While in the vicinity, we decided to visit Detroit Zoo with a couple of friends. One has a Labrador Retriever assistance dog for mobility assistance, and the other has a Yorkshire Terrier psychiatric assistance dog.
So, we cut quite a sight, four women with three dogs wanting to visit the zoo. (Not something too unusual, we'd done the same together in San Diego some 18 months previously). Entry was straightforward, we were informed that staff would be informed of our party and know that the dogs were bona fide assistance dogs. Fair enough.
Not twenty yards into the zoo we were challenged by another member of staff, asking if the dogs were all assistance dogs. We gave suitable assurances and were allowed on our way. Sometime later, we were aware that we were being followed and after exiting one of the reptile houses were challenged again ... and again when the member of staff following us joined in.
They made disparaging remarks about the size of the Yorkshire Terrier suggesting anyone could put an assistance dog vest on a dog and claim it was such. No such challeneged were made of the Labrador or of my dog, Caesar.
This set the tone for the whole visit and we were constantly followed and watched, so much so that we decided to split up in the end so the staff would have to decide who to follow.
Staff seemed to want to see certification of the Yorkshire Terrier, which in USA under the Americans with Disabilities Act is illegal. Not once did they ask for certification of the Labrador or my own Golden Retriever ... it was a salutory lesson in the harassment of people who have non standard breeds for their assistance dogs.
I wish I could say there was a positive outcome when we complained before leaving, but alas, no.
Wednesday 26 September 2007
Customer Service? Or a promise not to sue?
While in USA we had occasion to fly, with NorthWest Airlines from Chicago to Detroit, and quick hop, no biggie, or so we thought!
Having booked months ahead and having requested assistance to board we arrived at the gate early and I presented myself to the apropriate member of staff and requested pre-boarding (as is usual for anyone with an assistance dog or disability). I was asked if I had someone with me, which I was happy to confirm. We waited and were beckoned forward to pre-board. At the end of the jet bridge there was the aisle chair which I need to transfer, but no member of staff. My companion boarded with Caesar and I sat and waited ... and waited ... and waited. I was in tears.
Unbeknown to me, the staff on the plane were asking Karen was I actually travelling or not! Eventually, the other passengers arrived and I was still sat there after they'd all boarded.
My heart sank, even the cabin crew and captain couldn't explain what was going on. Eventually, 10 minutes before take off the special assistance arrived. I was boarded, but in a rather humiliating way, being lifted in front of all the other passengers!
During the flight, I enquired of a member of the cabin crew if there would be assistance at the other end to disembark; "Oh they knoooow" he said in a rather loud and patronising way, so much so that several other passengers turned to look who he was talking to.
Thankfully, assistance was available upon our arrival in Detroit, and after we had cleared baggage reclaim, I decided to let Customer Services know of my disatisfaction. Almost immediately after the arrival of the CRO (Conflict Resolution Officer) I was offered a $200 voucher for furture travel, on condition that I sign a waiver stating this was my only claim against the company in repect of that flight.
An interesting state of affairs, I was so shocked (having never been offered such a deal with nmore appalling treatment in the UK) that I accepted, I still can't decide if it was excellent customer service or a pay off not to sue for the distress that had been caused!
Having booked months ahead and having requested assistance to board we arrived at the gate early and I presented myself to the apropriate member of staff and requested pre-boarding (as is usual for anyone with an assistance dog or disability). I was asked if I had someone with me, which I was happy to confirm. We waited and were beckoned forward to pre-board. At the end of the jet bridge there was the aisle chair which I need to transfer, but no member of staff. My companion boarded with Caesar and I sat and waited ... and waited ... and waited. I was in tears.
Unbeknown to me, the staff on the plane were asking Karen was I actually travelling or not! Eventually, the other passengers arrived and I was still sat there after they'd all boarded.
My heart sank, even the cabin crew and captain couldn't explain what was going on. Eventually, 10 minutes before take off the special assistance arrived. I was boarded, but in a rather humiliating way, being lifted in front of all the other passengers!
During the flight, I enquired of a member of the cabin crew if there would be assistance at the other end to disembark; "Oh they knoooow" he said in a rather loud and patronising way, so much so that several other passengers turned to look who he was talking to.
Thankfully, assistance was available upon our arrival in Detroit, and after we had cleared baggage reclaim, I decided to let Customer Services know of my disatisfaction. Almost immediately after the arrival of the CRO (Conflict Resolution Officer) I was offered a $200 voucher for furture travel, on condition that I sign a waiver stating this was my only claim against the company in repect of that flight.
An interesting state of affairs, I was so shocked (having never been offered such a deal with nmore appalling treatment in the UK) that I accepted, I still can't decide if it was excellent customer service or a pay off not to sue for the distress that had been caused!
Monday 24 September 2007
Kerb Cuts / Dropped Kerbs
Obviously for a wheelchair user in an urban environment, dropped kerbs are an absolute must if one is to be able to cross the road safely.
I have on occasion been in places where there is one on one side of the road and you get across only to discover there isn't one the other side (puzzling as to why this is done), and more frequently, and infuriatingly you find a car oparked right across the dropped kerb preventing wheelchair users crossing.
In some places in Michigan I saw that the dropped kerbs were clearly marked so as to deter drivers from parking across them.
