Posted on 08/16/2007 9:53:10 AM PDT by Alouette
A blind Vancouver man who was shunned by a taxi driver who didn't want a guide dog in his cab has reached a $2,500 settlement with North Shore Taxi.
Bruce Gilmour, 49, had called a cab from a West Vancouver coffee shop after a day of skiing in November 2006.
But North Shore Taxi driver Behzad Saidy, a Muslim, refused to transport Gilmour and his golden retriever Arden, saying his religion prevents him from associating with dogs. Gilmour, who has been blind for 30 years, filed a human rights complaint, alleging discrimination. "I'm tired of defending my dignity," he said Wednesday.
Last Friday - three days before a B.C. human rights tribunal hearing - Gilmour reached a settlement with the taxi company.
The agreement, issued by the tribunal, attempts to balance the rights of blind people with guide dogs to obtain taxi service with the rights of Muslim cab drivers to follow their personal beliefs.
Gilmour said he will donate part of the monetary settlement to the Az-zahraa Islamic Centre in Richmond after receiving help from Imam Syed Jaffir, and to B.C. Guide Dog Services. They will likely get $500 to $700 each, he said.
Under the terms of the settlement, North Shore Taxi was ordered to immediately establish a policy forbidding any driver to refuse a fare from a blind person accompanied by a certified guide dog.
The only exceptions are for drivers allergic to dogs and those who satisfy the company that they have an honest religious belief that precludes them from transporting certified guide dogs.
However, such drivers must call dispatch for the next available cab, give their name to the blind person and remain with the person until the next cab arrives.
Anyone who breaches the policy will be suspended for two shifts for a first offence and be subject to termination for a second offence.
Blind people will not be required to inform dispatch of their disability.
"It's a landmark in my life," Gilmour said. "This is not binding with any other cab company, but if a person in White Rock or Coquitlam winds up in the same situation, my case will now raise the bar."
William Thornton, chief executive of B.C. Guide Dog Services, said Gilmour's experience was "all too common." There are about 150 guide dogs in B.C.
Gilmour, who uses taxis regularly, said he's been fighting such discrimination since 1985, when he got his first guide dog.
He said he's argued with cabbies who have refused to allow the dog in their cars and has been passed up by taxis as he waits on the curb. He and his guide dog rarely encounter problems with other types of public transportation, he said.
"I'm humiliated and frustrated and it's an awkward position having to go into defending your rights because you're blind," Gilmour said.
North Shore Taxi officials could not be reached Wednesday.
But Saidy, the cab driver, claims he also suffered discrimination because he was told by a citizenship judge 15 years ago that he could practise his religion and culture.
He said that as a Muslim, he cannot associate with dogs because they are considered impure.
Saidy said he often walks disabled people to their door or helps them into cabs and, in Gilmour's case, he called the dispatcher to order another cab to collect him and Arden.
"I felt for [Gilmour]. I'm sorry for him but I'll never be sorry for what I did because I try to help people all the time," he said.
"I have lots of customers who are blind or disabled...but I can't be close to the dog.
"In my own company they say if you don't take the dog you're going to be fired. This is torture for me." Saidy said he agreed to the settlement because his religion was finally respected and he was exempt from picking up guide dogs. But, he adds, he's not optimistic that's going to happen.
"I don't trust anymore," he said.
So you support discrimination. Guess Bill O’Reilly was right.
mud slime bump!
This was in Canada. What's that have to do with it?
You have the driver of a public conveyance refusing to provide service to an American citizen because the driver personally dislikes and disapproves of an inseperable part of the rider's existence.
I guess I just don't see a problem with this. I would sort of prefer to live in a society in which people are free to associate with only those that they choose.
I don't care one way or another. But I support a person's right to associate only with those that they choose.
His ski instructor dog told him.
Once upon a time an old man named Paul died. His best friend, his dog Dude, died at the same moment. They had been companions many years.
The old man found himself walking along a country lane with his dog.
He came to a gate in the lane. Standing by the gate was the best specimen of manhood the old man had ever seen. It looked like there was a party going on in the yard of the house, which was one of the grandest the old man had ever seen.
The man standing beside the gate said, "Paul we've been waiting for you. C'mon in and sit down."
