Posted on 09/13/2014 2:38:18 PM PDT by walford
PATERSON, NJ -- A disabled veteran was thrown out of a fast food restaurant because of his service dog.
The incident itself is troubling enough, but you won't believe what happened after the Eyewitness News investigators arrived at the restaurant to demand answers.
It's one of the most bizarre exchanges Eyewitness News has ever had on a story. Federal law is very clear: Dogs are recognized as service animals and all businesses open to the public, including restaurants, must allow them in.
But a U.S. Army veteran says a Subway restaurant in Paterson, New Jersey, blatantly ignored the law, and now, he's determined to send them a message in court.
Richard Hunter's troubled life turned around in July when the U.S. Army veteran received a service dog from the non-profit group Dogs4Warriors. The 50-year-old suffers from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
"He realizes I'm having anxiety before I do," Richard Hunter said.
*video*
So, it was a big deal when Hunter finally took his son and a coworker to lunch a few weeks ago at a Subway restaurant in Paterson, New Jersey.
"This was huge to go out with my son for the first time in over ten years," Hunter said.
The sign on the door seemingly said it all: "Service animals are welcome," but Hunter claims the manager, later identified as Mitul Ahmed, said something very different.
"I may have been holding the door when he first said something. He said, 'The dog is not allowed in here. Get the dog out of here,'" Hunter said.
"He was clearly identified as a service animal," Eyewitness News Investigative Reporter Sarah Wallace said.
"He was wearing what he has on right now," Hunter said. "I said he was a service animal."
"He didn't care," Wallace said.
"That's exactly what he said, 'I don't care,'" Hunter said.
Hunter called the cops who said they couldn't do anything. He then called the owner.
"The owner told me straight up: 'I can refuse service to anyone I want,'" Hunter said.
That's when Hunter reached out to disability rights attorney Robert Tandy.
"No food establishment can refuse entry to a service animal," Tandy said.
"Plain and simple," Wallace said.
"Simple as that," Tandy said.
When Eyewitness News found the manager, Mitul Ahmed, behind the counter he denied everything.
"You're not Mitul Ahmed," Wallace said.
"No, he's not here," Ahmed said.
Oh, and that sign on the door, suddenly changed. The line about service animals welcome was removed.
The owner's son arrived, with a foot-long list of excuses.
"If he's not going to say he made a mistake, that's fine too, because I'm going to be the better person, you know, we both messed up, all right, we messed up more," said Zaphir Pathan, the Subway owner's son.
"How did he mess up by having a service dog and wanting to go into the store, I don't understand that?" Wallace said.
"You're completely twisting the situation, that's funny," Pathan said.
"If I go into that Subway with a service dog, will I be allowed in?" Wallace asked.
"You can go in right now because now we know," he said.
*video*
Now, Guess what? Ahmed is still working and still in denial.
"You weren't here," Wallace said.
"No," Ahmed said.
"So, you're ok having him work for you when he lied?" Wallace asked.
"Who doesn't lie when they don't want their case thrown under the water?" Pathan said.
"OK, my goodness," Wallace said.
"I was just looking for an apology. I was just looking for an apology that you're wrong," Hunter said. "Now, I'm afraid to go out. I'm having anxiety even to go to the corner store now."
In many states, that Subway would lost most of its customers and go out of business over this evil act. This is in NJ though, so I don’t think he’ll lose much business.
Dog was wearing his marked service dog vest.
Mr. Ahmed is going to be taken to Federal court and he is going to lose on Summary Judgment. He is going to pay a big fine for violation of 42 USC something or other, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and there’s probably a parallel State law which may be even more stringent. Mr. Ahmed is also going to pay the Vet’s attorneys fees and costs.
That’s how it works.
Taking the sign down about Service dogs was dumb. The sign isn’t what gave the Vet the right to go in with his service dog.
Oh, and having a little vest on the dog that says “Service Dog” does not make him one, and not having the little vest does not make him “NOT” one.
There are only two things the owner can ask the patron, IIRC: Do you suffer from a disability (you cannot ask what it is), and is the dog trained to perform a task. The answers here appear to be “yes” and “yes”. Being trained to recognize anxiety may be sufficient.