Here's an example from the car park of Wal-Mart in Troy, Michigan.
I have on occasion been in places where there is one on one side of the road and you get across only to discover there isn't one the other side (puzzling as to why this is done), and more frequently, and infuriatingly you find a car oparked right across the dropped kerb preventing wheelchair users crossing.
In some places in Michigan I saw that the dropped kerbs were clearly marked so as to deter drivers from parking across them.
Here's an example from the car park of Wal-Mart in Troy, Michigan.
Thumbs up!
Saturday 22 September 2007
Leash Laws
One of the most striking things about being visitors in Chicago with a dog was the leash law. It seemed that a dog had to be on a leash (of less than six feet) at all times in a public place. It was very hot and so we researched taking Caesar to the beach, two dog beaches in Chicago but neither allows a dog off the leash unless it has a permit from the city! So, no opportunities for a visiting assistance dog there!
Living on the edge of the second largest natural harbour in the world, we are able to take Caesar to the beach year round and allow him to free run and swim in the sea. Of course the main tourist beaches have dog bans in the height of the season, usually Easter to the end of September, but there remain places where dog owners can exercise their charges year round.
Something else I noticed in Chicago was that the local dogs, presumably not allowed off lead unless they have a city permit for the beach or are taken to a dog park were not that well socialised. The number of smaller dogs straining at the end of the lead as we walked by was far more than normal, I am guessing their lack of mixing with other dogs off the lead has led to this nervousness and agression when they encounter other dogs in the street.
It's difficult for assistance dogs, I happen to believe if they work hard, they should be allowed to play hard and have a daily opportunity to free run. Caesar will also not toilet while on the lead unless he is absolutely desperate, so that leaves me in a dilemma, wait until he is desperate or find an out of the way place and allow him off the lead for a few minutes, under strict voice control to toilet. I usually try the latter and on one occasion we were in a grassy park on the outskirts of Chicago, not a manicured lawn or anything, in fact the grass was longer and left to grow a bit, it also had some tyre tracks in in from maintenance vehicles. So, at the edge of the park we let Caesar off the lead to toilet, (pick up bags in hand). Would you believe it, a police car appeared form nowhere! "Put the dog on the leash ma'am" came ringing out over the police car loud haler. Caught, well and truly, and poor Caesar hadn't even had the chance to relieve himself!
I certainly hope that the Dog Control Orders we are seeing increasingly implemented by councils here in the U.K. don't lead to a similar situation where a dog can't relieve itself off a lead for fear of the police showing up, and that the socialisation of the dog community suffers as a result.
Living on the edge of the second largest natural harbour in the world, we are able to take Caesar to the beach year round and allow him to free run and swim in the sea. Of course the main tourist beaches have dog bans in the height of the season, usually Easter to the end of September, but there remain places where dog owners can exercise their charges year round.
Something else I noticed in Chicago was that the local dogs, presumably not allowed off lead unless they have a city permit for the beach or are taken to a dog park were not that well socialised. The number of smaller dogs straining at the end of the lead as we walked by was far more than normal, I am guessing their lack of mixing with other dogs off the lead has led to this nervousness and agression when they encounter other dogs in the street.
It's difficult for assistance dogs, I happen to believe if they work hard, they should be allowed to play hard and have a daily opportunity to free run. Caesar will also not toilet while on the lead unless he is absolutely desperate, so that leaves me in a dilemma, wait until he is desperate or find an out of the way place and allow him off the lead for a few minutes, under strict voice control to toilet. I usually try the latter and on one occasion we were in a grassy park on the outskirts of Chicago, not a manicured lawn or anything, in fact the grass was longer and left to grow a bit, it also had some tyre tracks in in from maintenance vehicles. So, at the edge of the park we let Caesar off the lead to toilet, (pick up bags in hand). Would you believe it, a police car appeared form nowhere! "Put the dog on the leash ma'am" came ringing out over the police car loud haler. Caught, well and truly, and poor Caesar hadn't even had the chance to relieve himself!
I certainly hope that the Dog Control Orders we are seeing increasingly implemented by councils here in the U.K. don't lead to a similar situation where a dog can't relieve itself off a lead for fear of the police showing up, and that the socialisation of the dog community suffers as a result.
Friday 14 September 2007
Rats!
Travelling around quite a bit as we do, we get to see quite a variety of dog associated signs, nearly always the prohibitive ones of course!
I was surprised to see this one in a park in Chicago, it had never occurred to me that rats would thrive on dog mess that wasn't picked up. I really don't know why I hadn't thought of it, they do live in sewers after all!
It's been a good summer!
It really has been a great summer, we spent almost all of August in the American mid-west.
We loved Chicago, and had a great time there. We took a "ganster tour" to learn about the checkered history of the city ... well we were oin holiday after all! After our tour we realised that the Roman Catholic Cathedral of The Holy Name was just along from our hotel and took a walk there to take a closer look at the bullet hole in the cornerstone. It dates from the days of Al Capone et al and is still there (top right of the photo below).
Afterwards we went inside the cathedral for a look around. Inside this unpretentious cathedral, built in the Gothic revival style we were in for an even more interesting sight. I was fascinated to see that not only was the altar / sancuary area wheelchair accessible but also they have a wheelchair accessible confessional. Brilliant!
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