Paul asked, "What is this place? The house and property are the best I've ever seen."
The man by the gate replied, "This is Heaven and the party is for you."
Paul started to walk in but the man told him, "Sorry, but your dog can't come in."
Paul looked at the man, the house, the property, and Dude, his dog.
He finally said, "Well, c'mon Dude, we'll just walk along the lane then."
As they walked along they came to another gate.
Standing beside this gate was a gentle looking man, dressed all in white. On the other side of the gate a gentle mist seemed to carress the land, which looked like the very best property ever seen anywhere by anybody.
The man standing beside the gate said, "Welcome Paul. You've reached your destination."
Paul asked, "What is this place?"
The man in white said, "This is heaven."
Paul asked, "Can my dog, Duke, come in with me?"
The gentle man said "Why, of course. We welcome all animal friends here."
The gentle man asked Paul, "Why didn't you enter the other gate earlier where the big party was going on? They told you that was heaven too."
Paul told the gentle man, "well, I'll tell you, when they told me I couldn't bring my friend, Duke, along I wasn't about to leave him behind."
The gentle man told Paul, "It's good that you're faithful to your friends. That other place was Hell."
.
I heard this story a long time ago. Your comment just reminde me of it.
Religious belief? Ok, where in the Quran does it say you must not accommodate blind people with guide dogs?
If your religion does not permit you to DO your chosen job, choose a new profession. Do not discriminate against the blind and tout your own legal code.
They believe that angels will not visit homes that allow dogs inside.
Would it be okay if a white supremacist called for “another” cab when he sees a black man flagging down his cab?
LOL, actually though, I’ve seen blind people ski at Winter Park. They have a big program there for handicapped skiing.
I didn’t know that, thanks.
Is that chicken halal? Did an Imam say a prayer as it was killed?
You want him to eat kufir chicken? That is an OUTRAGE.
Ask the imam has all sorts of questions answered.
Including a lot about passing gas.
http://islam.tc/ask-imam/index.php
And I agree that more people should be able to drive a cab and not fork money over to the city for the “privilege”.
A 15 minute wait is a blessing.
Read this on islam-watch.org, I’ll try to paraphrase.
Suppose a muslim winds up in the emergency room and needs blood transfusions. The Red Cross (”how dare you mention crosses, infidel!”) screens donor blood for every known communicable disease, but, uh, last time I donated, they didn’t ask if I consume pork.
In other words, ol’ Achmed Al-Muzzi Al-Raghedd is going to wind up with blood of pig-eater coursing through his veins. If he gets mine, anyway.
(Oh, dear, that’s next. Muzzies will demand pig-free blood. Then let them set up their own #$%&x!! islamic blood banks!)
There is a twilight zone that tells that story. It was on just a couple of days ago on the Sci Fi Channel.
In it, a man drowns trying to save his hunting dog from a coon. He finds himself walking along a road, and comes to a turn. The man at the gate invites him into “heaven”, but tells him he can’t bring the dog.
The old guy says he’ll just keep walking along then, and finally comes to the real heaven, where he’s told in hell thay can’t let the dog in, because he’ll know right away from his sharp nose he’s in the wrong place.
If you have a chance take a look for it. It’s sort of cute. TV used to be so good.
Absolutely, but it's more than just courtesy. Clearly, there are several jobs that true muslims shouldn't be doing, such as cab drivers, clerks in liquor stores and grocery stores or any other place where alcohol and pork is sold, to name just a few. But, to take that job and then discriminate against those who are smart enough to not be muslim is or should be illegal.
I would certainly have to consider whether or not a person is a muslim if such a thing would interfere with their ability to do the work I'm hiring them to do. That's not discrimination, being racist or bigoted or whatever. Why should I hire someone who isn't able to do the work?
How would he know?
Guide dog organizations give each blind recipient several weeks of training (at least The Seeing Eye, in Morristown, NJ does).
Included in this training is recognizing the sound of cars, recognizing patterns of vehicle movements, etc.
So it's likely the man would be very attuned to the way taxis move about a taxi stand, especially if he travels a lot.
He also probably could hear people down the line from him getting picked up, as they spoke with the cab drivers and put their luggage in the cab.
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