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Dodge Trucker · 11-08-2007, 09:00 PM

I had/have an "incident" or story...however you want to phrase this. We had a family reunion weekend up in Nebraska. We city slickers didn't want to camp out in tents, so my wife and I, along with her father and his wife all chipped in for a nice Holiday Inn Express hotel real close to the campground for the weekend. My father in law got to the hotel earlier in the day and reserved a room for 4 people and a dog. The clerk said "ok..it will be X amount for the 4 people and $25 dollars for the dog."
Father in law - he's a hearing redneck, but a "well-informed" redneck in the way of his daughter being deaf and having a hearing service dog. Father knows sign language as well. Father told the clerk "so its 25 for a hearing service dog..hmm..Ok ..cancel my reservation..I will go elsewhere." The clerk couldn't speak up fast enough, but the clerk said "I'm sorry..we do not charge anything for service dogs. My mistake. Here's a free (something..I cant remember what it was).
Later in the day..wife and I came to the hotel after a LONG LONG drive with my dog. Walked in the hotel and the clerk jumped out in front of me and asked "Is this Amya?" Said yes it was. "Oh how so cute for a service dog" and the usual ohhh ahh oooh ahh's ya know? I accepted it and just went about my bizness.
Next evening after being out in the HOT HOT sun, wife and I and our nephew and wife wanted to go swimming in the indoor pool. Naturally..where I go..the dog goes. We walked in and BAM...everybody started looking at us like "what kinda stupid people are we?" ya know? I saw 1 lady go off really fast towards the office (probably to rat me out). Sure enough about 10 minutes later..the clerk (different clerk) approached my wife who was holding my dog. Wife was looking in opposite direction and Amya (my dog) nudged my wife that some one was speaking to her. Wife turns around and made the usual "I cant hear you" sign/gesture. Nephew and wife jumped out of pool (hearing folks, but knows signs) and told the clerk "service dog". Man...the clerk's attitude changed SO FAST you couldn't blink. She apologized and I saw the clerk looking at every body and said "deaf service dog..dog is allowed in pool area". I took a look around...what do I see? I see such embarrassment on every body's face and then they all came over to "kiss ass" and apologize.

My only WISH is, why cant folks give me a chance to explain why I have a dog with me even tho I know its against the rules. If they are not satisfied, ok fine..escalate the issue. Geez!! I know it is WIDELY accepted for a seeing-eye dog. When people see a seeing-eye dog, its accepted and EVERYTHING is dropped. Whereas when we do the same for our service dogs, we have to fight tooth and nail to convince it ACTUALLY IS a service dog with or without proper documentation. I guess maybe the other "services" is undiscovered and will be a WHILE before we get the same treatment as seeing-eye dogs? I do not have anything against the treatment of seeing-eye dogs. I actually applaud it for the visually impaired to be independent of themselves. I just wish we could get the same. Maybe in another life time.

11-08-2007, 09:00 PM	#229 (permalink)
Dodge Trucker Can't DODGE it? RAM IT! Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 75	I had/have an "incident" or story...however you want to phrase this. We had a family reunion weekend up in Nebraska. We city slickers didn't want to camp out in tents, so my wife and I, along with her father and his wife all chipped in for a nice Holiday Inn Express hotel real close to the campground for the weekend. My father in law got to the hotel earlier in the day and reserved a room for 4 people and a dog. The clerk said "ok..it will be X amount for the 4 people and $25 dollars for the dog." Father in law - he's a hearing redneck, but a "well-informed" redneck in the way of his daughter being deaf and having a hearing service dog. Father knows sign language as well. Father told the clerk "so its 25 for a hearing service dog..hmm..Ok ..cancel my reservation..I will go elsewhere." The clerk couldn't speak up fast enough, but the clerk said "I'm sorry..we do not charge anything for service dogs. My mistake. Here's a free (something..I cant remember what it was). Later in the day..wife and I came to the hotel after a LONG LONG drive with my dog. Walked in the hotel and the clerk jumped out in front of me and asked "Is this Amya?" Said yes it was. "Oh how so cute for a service dog" and the usual ohhh ahh oooh ahh's ya know? I accepted it and just went about my bizness. Next evening after being out in the HOT HOT sun, wife and I and our nephew and wife wanted to go swimming in the indoor pool. Naturally..where I go..the dog goes. We walked in and BAM...everybody started looking at us like "what kinda stupid people are we?" ya know? I saw 1 lady go off really fast towards the office (probably to rat me out). Sure enough about 10 minutes later..the clerk (different clerk) approached my wife who was holding my dog. Wife was looking in opposite direction and Amya (my dog) nudged my wife that some one was speaking to her. Wife turns around and made the usual "I cant hear you" sign/gesture. Nephew and wife jumped out of pool (hearing folks, but knows signs) and told the clerk "service dog". Man...the clerk's attitude changed SO FAST you couldn't blink. She apologized and I saw the clerk looking at every body and said "deaf service dog..dog is allowed in pool area". I took a look around...what do I see? I see such embarrassment on every body's face and then they all came over to "kiss ass" and apologize. My only WISH is, why cant folks give me a chance to explain why I have a dog with me even tho I know its against the rules. If they are not satisfied, ok fine..escalate the issue. Geez!! I know it is WIDELY accepted for a seeing-eye dog. When people see a seeing-eye dog, its accepted and EVERYTHING is dropped. Whereas when we do the same for our service dogs, we have to fight tooth and nail to convince it ACTUALLY IS a service dog with or without proper documentation. I guess maybe the other "services" is undiscovered and will be a WHILE before we get the same treatment as seeing-eye dogs? I do not have anything against the treatment of seeing-eye dogs. I actually applaud it for the visually impaired to be independent of themselves. I just wish we could get the same. Maybe in another life time. __________________ Respect everyone's opinion. Don't like their opinion? LIVE WITH IT!!