The Wal-Mart chronicals(more blind stories)

[Akasa]

Even the stock guys!

So my best friend has had her guide dog for a few months now, Still relatively new all things considered. We are rudly greeted by the greeters who demanded to know if it was a service animal. We frogive that.
Then EVERY ISLE we went in some other employee would approach us and demand to know if the dog was a service animal. Even the guys stocking the shelves! and the cashier!
By the time the cashier asked we were fed up, paid for our stuff and found a manager. Told him its harrassmet and we should only be approached by the greeters at the door, then EVERYONE ELSE should assume that if its in the store its a service animal.

The next time we're there

Ok the greeters were rude again. We're talking not only did they both step in front of us, they yet again demanded in a snotty tone that made me want to slap her.
We shrug it off and go about our business.
We're not appraoched, the cashier does make a comment but it was more curiosity than "I MUST KNOW NOW!!!eventy!"
Then we leave.
We hear "MA'AM! MA'AM" behind us and think nothing of it, after all we paid for our stuff and were leaveing.
We keep hearing the yell and get to our car. The exit "greeter" CHASED US to the car and then DEMANDED to know if its a service animal.
"What will you do if its not? Make us return our stuff and give us our money back?"
"You know you can't just take a dog into a store! It HAS to be a service animal!"
"Does anything about this dog seem different to you?"
"Well I couldn't say, I just nee dto know if its a service animal."(Yes teh harness is on and she's wearing her dark glasses.)
So we turned around and went to see the manager again. This time we laid into the manager since we've had past problems with the store and told them that should something like this happen AGAIN we'd go to the media and tell them about the harrassment we always get from their store and how a blind woman can't shop in peace.

DUDE! WTF?!

We're in the main isle near the toys and there's a tall thing w/ giant balls in it about 3 feet away from us. We're discussing where we might find something I think we were headed to automotive, when this guy bounces one of those giant balls RIGHT IN FRONT of her and the dog scareing the hell out of both of them.
My best friend piped up this time "What are you thinking scareing my dog like that?! Did you think it would be funny to scare a blind woman and her dog?!"
The guy ran for it, no appology, we think he did it on purpose because he didn't look the least bit sorry.

[JoitheArtist]

WTF is wrong with these idiots? It's generally pretty easy to tell the difference between a service animal and a pet:

1. The harness.
2. dark glasses on the owner
3. Animal is strictly controlled and not running around yipping.

Not hard! Idiots.


Side note: as a kid, my mom gave me one of her favorite books, called Follow My Leader. It was about a kid who goes blind and gets a service dog. Great book, and made me interested in service animals ever since. Too bad you're not supposed to pet them. (I do NOT understand people who try to pet or distract service animals. That's like flipping random levers on a wheelchair or twirling knobs on a hearing aid. Although.....*sigh*...there's probably idiots who do that, too.)

[blas]

Every service dog I've ever seen has had a harness on it that says "Service dog, do not pet!"

I guess people don't read.

Where the hell do you live where these idiots run amock not knowing the difference between a service dog and an accessory chihuahua in a purse?

[Gerrinson]

Side note: as a kid, my mom gave me one of her favorite books, called Follow My Leader.

Oh, hey, I loved that book!

Back OT:

The exit greeter chased you out of the store? Might I suggest teaching the dog to...deal with these idiots? In a vicious sort of way. But with doggie teeth.

[JoitheArtist]

Oh, hey, I loved that book!

You actually know that book?? *L* Cool! Yes, it was a very good book. People should read it so they don't act like morons around people with service animals.

[TheSnakeLady]

I recall having to read that book in grade school.

[Becks]

I guess people don't read.

You know better than that.

You KNOW there are customers who don't.

[Akasa]

Every service dog I've ever seen has had a harness on it that says "Service dog, do not pet!"

I guess people don't read.

Where the hell do you live where these idiots run amock not knowing the difference between a service dog and an accessory chihuahua in a purse?

The harness its self does not hve a no petting sign, we have a blue vest that we rarely use, but still.
The area we have so many problems is in Ft. Worth, Texas.

[nomorecarts]

the greeters don't always do their jobs in stopping animals, but service animals are fairly easy to spot, maybe the store has had some history of fines for having animals inside?

[Daisy]

The area we have so many problems is in Ft. Worth, Texas.

I was just about to ask what area this is. That explains a lot, actually. I'm on the outskirts of Ft. Worth myself, so I can verify that this area is chock full of power tripping yahoos.

[Kogarashi]

Then EVERY ISLE we went in some other employee would approach us and demand to know if the dog was a service animal. Even the guys stocking the shelves! and the cashier!
By the time the cashier asked we were fed up, paid for our stuff and found a manager. Told him its harrassmet and we should only be approached by the greeters at the door, then EVERYONE ELSE should assume that if its in the store its a service animal.

Ok, I'll give them the (slight) benefit of the doubt and say that maybe they've had fines for animals in the store or had a rash of people bringing in dogs. I've seen plenty of door greeters who don't bother to keep the extra animals out. I've seen my share of cats and small dogs brought through the registers tucked into a purse or cuddled in the owner's sweater.

However, there's a huge difference between those tiny hide-em-in-your-shirt pets and a service animal. Seriously. Unless they've had problems with people bringing non-service animals in on the harness, they've no excuse chasing you down or harassing you like that. If the store manager doesn't do anything, go to the district manager (you can usually find their name and phone number on a sign by the service desk). If that fails, go to Corporate. Wal-Mart won't like that kind of bad publicity.

I would've been the cashier asking out of curiosity, and would likely have followed up the question with a compliment to the dog's looks. Hey, I've yet to see an ugly service animal.

And honestly? I really didn't know you weren't supposed to pet them. Oops. Good thing I've never done it, and I'll make sure never to do it ever. Or let my kids do it unless the owner says it's okay.