The Clueless Cashier
Last night at the supermarket, the
young lady at the register glanced over the checkout counter at my
vested service dog, and said, "Normally we don't permit pets in
here." The implication, of course, was that she wasn't going to
raise a fuss this time, but that I shouldn't do it
again.
Of course, I told her that Glindy was a service dog, to which she
responded that only dogs for the blind were allowed. I told her
that, while many people didn't realize it, service dogs had the
same legal status as guide dogs (this is mostly true, with the
possible exception of some local "white cane laws" that may apply
only to guide dogs). She looked bewildered, and dropped the
subject.
Like many others, I suppose I feel a bit defensive when people
challenge my right to have Glindy with me in public. More
problematic, though, is the surge of frustration I feel when I'm
distracted from the task at hand, because I don't shift focus all
that well. As a result, I'm never sure socially how to
handle the situation most constructively, and usually take the tack
that if they don't tell me to leave, I drop the subject when they
do.
I realized after the fact that, while I handled the situation well,
I may have missed a good opportunity to further educate someone
about the ADA and the Nevada laws regarding service dogs. Then
again, would it really have been useful to whip out my legal cheat
sheet to educate the young cashier about service dogs, or would it
have simply been obnoxious and overbearing? It's hard for me to
tell, although I suspect the latter.
Since the "challenge" was well-meaning, and didn't actually result
in any drama, I'm letting it go. I can always speak to store
management at a later time, if it becomes a pattern.
In the meantime, most people tend to give way when faced with
someone confident and assured in whatever it is that they are
doing; being a service dog handler is no exception. As long as I
know my rights and express myself with confidence, I doubt I will
have to resort to sterner measures very often.