was a man, 
> I'd beat him up! But, since she's a woman, I wouldn't beat her up. He 
> didn't do that to women!" it was said to get me out of the restaurant!
>
> I was in such shock I asked the silent woman server to write the name of 
> the restaurant down for me. When she handed me the piece of paper, I 
> thought she had done what I asked!
>
> Later, I found out, when a sighted person read the paper to me she quietly 
> wrote a different name to another restaurant in Surrey B.C. which was. 
> Gellini's
>
> Time went by, and I kept standing with my guide dog!
>
> Another sighted female server also asked me to leave. She placated me by 
> saying, she understood my predicament because she has a sister with a 
> hearing dog! My life experience tells me that Her need for her evening 
> tips spoke louder to me then her placating words. By standing behind her 
> male employer she is publically degrading her sister and her need for a 
> hearing dog and degrading my human right to accessing a public restaurant 
> with a guide dog. People who see my guide dog or a person using a service 
> dog in action can be helpful by understanding Her demeaning of me or any 
> service dog user, also extends to downgrading the abilities of women puppy 
> raisers, trainers and instructors of guide or assistance dogs, who spent 
> countless hours of love, time and patience to train these dogs to do their 
> respected jobs.
>
>
> My daughter's sighted dad kept wheedling at me to leave because he didn't 
> want to make a scene!
>
> I repeated, to him it wasn't his or my daughter's problem! But just take 
> her and go to McDonald's, while I stay here."
>
> In my shock, my plan was to stay, at the restaurant
>
>
> He took our daughter, out of the restaurant and in to the car.
>
> Then, I continued standing. In my shock and confusion, I slowly left the 
> restaurant. When I heard a person, approaching the restaurant I told him 
> that I wasn't served because I have a guide dog. I was met with an 
> indifferent response from the man on the street!
>
> Later, my daughter's dad told me the place was almost empty. No one was 
> sitting at the tables in the restaurant.
>
> I felt that walking away from the restaurant and ignoring what happened 
> would make it okay to have discrimination be a part of my life. I also 
> felt it could happen to another innocent guide or service dog user who 
> simply wants to better their life. I also stood my ground because I didn't 
> want to be like the woman server who talked for her tips yet tip toes in 
> her high heel shoes around human rights!
>
> I chose to stand up for myself, at the restaurant, because I no longer 
> condone the Canadian middle-class virtue of politeness that has too often 
> been a part of my life with tragic consequences. For me, expunging this 
> terrible Canadian value leads to a more positive life and better 
> opportunities to make a better way of living in the community.
>
>
>
>
> Ocean Park Pizza & Steak House (Brookswood Location)
>
> Ocean Park Pizza & Steak House (Brookswood Location)
>
> Contact:
>
> 604-533-4808
>
> Address:
>
> 20097 - 40th Avenue
>
> Langley, B.C.
>
> V3A 2W3, Canada
>
> info at oceanparkpizzalangley.com
>
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