The owner’s son’s comment “who doesn’t lie to protect their case” only reaffirms my view that people from the part of the world where people named “Ahmed” come from look at the difference between telling the truth, and lying, as a tactical difference, not a moral difference.
There is a guy who sets up a mobile hotdog stand every day outside my place of employment. He wears flip-flops and sleeveless shirts, covered with tattoos all over his legs, arms and neck.
I have never purchased anything from him but have resisted the temptation to tell him why: I would never buy food from someone who displays such poor judgement and low class.
“”The owner told me straight up: ‘I can refuse service to anyone I want,’” Hunter said.”
The vet should have claimed that he was a homosexual and then see what happens.
New legislation or regulation came in over the past few years saying that there are only two kinds of animals that can be service animals. Dogs, and “perhaps” miniature horses. For the life of me I’ve never figured out the miniature horses angle, or the “perhaps”, which is right there in the Federal register.
No more service iguanas or service macaws.
Dude is a dick, then...
I hate fake service dog users but, people who deny actual service dogs disgust me more.
Moslems hate dogs
There’s a guy with a Doberman Pincher and a guy with a Chihuahua. The guy with the Doberman Pincher says to the guy with the Chihuahua, “Let’s go over to that restaurant and get something to eat.”
The guy with the Chihuahua says, “We can’t go in there. We’ve got dogs with us.”
The guy with the Doberman Pincher says, “Just follow my lead.”
They walk over to the restaurant. The guy with the Doberman Pincher puts on a pair of dark glasses and he starts to walk in. A guy at the door says, “Sorry mac, no pets allowed.”
The guy with the Doberman Pincher says, “You don’t understand. This is my seeing-eye dog.”
The guy at the door says, “A Doberman Pincher?”
He says, “Yes, they’re using them now, they’re very good.”
The guy at the door says, “Come on in.”
The guy with the Chihuahua figures “what the hell,” so he puts on a pair of dark glasses and starts to walk in.
The guy at the door says, “Sorry pal, no pets allowed.”
The guy with the Chihuahua says, “You don’t understand. This is my seeing-eye dog.”
The guy at the door says, “A Chihuahua?”
He says, “You mean they gave me a Chihuahua?”
My dog Goober hates varmints including cats, grackles and Democrats. Haven’t had any of Prophet Mad Mo’s acolytes around here but I suspect Goober would consider them either a cat or Democrat.
But I am actually getting a bit tired of this service-dog thing. Seems like everyone has a service dog. How can anyone tell it is genuine?
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May 20, 2013
PATERSON – The raising of a flag at City Hall on Sunday was like any of the dozen or so similar events held in the city each year in a nod to its diversity. Except it wasn’t. That’s because the flag raised — for the first time in Paterson, and possibly at any city hall in the United States — was Palestinian. . . . Sunday, . . . the flag was raised in the rain before elected officials and about 150 people. People cheered, danced, shared sweets and shouted, “Long Live Palestine.”
“Palestine is our country and we are proud of that,” said Clifton resident Salwa Ramadan. “We’re happy [to be] recognized finally.” Paterson had never held the event because no one had asked, Mayor Jeffery Jones said. The mayor read a proclamation proclaiming May 19 as Palestinian American Day in the city and honoring the group’s heritage and contributions.
Yeah... Why DO they shake? It’s weird.
Thanks
Oh, this is fantastic.
Anyone can have a vest. It is not hard to fake all these “services”.
It is very hard to fake a Seeing-Eye dog. They have the special harness, and the dog will unquestionably exhibit behaviors and motions indicating real usefulness.
i believe that is against the law per the ADA...
Subway should write a check and send the owner back to gaza
“It’s not really a service animal”
How did the men who stormed the beaches at Normandy get by without service dogs and a lifetime monthly check for PTSD?
How did the Minutemen do it?
I saw a story on a “frequently flyer” web site a number of years ago.
Apparently, someone was flying American Airlines first class, and another passenger had either a pony or a miniature horse with them as a service animal.
It must have been fun (not) for the other passengers who paid big bucks for a plane ticket to have a miniature horse or pony doing it’s business in the aisle.
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